A transformative leadership journey over three interactive online sessions
This isn't a generic management course. Lead with Confidence is designed to build week by week grounded in the real challenges you face.
Lead with Confidence
Christian Leadership Training
Practical people management training for church leaders
Why Lead with Confidence
Much more than a corporate management course
Designed for church leaders who want to lead people with clarity, care and confidence.
Time for self-reflection and discussion with your peers
Every session creates space to ask questions, share your experiences and reflect on your own leadership style and how you want to develop.
Belong to a WhatsApp community for ongoing support
Optionally join our exclusive alumni community where you can continue sharing challenges, asking questions and supporting each other at no additional cost.
Designed and delivered by Joe Husbands, a practising Christian and Leadership & Development Consultant
Joe Husbands is a practising Christian who serves at his local church. He brings L&D expertise with a genuine empathy of the unique realities of church life.
Testimonials
What previous cohort members are saying about this course
I have attended a few of Cornerstone's training courses now and they have been very professional, extremely informative and really relatable. I have been on management training courses for over 35 years but these courses with Cornerstone have been invaluable and I would highly recommend engaging with Cornerstone HR Services and their training courses. Outstanding!
Mandy Blow
Trustpilot Review
Leaders in our team have found this programme so helpful and feedback was that it really gave them confidence in their leadership skills and Joe is a great teacher.
Esther Brady, CEO
Property Tectonics
LinkedIn Review
This is a genuinely impactful course which had a profound effect on my understanding of how to lead effectively whilst being authentic and true to my values. The balance of theory and practical work was perfect and the course delivery was engaging and inspiring too.
Joanne Alvey, Legal Director
Horsfield Menzies
It has made me want to think more intentionally about what kind of a leader I want to be.
Anonymous
Given me a much calmer presence, understood how I can develop and the actions I can put in place to be a better leader.
Anonymous
I feel I have shifted from team member to leader and to leading with intention.
Anonymous
It’s been great, it’s a good exploration of different models, it makes you think about what kind of leader you want to be. And gives a good grounding in core leadership principles.
Anonymous
You understand yourself better, gives you more of a clearer mindset and gives you the confidence to deliver from models and tips on how to lead with a confident approach.
Anonymous
It’s a great quality course, with excellent delivery. Very practical too. Made a big difference to my leadership journey.
Anonymous
Week-by-week
Workshop journey
This leadership development journey combines evidence-based people management techniques with reflection shaped by Christian values and scripture to help leaders grow in confidence, clarity and care for others.
Week 1
Called to Lead, Not Just Appointed
Foundations of Faithful Leadership
Online3 hours
What you'll learn
This foundational session focuses on what it means to lead people, including managing staff and volunteers, within a church context. We explore trust, responsibility, healthy authority and accountability using church-based scenarios, closing with each participant defining their own leadership approach as an anchor for the rest of the programme.
Key takeaways
- Understand the mindset shift from individual contributor to leader
- Explore trust as the foundation of healthy ministry teams
- Build psychological safety in church and volunteer teams
- Apply a structured five-step approach to delegation, without guilt, control or over-functioning
- Translate church vision into clear, actionable expectations and align ministry goals with wider mission
- Hold accountability with kindness and confidence, and address misalignment early
- Encourage ownership without pressure or manipulation
- Define your own leadership approach
Week 2
The Conversation You've Been Avoiding
Feedback & Difficult Conversations in a Church Context
Online3 hours
What you'll learn
How to give feedback and navigate difficult conversations in ways that are honest, respectful and spiritually healthy, with expanded time for scenario practice. This session explores power dynamics in church leadership and the responsible use of influence.
Key takeaways
- Deliver feedback that builds trust and growth
- Structure difficult conversations clearly and calmly
- Manage emotional and defensive responses
- Use faith language responsibly in leadership conversations
- Create a learning-focused, accountable culture
Week 3
Staying Steady, Leading on Purpose
Resilient Leadership & Emotional Intelligence in Action
Online3 hours
What you'll learn
This closing session recognises the emotional and spiritual load leaders carry, combining resilience with emotional intelligence to help you stay grounded, lead sustainably and finish the programme with a clear plan for how you want to lead.
