Partners in Ministry is hosting a free strategy workshop for WA pastors and church leaders, facilitated by Stephen Howells. It is a practical working morning, not a presentation.

From the continuing cost-of-living pressure on local families to volunteer fatigue, heavy pastoral loads and shifting community demographics, leading a church in Western Australia requires more than good intentions. It demands extreme clarity.

When the season shifts, even the best strategies fail if your leaders and congregation don’t understand, believe or commit to the new direction. This workshop is designed to close that gap, with tools you can put to work the same week.

Event details

Date: Thursday 5 November 2026

Time: 9:00am registration for a 9:30am start, finishing at 11:30am

Location: Lake Gwelup Christian Church, Perth

Cost: Free — morning tea provided

Who it’s for: Lead pastors, senior and associate pastors, ministry department leaders, board members, elders and executive leaders. Come on your own or bring part of your leadership team.

What you’ll take away

A clear reading of the local headwinds

An honest assessment of the specific challenges facing WA churches, and why clear strategy is non-negotiable right now.

The science of change adoption

An introduction to proven change-management principles, including the ADKAR framework, so your strategy moves from idea to implementation.

The power of strategic storytelling

How leading organisations use structured narrative to make complex strategy accessible, motivational and memorable.

A pressure-tested, drafted narrative

A practical workshop session where you craft and stress-test your own strategy story, ready to share with your board or elders.

How PIM walks alongside you

Discover how Partners in Ministry provides faith-aligned, expert consulting for WA Christian leaders.

Meet your facilitator

Stephen Howells

Stephen is passionate about helping church leaders create the strategic clarity and alignment needed to navigate their unique ministry contexts.

He has worked alongside some of Australia’s largest and most complex commercial and government organisations. Through this work, Stephen has seen how intentional strategy helps teams of all sizes stay focused and achieve their full potential. He translates enterprise-class strategic methodologies into practical tools for the church environment, helping church leaders draw on proven practices that bring direction to complex ministry decisions.

Stephen’s approach is to walk alongside church leaders as a supportive guide, recognising that each leader is called and gifted into their ministry context. As a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and certified Prosci Change Practitioner, he helps churches avoid governance pitfalls and implement change in a way that unifies leadership and the congregation.

Outside of consulting, Stephen serves as Treasurer on the Leadership Team at Inglewood Community Church.

Register

There is no cost to attend and morning tea is provided. We keep the room small enough to be genuinely useful, so places are limited. Let us know you’re coming.

Register here

Registration and questions: Stephen Howells, stephen.howells@partnersinministry.com