You were called out for a reason.

The Synergy Collective is a shared leader development experience for church volunteers and ministry leaders across Ohio. Six sessions a year. One cohort. Built around your actual role.

Who this is for

You don't have to have a title to be a leader.

If someone in your church looked at you and said, "I think you should lead this." Then, you should consider joining this pathway. The Synergy Collective is for the volunteer kids' director, the small group leader, the board member, the greeter coordinator, the youth volunteer, and more who serve the local church and lead teams week in and week out.

This is for you if...

You lead or serve on a ministry team at your church
You want to grow as a leader and go deeper in your role
You're ready to move from showing up to owning something
You want to connect with other leaders doing the same work

What to expect

Six 90-minute Zoom sessions, September through April
One action step per session tied to your actual ministry role
Intentional debriefing after each session to connect what you heard to what you do
No cost to you or your church

How the Pipeline is structure

Four movements. Every session.

Every session — across all three years — is anchored to one of four movements. They are not stages you complete and move past. They are rhythms you return to at increasing depth.

See

Discernment

Learning to notice potential, calling, and need — in yourself and in the people around you.

Anchor

Formation

Grounding your leadership in character, spiritual rhythm, and what you actually believe about people and calling.

Release

Responsibility

Moving from helping when asked to owning an outcome — with the authority to match.

Reproduce

Multiplication

Beginning to develop others. The pipeline becomes self-sustaining when every leader looks over their shoulder.

2026-2027 · Foundations

Six sessions. September through April.

The 2026-2027 cohort asks one question all year: Have you moved from showing up to owning something? These six sessions build the foundation every leader returns to with more depth over time.

All sessions held via Zoom, 6:00 to 7:30 pm.

Sep 20

See

You Were Seen

Leadership begins when someone calls it out of you. This session explores the difference between volunteering and being called into leadership — and what it means that someone believed something about you.

Speaker: Dr. Josh Willaford

Oct 18

Anchor

Who You Are Before You Lead

Character is the foundation. Most leadership failures trace back to character, not competency. This session is about the person behind the role.

Speaker: Chad Gilligan

Nov 15

Release

Owning a Lane

The shift from helper to owner changes everything. Helpers show up when asked. Owners show up when they see something needs to happen. This session is about making that shift.

Speaker: Jordan Biel

Jan 17

Release

Leading People, Not Just Tasks

The work is the people, not the program. People know when they're being managed versus being cared for. This session is about the difference — and what to do about it.

Speaker: Dr. Angel Porubsky

Feb 21

Reproduce

The Person Behind You

Every leader should be able to see someone they're investing in. Reproduction isn't an advanced concept — it's an early expectation. This session is about noticing someone with intention.

Speaker: Lance Porubsky

Apr 18

Anchor

Sustaining What You've Started

Growth is not only upward. It has to be sustainable. The leaders who last aren't the most talented — they're the most sustainable. This session addresses the rhythms that make that possible.

Speaker: Ken DeChant