Your congregation’s worship has been at a plateau for some time. How can worship become more inspiring and create a spiritually vibrant faith community?
Your church offers worship services in different styles and genres. Now it seems as though there are separate congregations under one roof. What would increase cohesion and create a healthy balance between diversity and unity for the sake of the whole?
The clergy and worship leaders would like to expand the range and quality of their leadership. What would provide the kind of training and support they need?
Conflicts about worship are creating tension and straining relationships in your congregation. How could these issues be addressed?
Fears about change are preventing the congregation from realizing its mission and purpose. How do we deal with that?
I help people respond to challenges like these. My approach is holistic, pastoral and practical.
What is Christian worship?
German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer says Christian community is a gift from God: “It is by the grace of God that a congregation is permitted to gather visibly in this world to share God’s Word and Sacrament.” Christian worship is an invitation from God to us.
Responding to this invitation is the challenge.
I am an ordained Lutheran pastor, leadership coach and consultant. I specialize in facilitating transformation in faith communities and their leaders through education and embodiment.
In a process which offers master classes, individual and group coaching and conversation you will discover how the body and mind function as a unit and use these new insights to improve your leadership and enhance the quality of your congregation’s worship.
Benefits
- Clarifies the congregation’s purpose and mission
- Identifies strengths and challenges in worship
- Improves the quality of pastoral worship skills, presence and liturgical leadership
- Increases organizational health and functioning
My experience and approach
I have served the church in many capacities: senior pastor; assistant pastor; supply preacher; interim pastor; minister of music; adjunct seminary professor; campus ministry associate; layperson; director of creative worship; member of the Southwest California Synod’s worship committee; worship coach and consultant. I have also worked as a support staff, office manager and secretary in various organizations. These experiences allow me to understand and work with people from multiple perspectives.
Testimonials
Sandra is a very gifted professional who has worked with individuals and congregations as a pastor, coach, consultant, advisor and mentor. Sandra has a keen sense of the ingredients necessary for an organization’s health and vitality. She worked with our congregation on several occasions, offering hands-on coaching, teaching and insights which were valuable to the life and health of our congregation as well as our staff leadership team.
Sandra provided coaching and training for our worship leaders using her training, insights and knowledge of the Alexander Technique. The experience for our leaders was very affirming and included individual coaching and attention as well as a growing awareness of the corporate dimension of each one’s service. Sandra was able to bring out the best in all who participated and she helped build confidence and skill in even the most reluctant and technically challenged participants! Congregation members and staff noticed the increased level of competency and confidence in our worship leadership following the coaching sessions.
Sandra also conducted a leadership workshop with our ministry staff. Using a survey tool which was administered prior to the gathering, she was able to discern critical insights about each staff member and coached us on how those individual gifts could work together more effectively. She immediately put each participant at ease during the workshop and elicited participation and cooperation from all who were present. Sandra also challenged our staff with “homework” which proved to be a very valuable exercise in bringing our individual gifts together for the greater good.
Sandra has a gift of “reading” individuals and groups very quickly and is able to use that insight to make adaptations during the consulting process, using her broad range of skills and experience to enhance the process rather than insisting on an original agenda or format.
The third area in which Sandra’s skills were helpful was in her evaluation of the congregation’s three worship services. She offered honest and specific observations of both strengths and areas of concern regarding theological and liturgical content, leadership styles, physical arrangement, ambiance, and hospitality. Her forthright observations served us well as professional and lay leaders and subsequent changes were made and are still being implemented thanks to Sandra’s insights and recommendations.
I would highly recommend Dr. Dager to serve as a coach, consultant and mentor for any individual leader or congregation/organization leadership team. I would go so far as to say she could be described as a “worship whisperer”! She is an incredibly gifted church musician and worship leader with a love and passion for liturgy and worship who also has the gift of being able to teach and coach others.
Rev. Don M. Haven
Sandra’s expertise in the areas of worship and music are exceptional…I personally experienced Sandra’s exceptional skills as a worship and music consultant. Following an in-depth review of our congregation’s three worship services, her final written report was most thorough and recommended specific steps to improve our worship life.
I have also participated in her training for lectors and assisting ministers and witnessed her innate ability to transform worship leaders’ voices and mannerisms from timid beginner to confident presence. I’ve no doubt, given the opportunity, Sandra could turn a mudhen into a peacock in full tail plumage!
…her extensive experience and theological study coupled with her openness to creative, innovative approaches to worship are a gift to the Church. Add her ability to work cheerfully with a wide variety of individuals with diverse abilities and you have a description of the Rev. Dr. Sandra Dager.
Karen Idler, Minister of Word and Service
Sandra’s work is rooted in somatic awareness and methods of using the body that allow liturgical leaders to be open and present while praying, singing, and enacting rituals. Her knowledge in this area is deep and wide. She is also extremely gifted in perceiving the learning needs of her students, and in bringing her deep knowledge to bear in offering specific guidance and techniques that facilitate each student’s growth…Sandra is highly professional and models for others what liturgical excellence and ministerial leadership looks like at its best.
Rev. Naomi Schulz
Growing up in Bethlehem, Palestine, I gained a deep love of traditional liturgical chanting. … When my colleague suggested I give up on chanting, and I insisted on trying, he suggested I begin voice lessons with Pastor Sandra Dager—lessons that have been a true blessing.
Pr. Dager doesn’t simply focus on voice, she deals with students as whole human beings. Her lessons include vocal and posture-oriented exercises that have made significant improvements in the quality of my voice. Pr. Dager also demonstrates honest respect for, commitment to, and belief in the ability of her students: This ability to simultaneously push and inspire students is, in my opinion, essential to a teacher’s excellence.
Pr. Dager has also made an effort to work with me on hymns in Arabic, and has demonstrated a sincere interest in learning about others’ cultures and backgrounds.
I strongly recommend working with Pr. Dager whenever the opportunity arises—she is a truly transformational person and teacher.
Rev. Khader S. Khalilia
I was inspired to seek your instruction when I heard so many good referrals from classmates. I have not been disappointed…. After our short time together, you have led me to discover in myself a singing ability that I could never have guessed was there. My vocal range, sense of pitch and voice quality have surprised me. I am able to sing a wide range of liturgies now with confidence and am enjoying singing like I never have before….You have led me to be a better pastor.
Rev. Mark P. Meyer