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Thrive's Ministry Consultants

We bring together a wide array of experiences and expertise that allow us to serve congregations with wisdom and compassion. Our staff are practitioners, pastors, and seasoned ministry leaders who are eager to develop tools or serve as resources for the wellbeing of your congregation.

How Can We Help?

Rev. Amanda Benckhuysen, PhD

Safe Church Consultant, Equip Team Lead

Amanda equips and encourages churches through:

  • Consultation:  providing guidance to church leaders as they respond to allegations of abuse by ministry leaders and by providing assistance as they create and maintain safe church policies.
  • Investigations: assisting churches by investigating allegations of abuse by ministry leaders. 
  • Learning events: education and training for church leadership and safe church coordinators on abuse of power and other topics related to abuse prevention and response.
  • Resource development: overseeing the development of resources that support the ministry of the local church.

Andrew Oppong

Justice Mobilizer

Andrew equips and encourages churches through:

  • Education and mobilization: raising awareness and helping churches develop a deeper understanding of the justice issues they care about in their own local context.
  • Advocacy Training: providing resources, coaching, and the Faith in Action training and orientation for ministry leaders and justice-seekers as they respond to God’s call to advocate alongside, and in support of those who are vulnerable and oppressed.
  • Learning Events: workshops, webinars and training events for churches and individuals on how to begin their justice journeys as they live into a Micah 6:8 vision.
Dave DenHaan

Rev. Dave Den Haan

Classis and Church Leader Consultant

Dave equips and encourages churches through:

  • Consultation: providing assistance to pastors and churches in times of transition, crisis, and discernment.
  • Classis support: providing training and support for key Classis leadership roles.
  • Specialized Transitional Ministers: providing leadership and oversight to the program of congregational transitional ministry.
  • Learning Events: conducting seminars and training events for pastors and church leaders.
Elaine May

Rev. Elaine May, DMin, ACC

Congregational Renewal Consultant

Elaine equips and encourages churches through:

  • Consultation: assisting congregations in a process of congregational health and renewal.
  • Facilitation: overseeing the facilitation of Thriving Essentials, a course to align pastors, ministry leaders, and members on the core concepts mission, discipleship, discernment, and leadership to serve as a springboard to deeper conversations about ministry in your local congregation.
  • Crossroads Discernment: providing leadership and support for Crossroads Discernment Process, a program to guide churches through the spiritual discernment and logistical details of significant changes including reset, restart, and closure.
  • Gather:  overseeing and leading Gather, a series of events intended to celebrate how God is working in our congregations and communities. Ten events across the denomination are designed to inspire, encourage, and prompt learning from each other.
Jill Benson

Jill Benson, MA

DWELL Curriculum Developer

Jill equips and encourages churches through:

  • Consultation: supporting children’s ministry leaders using the DWELL curriculum through the quarterly Dwelling newsletterDWELL’s Facebook community, and individual meetings.
  • Curriculum: helping children’s ministry leaders evaluate their curriculum needs and whether DWELL might be a good fit for them.
  • Learning Events: facilitating annual DWELL coordinator and leader trainings to help churches prepare for another year of children’s ministry.
Julia Rathbun

Julia Rathbun

Safe Church Consultant

Julia equips and encourages churches through:

  • Consultation:  providing guidance to church leaders as they respond to allegations of abuse by ministry leaders and by providing assistance as they create and maintain safe church policies.
  • Investigations: assisting churches by investigating allegations of abuse by ministry leaders.
  • Volunteer support: supporting classical and congregational safe church coordinators. 
  • Learning events: education and training for church leadership and safe church coordinators on topics related to abuse prevention and response. 
Katie Roelofs

Rev. Katie Roelofs

Worship Consultant

Katie equips and encourages churches through:

  • Consultation: providing assistance to worship leaders, worship committees, and pastors as they foster and cultivate healthy worship practices in their churches. 
  • Roundtable conversations: gathering worship leaders together for shared times of support and learning, based on specific topics or liturgical seasons. 
  • Learning events: education and training for churches on worship and the many ways it intersects the rest of church life. 
Lindsay Wieland Capel

Lindsay Wieland Capel, LMSW

Disability Consultant

Lindsay equips and encourages churches through:

  • Consultation: supporting churches as they navigate particular situations related to accessibility and disability.
  • Volunteer support: recruiting and supporting regional and church disability advocates who create belonging in their local context.
  • Education and Awareness: raising awareness about disability, accessibility and ableism through the Breaking Barriers newsletter, trainingsbook club and social media.
  • Advocacy: encouraging churches to be places where everybody belongs and everybody serves.
  • Thriving practices church cohorts: overseeing and supporting facilitators. 
Reggie Smith

Rev. Reginald Smith, DMin

Diversity Ministry Consultant

Reggie equips and encourages churches through:

  • Supporting and encouraging diaspora and ethnic churches and leaders in their local contexts through:
    • One Family classical experience support. 
    • Thrive resources and consultation. 
    • Supporting and encouraging local initiatives.    
  • Consultation: consulting and assisting churches and pastors in times of crisis and transitions.
Sean Baker

Rev. Sean Baker

Church Discernment Consultant

Sean equips and encourages churches through:

  • Consultation: providing assistance to pastors and churches in times of transition, crisis, and discernment.
  • Next Steps Discernment: helping churches discern and decide what's next in anxious times.
  • Learning events: education and seminars for churches and classes on discernment, dealing with differences, and restorative practice.
Tim Rietkerk

Rev. Tim Rietkerk

Chaplaincy Consultant and Endorser

Tim equips and encourages churches through:

  • Consultation: assisting congregations and classes in the joint supervision of endorsed chaplains.
  • Endorsement: enlisting, endorsing, advocating for, and supporting chaplains they carry out their ministries in a variety of settings to include federal and military.
  • Learning events: providing chaplaincy related training at Pastors’ Conferences and other pastoral care seminars.