Key takeaways
- Recognise signs of burnout, overload and compassion fatigue
- Understand emotional pressure in ministry contexts and how it shapes decisions
- Develop resilience practices for sustainable, emotionally healthy leadership
- Avoid rescuing, over-functioning or carrying what isn't yours
- Identify emotional triggers and leadership patterns
- Practise empathetic listening and presence
- Build stronger, healthier leadership relationships
- Reflect on key growth moments and commit to intentional leadership habits
Meet your Trainer
Joe Husbands
Learning and Development Consultant
Joe is an award-shortlisted Learning & Development Consultant with extensive experience designing and delivering high-impact leadership and management programmes.
With a particular specialism in leadership development, Joe supports organisations — including churches and charities — to build confident, emotionally intelligent leaders.
Joe is a practising Christian and serves at his local church so he understands the realities, responsibilities and tensions of church leadership. His approach combines professional leadership practice with care, clarity and integrity.
Why Choose Us
Cornerstone Resources
HR Consultants for charities, churches & small businesses
Five-star rated consultancy working with small businesses and charities across the UK.
Cornerstone Resources work with leaders and teams daily to help them make pragmatic, people-focused decisions that drive performance and wellbeing, as well as remaining compliant with UK employment law.
Because Cornerstone Resources work closely with leaders and managers across hundreds of organisations each year, they understand the unique challenges leaders face and have designed this course to be practical, relevant and grounded in real workplace situations, not theory-heavy models or generic leadership advice.
Cornerstone Resources are a member of the Evangelical Alliance.
Location & Investment
Course details
The cohort is delivered fully online via interactive Zoom workshops.
Course Price
Investment
Standard Price
£495+VAT
per person
(£594 including VAT)
Are you a client of Cornerstone Resources?
For churches on a monthly partnership contract with us, you can book a place using just 6.25 of your allocated monthly hours! This includes the 20% training discount provided to partnered clients. Select use allocated hours above the registration form.
If you prefer not to use your allocated monthly hours and would rather pay the fixed fee, you can pay by card, however this will be charged as full price and not include the 20% training discount.
For your calendar
Dates and times
We have one remaining cohort this year, running September and October. All sessions are fully online and hosted on Zoom.
24 February
09:30 – 12:30
Zoom
10 March
09:30 – 12:30
Zoom
24 March
09:30 – 12:30
Zoom
22 April
09:30 – 12:30
Zoom
6 May
09:30 – 12:30
Zoom
20 May
09:30 – 12:30
Zoom
21 September
09:30 – 12:30
Zoom
5 October
09:30 – 12:30
Zoom
19 October
09:30 – 12:30
Zoom
Book online
Secure your place today
Book your place on our September–October cohort
Lead with Confidence: September - October cohort
Delivered fully online via interactive Zoom workshops.
Course price: £495 +VAT
Zoom links will be provided in your booking confirmation email.
1. How would you like to pay?
2. Complete your booking
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Choose how you would like to book to continue.
Need help with your booking?
We are available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm and are happy to answer any questions you may have.
Contact usIn-house delivery
Bring Lead with Confidence to your church, network or diocese
The same programme, shaped around the people you lead and the ministry context you lead them in.
If you've got several staff or ministry leaders who'd benefit from this — across one church, a multi-site setup, a network, or a diocese — there's a more efficient way to deliver it than sending people individually to an open cohort.
Run Lead with Confidence in-house and your leaders go through the same journey together, grounded in the shared reality of church leadership, not sat alongside people from unrelated organisations.
Why churches, networks and dioceses choose to bring it in-house:
A shared language for leading people.
When your staff team, elders, ministry leaders or clergy across a network all go through the same training, you get consistency in how people are led, not a patchwork of individual takeaways.
Built for church realities.
Every scenario already reflects the tensions specific to church leadership — pastoral care alongside accountability, leading volunteers who choose their own commitment, and the responsible use of spiritual influence.
More efficient across a group.
