About Stillwater
Why we exist and what we are building
The Crisis We Address
There is a quiet crisis unfolding among leaders in the Church and faith-based organizations. Senior pastors, ministry directors, and nonprofit executives are burning out at alarming rates. Many are leading from exhaustion, making decisions from fear, and operating in cultures they know are unhealthy but feel powerless to change.
The symptoms are everywhere: fractured leadership teams, unresolved conflict, decision paralysis, moral failures, and a pervasive sense that something is deeply wrong—even when external metrics look successful.
The root cause is rarely a lack of skill or strategy. It is a crisis of the soul. Leaders who have not been formed cannot form others. Leaders who are running on empty will eventually run out.
He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.— Psalm 23:2–3
Our Founding Conviction
Stillwater Formation Center is being built on a simple but profound conviction: healthy leaders form healthy cultures.
When a leader's inner life is marked by peace, clarity, and rootedness in Christ, that health radiates outward. Teams function with greater trust. Decisions are made with wisdom rather than anxiety. Conflict is addressed with courage and grace. The organization bears fruit that lasts.
But when a leader's inner life is marked by fear, exhaustion, or unresolved pain, those patterns also ripple outward—often in ways the leader cannot see. No strategy or restructuring can compensate for a leader whose soul is depleted.
This is why formation—not just training—is the work that matters most. Formation addresses who a leader is becoming, not just what a leader knows or does.
The inner life of the leader shapes the outer life of the organization. Peace is not a luxury for leaders—it is a competency.
What We Believe
Inner life shapes outer leadership
The health of a leader's soul is the headwaters of everything that flows from their leadership. We cannot give what we do not have.
Peace is a leadership competency
Leaders who operate from a non-anxious presence can navigate complexity, absorb criticism, and make wise decisions under pressure. This peace is not temperament—it is formed.
Discernment precedes strategy
Before asking "What should we do?" leaders must ask "What is God doing?" and "Who are we becoming?" Strategy without discernment is activity without wisdom.
Christ's way forms lasting leaders
The way of Jesus—marked by humility, presence, prayer, and love—is not just morally good but practically wise. Leaders formed in Christ's way can sustain communities for the long haul.
Our Approach
Stillwater Formation Center will offer three integrated pathways for leadership health:
- •Formation Retreats: Five-day immersive experiences for rest, reflection, and renewal in a Christ-centered environment.
- •Cohort Formation: Extended training experiences for leaders who want to cultivate formation practices within their own teams and organizations.
- •Organizational Consulting: Long-term partnerships with churches and ministries seeking to build healthier leadership cultures from the inside out.
In all our work, we prioritize depth over volume, presence over programming, and integration over inspiration. We are not interested in adding more noise to already-overwhelmed leaders. We are interested in creating space where the still, small voice of God can be heard.