Meet Your Guides
Ken Baker
You’re likely concerned about the future of your church: Will we survive? What can we do to turn around the circumstances we’re facing? What changes will we need to make and can we accomplish them?
I’ve seen hundreds of churches face those same questions throughout 40 years of ministry. Many simply don’t know where to turn for help. I’m thrilled that Cyclical has developed the Full Circle program and that I get to be a part of helping churches navigate the next chapter in their life and ministry. I’ve been a pastor in seven congregations and a governing body executive. I’ve seen a lot of efforts to revitalize churches, and I can put that experience to work for you.
Together we will analyze your current situation, look at the two or three most productive directions that your congregation might take and then prayerfully seek to discern where God may be leading your church. Then we’ll begin to develop a plan to help you get there. I look forward to learning about your situation and what we can do together to help you respond to God’s call in the 21st century.
Justin Beck
The Church is currently facing multiple challenges especially as they navigate out of a global pandemic. Leadership in the Church is struggling to figure out how to connect with people. People outside the Church find it difficult to associate with the Church. The Church needs to reimagine what it means to be the Church in our current context. This can be challenging work for congregations to do alone.
I find joy in coming along side people and teams to help them listen to where the Spirit is leading. As a trained Full Circle Guide, I can assist congregations as they envision where God is calling them next. We will work together to create a path forward by assessing the current realties of the congregation.
My work over the last 10 years has consisted of mentoring, coaching and administration. I highly value relationships and empowering others to live out what God has called them into. My training and experience will help me guide churches towards their next faithful step.
Debbie Bronkema
It’s hard to deny that the church in the world is struggling to find its way. As church leaders, we can find it challenging to try to understand what paths are ours to take. This is the time to reflect on our journey together and discern how the Holy Spirit is calling us to go intentionally into this new day.
As a trained Full Circle Guide, I want to be your partner for the journey of discernment, and help you plan the movement toward what’s next. I love helping teams identify the possibilities and find the ones that fit!
I serve as Pastor of Pleasantville Presbyterian Church, and lead connect.faith, an online community where creativity, spirituality and justice meet. I have been in church leadership for over 25 years, am an experienced workshop and retreat leader, and coach new worshiping community leaders.
Matt Brough
The challenges facing churches continue to build up. Leaders struggle to uncover their next faithful steps, faced with the stark realities of lower numbers of people and resources. But there is hope and there are definitely ways forward.
As a trained Full Circle Guide, I will pay careful attention to your congregation’s unique story and help you to map potential pathways for your church to follow the direction of the Holy Spirit.
I worked for almost 20 years as an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church in Canada. I have been a church planter, have led a successful merger between two congregations, and was the first director of Cyclcial PCC, the ministry innovation ecosystem for my denomination. I am also a church planting coach and have written several books and have a podcast focussed on Christian spirituality. My emphasis is always on discerning and then joining in the activity of God.
David Cobia
With over 30 years of experience of leading in churches from four families to large multi-campus congregations (2500+), I’m excited to partner with you as a Full Circle Guide. My track record includes leading multiple churches of various sizes from plateau/decline to growth through innovation and community-building, and I absolutely love to see churches thrive!
For over 20 years I’ve also served as a resource development consultant (annual giving and capital campaigns) for churches and large non-profits — helping organizations to create and implement plans that have consistently resulted major increases in giving to meet their mission.
Rob Douglas
Brendan McClenahan
Congregations are up against a lot today. Leadership teams are facing shrinking resources, dwindling attendance, and a fogginess about what God is calling them to do next. It can be hard to envision the future when the present is so unstable.
I love coming alongside church leadership teams. I am an ordained pastor in the PC(USA), as well as a trained Full Circle Guide and a certified church planting coach. Additionally, for the last 10 years I’ve been leading and multiplying missional communities. As a Full Circle Guide, my main goal is to listen to the story of the church and to experience the eye-opening presence of the Holy Spirit as we seek fresh inspiration.
I help congregations by assessing their health, creating phased plans and recommendations, helping them discern a pathway forward, and walking with them step by step as they adapt and experiment.
Victor Muhumuza
Drew Peterson
As a pastor of a declining church, I know first-hand many of the challenges facing church leaders and pastors today. Discerning God’s vision for the future requires faithfulness, energy, and openness, all of which can weigh on us heavily. We believe in a God who is making all things new, but what does that mean for our churches?
I help accompany churches of all sizes along this exciting journey of rediscovering their authentic identities and offer pathways to live them out. In addition to offering church health assessments and exploring missional pivots, my expertise is in helping churches steward their property, buildings, and land in innovative ways that serve the community and inspire renewal for the church. Whether your church wants to explore creating housing, a community garden, or anything in between, I can help. I am ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA), a Cyclical Co-Director, and a certified Cyclical Full Circle Guide.
Robert Schellert
It can feel challenging maintaining a faithful presence in an increasingly post-Christian culture where the church is no longer at the center of the community. With dwindling attendance, finances and resources, many churches are in significant decline with leaders struggling to make sense of this new reality we find ourselves in.
Such decline doesn’t necessarily equate to failure, but rather an opportunity for transformation and growth. As a Full Circle Guide, my role is to come alongside churches to help them listen to what the Spirit is saying and discern their faithful path forward. In doing so I help churches to adapt and experiment with new ideas on what it means to be a faithful presence in this day and age.
I have spent the last 20 years navigating the challenges of leading innovative faith based communities in a post-Christian culture in the United Kingdom. There is nothing more I enjoy than supporting leaders in their growth, through transitions and in innovating creative ways to engage with their communities.
Katie Stark
Most of our churches are in decline and many leaders are burned out or overwhelmed. Many church leaders (across denominational lines) agree that it seems like God is at work in new ways. Our call as Christians to be the Church in the world is not new, but how we live out that call is changing.
I help churches to discern the Spirit’s call, experiment with ways of living out that call, and to discern a hopeful and faithful pathway forward. I am an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA), am a trained Spiritual Director, coach, and Cyclical Full Circle guide.
I have done this work with congregations in the Presbytery of the Inland NW since 2018 in my role as Missional Expeditor and am excited to expand beyond the Presbytery to use the experience I’ve gained to walk alongside congregations. I use the Full Circle phased process guided by Ignatian Discernment principles.