Whether it's a staff team, a cluster of churches in a network, or parishes within a diocese, in-house delivery is more cost-effective than booking people in one at a time.
A safe space among peers who understand.
Leaders can be honest about real pressures without needing to explain church context to people outside it.
A visible commitment to your leaders.
Investing in this training across your team or network shows leaders they're supported, not just expected to cope.
This works well for:
- Church staff and ministry leadership teams
- Multi-site churches wanting one consistent approach to leading people across campuses
- Church networks and denominations wanting to offer this across member churches
- Dioceses wanting a shared standard of people leadership across parishes
The same three-week journey with the same grounding in Christian values and scripture, delivered exclusively for your leaders on your schedule.
Enquire about in-house delivery
Tell us a bit about your team, network or diocese and we'll come back with a proposal.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can't find the answer you're looking for?
Contact usand we'll be happy to help.
What happens if a session is cancelled?
If we need to cancel a session, we will either reschedule it or provide a pro-rata refund for that session.
What if the trainer is unable to deliver?
If the trainer is unavailable and no suitable substitute is available, the session will be rescheduled or refunded on a pro-rata basis.
Can I transfer my place to someone else?
Yes, with prior agreement. Please contact us in advance.
What if I miss a session?
Refunds are not available for missed sessions.
Is this course recorded?
Sessions will not be recorded, however you will receive the key takeaways and reflective document following the session.
What if I have accessibility requirements?
Please contact us in advance and we will do our best to accommodate reasonable requirements.
Terms & Conditions
Course terms
These terms explain how we manage bookings, delivery and participation for the Lead with Confidence programme.
1. Booking & Payment
Places on the programme are confirmed once payment has been received in full, unless otherwise agreed in writing.
Bookings are made per participant and are not transferable without prior agreement.
All prices are exclusive of VAT unless stated otherwise.
2. Programme Delivery
The programme is delivered live online unless otherwise stated.
Session dates and times will be confirmed in advance.
We reserve the right to make reasonable changes to session content, timing or delivery format where necessary, provided the learning outcomes remain materially the same.
3. Trainer Availability & Substitution
In the unlikely event that the named trainer is unable to deliver a session, we will make reasonable efforts to provide a suitably qualified substitute from within our organisation.
Where no suitable substitute is available, the affected session will be rescheduled to a mutually agreed date, or cancelled with a pro-rata refund for the affected session only.
We are not liable for any additional costs incurred by participants as a result of rescheduling or cancellation. This protects you while still feeling fair and reasonable.
4. Cancellations by Us
We reserve the right to cancel or postpone a session or programme due to unforeseen circumstances, including illness, technical failure, or circumstances beyond our control.
Where a session or programme is cancelled by us, participants will be offered a rescheduled session, or a pro-rata refund for the affected session(s).
5. Participant Cancellations & Refunds
If a participant cancels more than 14 days before the programme start date, a full refund will be issued.
If a participant cancels within 14 days of the programme start date, no refund will be provided.
Once the programme has started, refunds are not available for missed sessions or partial attendance.
Participants may nominate a substitute attendee with prior agreement. (You can adjust the notice period if you wish.)
6. Attendance & Participation
Participants are responsible for attending sessions and ensuring they have appropriate access to the required technology.
We are not responsible for missed sessions due to technical issues on the participant’s side.
Sessions will not be recorded for future use.
7. Programme Materials & IP
All programme materials, content, frameworks and resources remain the intellectual property of Cornerstone Resources.
Materials are provided for the participant’s personal development only and must not be shared, reproduced or distributed without written permission.
8. Confidentiality
We ask all participants to respect the confidentiality of personal or organisational information shared during sessions.
We cannot guarantee confidentiality where participants choose to share information in group discussions.
This is especially important for church and charity contexts.
9. Liability
We do not accept liability for any loss, damage or injury arising from participation in the programme, except where required by law.
The programme provides leadership development and does not constitute legal, financial, medical or pastoral advice.
10. Data Protection
Personal data will be processed in accordance with UK data protection legislation.
Data will be used solely for the purposes of programme administration and communication.
11. Governing Law
These terms and conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales.