LEAD Cohorts

LEAD Cohorts are online meeting places for small groups of MB pastors and leaders – or anyone interested in learning more about a specific topic or gathering with like-minded people.

LEAD Cohorts are FREE to all participants. The only cost is for books or materials, if recommended by the cohort leader. LEAD Cohorts typically last three months and meet online every two weeks for about an hour.

The next session of LEAD Cohorts will begin this January and February. Our spring lineup will be online soon. Sign up by clicking the "Register" button below the cohort you are interested in joining, and the cohort leader will contact you with more information. If you have additional questions, please email Janae Shafer.

About nothing for those who want to talk about something - Luke LeViere and Jason Quiring
For male pastors: In community we can dream of fun possibilities, have a context to handle difficult stuff and celebrate each other’s victories. Out of relationships ministry partnerships happen. This cohort is about building and strengthening relationships through organic conversations – what’s on your mind this week? This cohort is for people looking for friends, real friends who love the Lord and want to build His Kingdom together. No other agendas, please.

Luke LeViere is pastor of Good News Fellowship in Ferndale, Wash. Jason Quiring is lead pastor of Greenhouse Community Church in Saratoga Springs, Utah.

Cohort will meet on the first and third Wednesday at 3 p.m. CST beginning Feb. 4.
Feb. 4 & 18, March 4 & 18, April 1 & 15, May 6 & 20.

After Doubt book study – J.L. Martin
Is it possible to walk faithfully through seasons of doubt and emerge with a deeper love for Jesus, the church and its tradition? Can we question our faith without losing it? Join others in this book study to better understand doubt and how it affects us, our families, churches and communities. This cohort also offers an opportunity to engage with A.J. Swoboda’s work before hearing him as the Gathering 2026 keynote speaker.

Required reading: “After Doubt: How to Question Your Faith without Losing It” by A.J. Swoboda

J.L. Martin is the Bookkeeper/Event Planner/Social Media Coordinator for USMB. Previously, he served as Pastor of Children and Family at Hesston (Kan.) MB Church. J.L. served in children and youth ministry contexts for more than 20 years. He enjoys coffee, Spartan races, reading and working out. He and his wife, Bethany, have four children and live in Hesston.

Cohort will meet every other Thursday at 11 a.m. CST beginning Feb 5.
Feb. 5 & 19, March 5 & 19, April 2, 16 & 30, May 14

Contemplative conversations – Chandelle Claassen
This cohort will be reflective and interactive within a relaxed setting meant to care for your soul. We will immerse ourselves in various scriptures in a personal way via a spiritual practice called Lectio Divina or "Divine Reading."

Chandelle Claassen is a trained spiritual director and certified life coach and member of the USMB LEAD Coaching team. Chandelle lives in North Newton, Kansas.

Cohort will meet every other Tuesday at 2 p.m. CST beginning Feb 3.
Feb. 3 & 17, March 3 & 24, April 7 & 21, May 5 & 19.

Discipleship discussions– Jeremy Matlock
Discover what discipleship is and what it can look like in your church. We’ll explore what is effective (and what isn’t) and discuss how to create a discipleship program in the midst of busy ministry schedules. Come ready to share ideas and learn ways to encourage discipleship in your local context.

Jeremy Matlock is lead pastor of Hillsboro (Kan.) MB Church and the author of “Discipleship Discussions: 13 Transformative Discipleship-making Studies.” He has also served as pastor of adult discipleship and assimilation, a mission mobilizer, a missionary in Russia and China and a high school Bible/math teacher.

Cohort will meet on select Thursdays at 2 p.m. CST beginning Feb. 5.
Feb. 5 & 19, March 5, 12 & 26, April 9 & 23, May 7

Effective communication in a digital world - Matt Ehresman & Lacey Scully
Feel like you're drowning in a sea of communication overload? Our USMB churches today communicate in more ways than ever before—email, social media, websites, print pieces—even AI! This eight-week cohort is designed to help you navigate these tools with confidence and purpose. We'll cover: AI tools, social media engagement, Canva/graphic design, Google apps (Gmail, Calendar, Drive) and email communications. No matter your level of expertise, join us on a journey to share the gospel clearly and communicate effectively in an increasing digital landscape.

