STEPS Group for Pastors
Where Pastors Do Their Own Work
A weekly, confidential group where male pastors do their own soul work, using John Ortberg's STEPS as a path toward healing, honesty, and spiritual vitality.
Pastors spend their lives being present to everyone else. STEPS for Pastors is an hour a week for men in ministry to be present to themselves, to God, and to a few others who understand the weight they carry.
We believe the best gift you can offer your church is a transformed and transforming presence. That kind of presence is formed in community, not in isolation. This group is a safe place to be honest about burnout, compulsions, anxiety, resentment, or simply the ache of ministry, without performance and without judgment.
What to expect:
A confidential circle of no more than 12 men. What's shared here, stays here. We keep this group men-only so the honesty can go deep.
A real commitment. We ask members to commit to the group for at least 12 months, so trust has room to deepen and the work can take root. Come as you are. But come, and keep coming.
Grace for real life. We pause for select holidays and seasonal breaks, and no one is shamed for a missed week.
No cross-talk, no advice-giving, no fixing. Just honest sharing from personal experience.
Shared leadership. Clif serves as primary facilitator, and members take turns chairing meetings and leading prayer. No one performs, everyone participates.
A distinctly Christian foundation, built on grace: "It works if we work it, so keep coming back."
The Framework:
We use John Ortberg's “STEPS" as our map — a twelve-step journey of powerlessness, hope, surrender, honest self-examination, confession, forgiveness, amends, and spiritual awakening. You're encouraged to get the book (print, digital, or audio on Spotify, Apple, or Audible), but never let that be a barrier to showing up.
The Facilitator:
Clif Roth serves as the group's primary facilitator. Clif is the Executive Director of CrossPoint Ministry and has spent years walking with pastors through burnout, compulsion, and the slow work of soul care. He's not leading from the outside. He works the STEPS alongside the group, because he needs them too.
Who: Male Pastors & Ministry Leaders
When: Wednesdays, 12:00–1:00 PM Eastern (weekly, with breaks for select holidays)
First Meeting: Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Commitment: 12 months, so trust has room to deepen
Where: Zoom
Size: Up to 12 participants
Cost: Free
Ready to take a seat at the table?
Use the REGISTER NOW button to reserve one of the 12 spots. Seats are limited, so don't wait.
Do you want to hear more about STEPS Groups?
Curious what this is really about? Clif recently joined Dr. Eric Bryant on the Innovative Church Leaders podcast to talk about the 12 Steps, spiritual formation, and why recovery and pastoral health belong together. You can listen below.
Questions before you commit? Email [email protected] and we'll be glad to help.
Interested in a STEPS group for women in ministry? Email us and let us know. We'd love to hear from you.