Frequently Asked Questions

Our mission is to become participatory advocates of pastoral work-life balance by collaborating with clergy leaders to implement project management teams in churches to reduce pastoral stress and burnout, empower team collaboration, and advance ministry growth. Our guiding principle (tenet) is to guide pastors toward sustainable work-life balance and collaborative leadership with the support of internal project management resources.

We address the widespread and increasing issue of pastoral stress and burnout. Research indicates that approximately 63% of pastors admit to facing stress in ministry, and as many as 80% struggle with discouragement in their dual roles as spiritual leaders and administrators. Our model provides practical support by helping pastors offload administrative burdens, a major contributor to clergy burnout, through the implementation of Project Management Ministries.

A Project Management Ministry is an internal project team within a church composed of committed congregational members. With Beacon’s support, church project teams are trained and equipped to assume the administrative project tasks and responsibilities typically managed solely by the pastor, fostering better work-life balance for leaders and encouraging leadership development.

Beacon Consulting Foundation was founded by Dr. Natasha Williams, who serves as the Founder & Board President. The organization’s pioneering approach is based on her doctoral research, Exploring the Impact of Establishing a Project Management Ministry in the Church on Pastoral Stress and Burnout.

Beacon Consulting Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Saint Louis, MO.

We provide resources and services completely free of charge. These include:

• A Project Management Framework to guide projects from start to finish.

• Professional training through a PMI-approved partner and support for Project Managers to obtain and maintain professional Project Management certification.

• Centralized project management support for church project managers.

• Interactive webinars to strengthen leadership and project management skills.

• A Project Management Toolbox (templates, instructions, helpful links) to streamline project execution.

• Communication & documentation tools to ensure accurate record-keeping and clear communication across projects.

Beacon Consulting Foundation offers all its resources and services to partnering churches free of charge. This is made possible through our reliance on grants, donations, and fundraising efforts.

 To ensure strong, effective, and sustainable collaborations, partnering churches must meet several requirements, including:

• A clear and documented vision or mission statement.

• Active 501(c)(3) status.

• Established and active growth plans.

• A dedicated church member to serve as the Project Manager (certified or desiring certification).

• Commitment of at least three project team members to the Project Management Ministry for a minimum of one year.

• Submission of a brief annual impact report.
  

The Project Management Ministry model yields several benefits for the pastor, including:

• Better time and workload management.

• Pastor-centered support through team collaboration and accountability.

• Promotion of emotional & physical well-being.

• Acute strategic & visionary focus.

• Ministry growth & engagement.

• Overall contribution to lower levels of pastoral stress and burnout.

Beacon is funded entirely through grants, donations, and fundraising. In addition to securing grants and hosting annual fundraising events, we accept donations through our website, Givelify, and personal checks.

Success is measured using clear, measurable goals and key performance indicators (KPIs). Success metrics include:

• Percentage of projects delivered on time.

• Percentage of projects delivered within budget.

• Percentage of projects meeting quality expectations and aligning with project scope.

• Documentation of project artifacts like documented risks, project changes, and lessons learned.

Partnering churches are required to submit brief annual reports, evaluations, and ministry updates to Beacon to ensure accountability and track progress.

That’s okay. We’ll go at your pace. Some people start with 50 minutes and add longer sessions when they feel ready. Others only use extended sessions when they know something big is coming up. You’ll never be pushed into more than what feels safe for you.

It depends. Everyone’s nervous system and story are different. Some clients work with me for a few months and notice big shifts. Others stay longer because they want deeper transformation or are working through multiple layers of trauma. My goal is never to keep you in therapy indefinitely—my goal is for you to feel different, not just think differently.

My practice is primarily focused on women, mothers, and female therapists. If you’re a man seeking somatic trauma therapy, I may be able to offer referrals to trusted colleagues who specialize in this work.

I primarily work with women 30 years and older. I work best with women in their 30s to 50s

You’re not alone. Many of the women I work with have been in therapy for years but still feel stuck. Insight and awareness can be powerful, but without the body, change doesn’t always “stick.” That’s why I use somatic and experiential approaches—so the shifts you make aren’t just in your mind, but lived and felt in your body.

And therapy with me is also not guaranteed to work. We will do periodic check ins to make sure we continue to be a good fit, on both sides. This is supposed to help you so if it isn’t…I will help refer you to someone who can.

1. If i’m accepting clients, fill out contact form and schedule a free consultation by clicking here.

2. Have the consultation and ask any questions you want to know prior to becoming a client

3. If we agree we’re a good fit, we’ll schedule your first weekly standing appointment based on your needs. 

4. Fill out the paperwork (standard stuff with a somatic focused questionnaire)

5. Show up for your session with a quiet, private space, I suggest headphones, and comfy clothes…I’m always looking for opportunities for movement

6. If we decide we are not a good fit, no harm no foul, I help you, if I can, find someone who is. I’m a social worker by license, my jam is connecting people to services and people. If I’m not “it” for you…I’ll help you find them.