Matt Ehresman has worked at Ridgepoint Church in Wichita, Kan. since June 2013, currently serving as their director of communication and online engagement. He is also the host of LEAD Pods, the leadership podcast for U.S. Mennonite Brethren. He and his wife, Tillie, have two daughters. Matt is a Mountain Dew connoisseur and (controversially) thinks Andrew Garfield was the best Spiderman.

Lacey Scully became editor of USMB’s Christian Leader magazine in July 2025. She has more than two decades of experience in editorial writing and strategic communications and is passionate about telling engaging, inspiring stories. She lives in Wichita, Kansas, with her husband and their two daughters. Lacey doesn't start work without a hot cup of coffee and ends most days reading through a stack of children's books with her girls.

Cohort will every Monday at 2 p.m. CST beginning Feb 2.
Feb. 2, 9, 16 & 23, March 2, 9, 16 & 23

Ethiopian pastors and leaders – Samuel Hailemariam
የኢትዮጵያ ቤተክርስቲያን መጋቢዎችና መሪዎች
ይህ ህብረት የኢትዮጵያ አብያተክርስቲያናት መጋቢዎችና መሪዎች በመደበኛነት
በጋር በመሰባሰብ ግንኙነታ ቸውን የሚያጠናክሩበት ፣ ስለ አገልግሎት
መረጃዎችን የሚለዋወጡበት ፣ በጋራየሚመካከሩበት ፣ የሚጸል
ዩበት፣ ቃሉን የሚያጠኑበት ና የሚወያዩበት ፣ በየ ወሩ የመጨርሻ ማክሰኞ
የሚደረግ ልዩ የአንድነት ፕሮግ ራም ነው።

Ethiopian Pastors and Leaders: (English translation) This cohort is geared for Ethiopian pastors and church leaders who desire to network and fellowship online on a regular basis to strengthen relationships, discuss and exchange information and ideas for ministry, pray together and much more. The discussion will be held on the last Tuesday of each month in Amharic and sometimes English.

Samuel Hailemariam serves as lead pastor at Grace International Church in Indianapolis, Ind. He is currently involved in several training and mission-oriented activities in Ethiopia. He is passionate about the Gospel and enjoys fishing and music in his spare time. He and his wife Sara have four children.

Cohort will meet the last Tuesday of every month. Time TBD.

Holistic healthy living - Esther Leonard
God has created us to thrive and be in good health. Only 6.8% of Americans are metabolically healthy. This cohort will educate you on the factors that contribute towards the health of your body, soul and spirit.

We will explore the six things that contribute to our wellbeing: food, movement, light, stress, toxins and sleep. We will read two books together: “Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health” by Casey Means and “Power Thoughts: 12 Strategies to Win the Battle of the Mind” by Joyce Meyer. You will benefit from God renewing your thoughts, education on healthy habits and accountability. We will end our time with a four-week Healthy Living Challenge where we will set personal goals aimed at achieving great results. Join the fun!

Required reading: “Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health” by Casey Means and “Power Thoughts: 12 Strategies to Win the Battle of the Mind” by Joyce Meyer

Esther Leonard is prayer ministry pastor at Mountain View Community Church in Fresno, Calif., and a registered nurse.

Cohort will meet every other Tuesday at 10 a.m. CST beginning Feb. 3.
Feb. 3 & 17, March 3, 17 & 31, April 14 & 28, May 12

Leading a church that changes the world – Fred Leonard
Lead pastors: Join us to discuss how to engage your church to make a difference locally, nationally and globally through strategic leadership in evangelism, discipleship, church planting and more—all while developing pastoral friendships.

Fred Leonard is lead pastor of Mountain View Community Church in Fresno, Calif. Fred has a passion for developing church vision and equipping and releasing men and women into ministry.

Cohort will meet every other Wednesday at 9 a.m CST beginning Feb. 4.
Feb. 4 & 18, March 4 & 18, April 1, 15 & 29, May 13

New pastors to USMB –Aaron Box and Brian Harris
A welcoming space for pastors who are new to USMB. Join us to build relationships, ask honest questions and gain clarity about who we are as U.S. Mennonite Brethren. Connect with others on a similar journey, and find the support you need as you settle into ministry within our conference of churches.

Aaron Box has served as USMB national director since July 2024, bringing more than 20 years of ministry leadership experience to the role. He lives in Eugene, Ore., with his wife, Jenn, and has two children.

Brian Harris has served as the Southern District Minister for the past two years and prior to that was a church planter and lead pastor. Brian lives outside Tulsa, Oklahoma, with his wife, Stephanie.

