Ministry boards have a unique opportunity as they consider a plan to invest in leader care. A leader bears primary responsibility for guarding his or her own heart, and nonprofit boards are not “accountability groups.” But boards do have a vital role in supporting the holistic well-being of their top ministry executives.  

Remember, leader care is ministry care. Just as Aaron and Hur supported the arms of Moses to enable Joshua and the Israelites to carry out their mission at Rephidim (Ex. 17:8-16), so a God-honoring board can lift the arms of its senior leader and be a catalyst for the daily and long-term flourishing of their entire organization. 

But where should you start?  

First, pray. Our first step must always be to seek help from the Lord. In Him is life, love, and holy power. Without Him, our efforts are in vain. Consider this sample prayer as you begin. 

Next, these five questions may help your board, or a board-approved committee, as you prepare to work with your ministry’s top leader to develop an annual leader care plan.  

Question 1: What Is True?  
What is actually true about your leader’s wellbeing? 

Start with the person. Consider, “How is our leader actually doing?” Before your board has an in-depth conversation about the specifics of a care plan, do some quiet, prayerful work on this. How is your leader’s: 

• Spiritual Health. Where does the leader seem to be with God? Is she or he leading from a full place or running on fumes spiritually? Are there areas you sense the leader hopes to grow spiritually? 
• Relational Health. What do you know about the leader’s key relationships? Are they life-giving or a source of stress? Is the board a relational support or a drain on your leader’s energy? 
• Mental/Physical Health. What do you observe about your leader’s energy? Does he or she take real time off for refreshment? Does your leader prioritize proactive relationships with healthcare providers?  
• Financial Health. Is your leader’s compensation reasonable (see “Boards 101: 7 Tips for Compensating the Top Leader” for more ideas on this matter). Are there financial pressures on the leader that are not immediately visible? 
• Vocational Health. Does your organization’s leader still seem alive in the role?  Are the leader’s day-to-day tasks aligned well with his or her gifts and talents? How is the Lord developing the leader for her or his work in the days ahead? 

Keep in mind, this exercise is not a performance evaluation.?Also, you won’t have complete information, and that’s fine. The goal is to walk into a leader care conversation curious and caring, instead of being caught off guard. 

Note, too, that if leaders are using a tool like the “Creating Your Leader Care Plan” resource, they’ve begun reflection work like this themselves. They’ve evaluated what they see as true across these five areas. You’re entering a conversation they’ve already begun. Honor that. Don’t treat lightly what it cost them to put that on paper.  

Boards (or leader care committees they approve) play an important role by approaching these conversations with constructive curiosity and active listening (see “Collaborating on Leader Care Plans” for examples). 

Question 2: What Is The Urgency?  
Is this care preventive, or are we responding to a crisis? 

The answer to this question will shape much of what follows. It may seem obvious, but it’s important to consider the level of urgency your leader is facing.  

A leader care plan for someone who is fundamentally healthy but running hard may mean protected time, a spiritual director, a peer cohort, or a sabbatical on the horizon. Preventive care is proactive. It signals that the organization values the person behind the performance and sees them holistically.  

Crisis care is something different. A leader who is burned out, experiencing serious mental health challenges, facing a marriage in real trouble, or showing signs of significant physical breakdown needs more intensive support, and the board needs to act with appropriate urgency. 

Naming where you are will determine what kind of care plan you pursue. Have the courage to say plainly what you’re seeing, even if it’s hard to face. 

Question 3: What Is Our Capacity? 
What is the relational bandwidth and stability of our board? 

It’s hard to provide the kind of care you haven’t cultivated in yourselves. Any fracture, unresolved tension, or mistrust on your board… all of it leaks into this process. A board still working through its own dysfunction won’t have much room left to hold someone else’s. A board consumed by its own conflict is not positioned to offer the steady, sustained attention good leader care requires. 

So it may be important to take stock of the board’s health before you begin. Where does your board need strengthening? Are there relationships that need repair? Are there board members who themselves are running on empty and operating from deficit? Might there be any dynamics that would make your leader feel unsafe being vulnerable? 

A board that can stay steady, care well, and hold together under pressure is worth building. Your leader’s willingness to be vulnerable with you depends on it. 

Question 4: What Will We Offer? 
What resources (time, budget, and coverage) can we realistically commit? 

Leader care exists on a wide spectrum. On one end, it costs nothing but intention. A board can provide meaningful care simply by committing to Sabbath-keeping accountability, helping a leader build two or three peer relationships, and checking in regularly to see how the leader is actually doing.  

On the other end, some organizations invest significantly. Here’s a sense of the range: 

• Low-cost and no-cost options. Board-led Sabbath accountability, peer relationships, regular relational check-ins, protected time on the calendar 
• Mid-range investments. Executive coaching, professional counseling for six months, a spiritual director, a leader care intensive 
• Significant investments. An executive physical at a facility like Mayo Clinic, a fully funded 90-day sabbatical with salary continuation, travel budget, mentoring time, and retreat 

Not every organization can make the most expensive investments, and not every situation calls for it. But every organization can do something. 

One sustainable commitment is worth more than three that evaporate. Don’t promise what you can’t keep. And don’t use budget as an excuse to do nothing. 

Question 5: What Comes Next? 
Who holds this, and what is our very next step? 

Plans drift when no one owns them. Is there a primary board steward for the leader care plan—one person whose job it is to stay connected, notice what’s needed, and keep the plan alive? Is there a small care committee or someone approved and empowered by the board who has the relational access and trust required? Whatever structure you choose, it needs a name attached to it. 

Then ask the question that separates planning from action, “What happens next?” Who schedules the first conversation with the leader? When? 

Don’t leave initial conversations about these five questions without a name, a date, and a concrete next step. And, as you move forward, be sure to explore ECFA resources like the 7 Essentials for Excellence in Leader Care eBook and our sample leader care board policy for more ideas that may be helpful in your context.  

Remember, we have seen what can happen when a leader’s health erodes. But imagine where Christian leaders of today and in generations to come could take their ministries if they were leading from positions of the holistic strength that can be theirs in the Lord. Imagine the possibilities for life-transformation in our communities! 

We can enhance trust in churches and ministries reaching the world for Christ as we proclaim and reinforce the value of leader care.