Fall Founding Cohort • 8 seats
Lead your church without losing yourself.
A 12-week small-group coaching cohort for lead and senior pastors of churches around 100–500 who are carrying too much, leading through complexity, and ready for a healthier way forward.
Starts Friday, October 2, 2026
Led by Gabe Kolstad, lead pastor since 2007 and Certified High Performance Coach
Founding Cohort
12 weeks of small-group coaching
8 pastors accepted
For lead/senior pastors of churches around 100–500
Pastor-to-pastor coaching with Gabe Kolstad
The church is growing, but so is the weight.
You are preaching, leading staff, making decisions, caring for people, managing conflict, and trying to keep your own soul healthy at the same time.
From the outside, things may look fine. Inside, you know the pace is not sustainable.
Maybe your church has plateaued. Maybe your team depends on you too much. Maybe your family gets what is left over. Maybe you feel tired, reactive, or alone in the role.
Build a healthier rhythm for the next level of leadership.
The Next Level Pastor Cohort helps you step back, get clear, and lead with more health, focus, and confidence.
You do not need another conference high. You need a practical reset with pastors who understand the seat you sit in.
The goal is not to add more to your plate. The goal is to help you lead the right things, in the right way, from a healthier place.
What you’ll work through
Over 12 weeks, you will address the real issues that keep pastors stuck — with practical coaching, honest conversation, and clear next steps.
Personal health
Energy, pace, boundaries, sustainable rhythms, and the emotional weight of pastoral ministry.
Leadership clarity
Decision fatigue, focus, priorities, growth pressure, and the responsibilities only you can carry.
Team alignment
How to lead staff, volunteers, and church complexity without becoming the bottleneck.
A focused 12-week cohort for pastors who want practical coaching, not theory.
You will join a small group of lead and senior pastors facing similar leadership pressure. Together, you will process what is working, what is draining you, and what needs to change for your next season.
Apply for the Founding CohortIncluded in the cohort
- Small-group coaching with Gabe Kolstad
- Practical leadership frameworks you can apply immediately
- Guided reflection on your health, pace, and leadership capacity
- Honest conversation with pastors in a similar church-size range
- Clear next steps for your life, leadership, team, and church
Only 8 pastors will be accepted into the Fall Founding Cohort.
Move forward with clarity, not survival mode.
By the end of the cohort, you will have more clarity on what needs to change and how to move forward.
A healthier rhythm
Better boundaries around your time, energy, attention, and leadership capacity.
A stronger plan
Clear next steps for leading your team and church without staying stuck.
A trusted circle
Pastors who understand the pressure and can speak honestly about the role.
This cohort is a strong fit if you are…
- A lead or senior pastor
- Leading a church around 100–500 people
- Feeling stretched thin, plateaued, or close to burnout
- Carrying significant leadership responsibility
- Ready to be honest about what is not working
- Willing to make practical changes in your life and leadership
This is not a fit if you are…
- Looking for a quick church growth hack
- Unwilling to talk honestly about your health and leadership
- Only interested in strategy without personal change
- Not currently serving as the primary senior leader of a church
- Unable to commit to the 12-week process
Application required
Apply for the Fall Founding Cohort
Starts Friday, October 2, 2026
12-week small-group coaching cohort
8 seats available
For lead and senior pastors of churches around 100–500
Led by Gabe Kolstad
Founding Cohort Price
$1,495 paid in full or 3 payments of $525
Because this is the founding cohort, seats are limited and applications will be reviewed for fit.
Start your application
Share where you are in ministry, what you are carrying, and what you hope to get out of the cohort. If accepted, you will receive next steps for enrollment, payment options, and how to prepare.
Your application will be reviewed for fit before any financial commitment.
Pastor stories
Founding cohort stories and testimonials will be added as pastors complete the process.
For now, this cohort is intentionally launching small so each pastor receives focused coaching, honest conversation, and practical support.
Led by a pastor who understands the weight of the seat.
Gabe Kolstad has served as a lead pastor since 2007. He knows the pressure of preaching every week, leading through growth, carrying people through hard seasons, making decisions with imperfect information, and trying to stay healthy while the church depends on you.
Gabe is also a Certified High Performance Coach, bringing practical coaching tools to the real world of pastoral leadership.
Pastor-to-pastor.
Direct. Honest. Practical.
Frequently asked questions
Who is this cohort for?
When does the cohort start?
How long is the cohort?
How many pastors will be accepted?
What if I am not sure I am a fit?
Take the next step before the next season takes more out of you.
If you are leading a growing church and know something needs to change, apply for the Fall Founding Cohort.
8 seats available.
Starts Friday, October 2, 2026.
Get the Healthy Pastor Scorecard
Not ready to apply yet? Use the Healthy Pastor Scorecard as a quieter next step to assess your current pace, pressure, and leadership capacity.