Cohort date and time to be announced.

Pastors' wives – Kelsey Ensz
This gathering for pastors’ wives offers time to get to know each other, share joys and struggles, grow in the Word and pray for each other. Enjoy the blessing of friendships formed over distance, based in the common love of Jesus and the USMB goals of evangelism, discipleship and leadership. We will use Philippians 2:1-11 as our base text.

Kelsey lives in Oregon and is married to Nathan, pastor of Kingwood Bible Church in Salem. Her favorite time of year is autumn, when the air is moist and cool, and leaves in every hue and form mingle in heaps on the ground. Her recent interests are barefoot shoes, natural fiber textiles and remineralizing toothpaste (yes, really). Having been married to a pastor for 25 years, she values connection with other ministry wives who understand the unique challenges and joys of this calling.

Cohort will meet every Tuesday at 8 p.m. CST beginning Jan. 13.
Jan. 13, 20 & 27, Feb. 3, 10, 17 & 24, March 3.

Revitalización de la iglesia - Daniel Rodriguez
Esta reunión será en español.
Conversiones sobre lo saludable que es una iglesia en realidad y cuáles son algunas de las cosas que a veces no nos damos cuenta que no están ayudando a nuestras iglesias esten sanas y en misión. ¿Estás haciendo las cosas que siempre hemos hecho o estamos haciendo las cosas que estamos llamados a hacer? Preguntas desafiantes que nos ayudarían a ser más efectivos y revitalizar nuestras iglesias. Entrega de lecturas en español para aquellos que se registren.

Daniel Rodriguez es el ministro de la Conferencia del Distrito Central. Vive en Omaha, Neb.

Church revitalization - Daniel Rodriguez
This Cohort will be in Spanish.
Is your church doing the things it has always done, or is it doing the things healthy churches are called to do? Join this conversation about what healthy churches look like, and identify areas that prevent churches from being healthy and on mission. In this cohort, you will engage challenging questions to help your church be more effective and revitalized. A handout in Spanish will be provided for those who register.

Daniel Rodriguez is the Central District Conference Minister. He lives in Omaha, Neb.

Cohort will meet every Wednesday at 8 p.m. CST beginning Feb 11.
Feb. 11, 18 & 25, March 4, 11, 18 & 25, April 1

The soul of leadership (for women in ministry) – Jana Hildebrandt
Join us for a study of “Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership” by Ruth Haley Barton, exploring how you can reconnect with God, lead from authenticity, cultivate community and care for your soul. Discover practices that renew spiritual health and transform how you serve others.

Required reading: “Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry” by Ruth Haley Barton

Jana Hildebrandt is part of the lead staff at Ridgepoint Church in Wichita, Kansas. She gives leadership to missions, prayer and engagement. Jana has been in ministry for over 30 years at Ridgepoint. She and her husband enjoy visiting their kids and grandkids on the West Coast and doing missions trips. Jana read Ruth Haley Barton’s book eight years ago while on sabbatical and enjoys going through the book with other leaders, especially newer ministry leaders.

Cohort will will meet every Wednesday beginning Feb. 4 (Time TBD).
Feb 4, 11, 18, 25, March 4, 11, 18, 25.

Youth ministry realities – Russ Claassen
Get to know other youth workers as we engage in passionate discussion focused on the realities we face as youth workers. We will explore topics relevant to the group around the questions and discussion points you bring. This cohort is for youth pastors and anyone who works with youth in your local church—volunteers, small group leaders, etc.

Russ Claassen is Southern District Conference youth minister. Russ lives in North Newton, Kansas.

Cohort date and time to be announced.

Youth ministry training – Russ Claassen
Join this eight-session cohort for new and seasoned youth pastors/workers. Sharpen your skills and be equipped to lead with confidence. You’ll learn how to understand today’s youth culture, plan great programs, teach with impact, lead small groups, build strong relationships, handle admin, develop volunteers and ensure safety and ethics. Practical, inspiring and made for real ministry life!

Russ Claassen is Southern District Conference youth minister. Russ lives in North Newton, Kansas.

Cohort date and time to be announced.

PLEASE NOTE:
Dates and/or times on registration forms may not be accurate. The correct information is listed in the descriptions to the left. Once registered, you will be contacted by the cohort leader with more details and information. Thank you.

LEAD Cohorts

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