Hi, I’m Melissa Stewart with Thoughtfully formed .
My mission is to thoughtfully and prayerfully develop ministry leaders and members toward deep discipleship and emotional health so they may more passionately pursue Jesus and be transformed by His love. My expectant hope is that this transformational work leads people to have a greater compassion toward others and be better equipped to care for them.
I love Jesus and deeply believe in the power of what He has done for us. I believe in the power of the local church body to love and care for the hurting, the poor, the oppressed, and the broken. Our role as pastors and ministry leaders is to lead people to Jesus through the slow work of discipleship and emotional health and healing so they can do the same for others.
I help ministry leaders grow their leadership skills, disciple-making skills, and emotional health through leadership development training and coaching both one-on-one and in group settings. I offer consulting services to help ministries assess the health and effectiveness of their organizational design and strategy. Whether your ministry is small or large, established or brand new, I help you take the next steps toward effective and healthy development.
My Approach
I’m a coach first and a consultant second. I approach any work together as a collaborative journey. You want to develop and grow your skills and that of your team, but finding the best place to start feels like a challenge. We work together to figure out your needs and opportunities for development that are realistic for your ministry. I then customize a plan just for you. This may involve training sessions with group coaching for the whole team, one-on-one coaching for the team or a few key people, and/or consultative services with a track plan toward the change and results needed. Most of our work will be done remotely, however, select services may require some in-person time.
Dream it
You came into your ministry with a big dream. You want you, your staff, members, and greater community to know and experience the transformative love of Jesus. But leading it all can feel so cumbersome and complex! My services make the dream a reality by giving you the tools and plan you need without the stress and burnout. I help you keep the dream alive (or bring it back again).
Build it
If your main goal is numerical growth and to be well-known, I am not for you. But if you want help creating a meaningful, thoughtful, healthy ministry that heals the brokenhearted, isn’t afraid to do the hard inner work that leads to wholeness in Jesus and you are ready to lead the way first, I’m exactly for you. Together, we can change our ministries through true servant leadership.
My Story
My call to ministry came very early in life with a specific call to bring the hope of Jesus to people. As life often does, it has taken me on a lot of twists and turns to find my way and figure out how to do that best. I’ve been in church my whole life and have seen both the best of us and the worst of us. I have been on my journey to heal from church wounds and remove harmful ideals from my belief system. We have a lot of areas of growth needed within our Christian ministry space and I believe many are up to the task!
I have been married to my wonderful husband, Jason, since 2002 and we have a sweet teenage boy together along with our Mal-Shi fluff muffin, Max. I am from Northern Indiana and now reside in Metro-Atlanta.
My Education
Doctor of Strategic Church Leadership (candidate)
Master of Arts in Church Organizational Leadership
Master of Science in Positive Psychology & Coaching
ICF PCC Certified