Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church (SOLLC), affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, seeks a five-year grant to establish its Thriving in Ministry Initiative program, an effort to create a system to prepare pastors better to lead large and complex multi-staff congregations. Working in partnership with a cluster of large congregations in the St. Paul/Minneapolis region, the program will form two cohorts of approximately 25 pastors each who will participate in a two-year leadership development experience. Working with seasoned senior pastors, the participants will meet for four multi-day leadership development seminars, engage in shared readings and reflections on ministry, participate in a variety of spiritual practices, work with a spiritual director, and receive mentoring from a trained senior pastor “coach” who will walk with them after the two-year experience is complete.