About us

MEET THE VERVE LEAD TEAM

Professional Supervision Team

Professional Supervision

Nick Burns

Founder - CEO

Dr Don Easton

Francine Hunt

Steve White

Recognised Supervisor

Nicky Harper

Recognised Supervisor

Edwina Stonebridge

Professional Supervision

Nick Burns

Nick currently lives on the Sunshine Coast in QLD and has had experience working in Christian leadership in Brisbane and regional Qld since 1997. Nick’s experience includes leading Teen Challenge Queensland’s residential drug and alcohol centre, church planting, being an associate pastor in a large suburban church and a strategic regional leadership role connecting pastors, churches and care services with each other and their local community. Nick is now utilising this broad experience providing, professional supervision, mentoring and coaching to Christian leaders. Nick has an authentic judgement freestyle that enables reflection, growth and personal development.

Founder - CEO

Dr Don Easton

Dr Don Easton’s passion is to lift the buoyancy and resilience of Christian leaders to enhance our communities’ well-being, sustainability, and safety.

After journeying through severe burnout in 2014, he has conducted qualitative research to quantify ideal Christian Leader Health and develop pathways to well-being. This outfits him to build resilience and aid revitalisation.

Don founded Verve Lead to develop and multiply quality well-being mentors.

The Verve Lead team consults with movements, develops mentors and provides mentoring and professional supervision to executive, global, and local Christian leaders.

Don’s Forty-Five years of ministry experience includes church planting and ordained ministry in traditional and Pentecostal churches. His roles as Senior Minister (31 yrs) and ten years on the national executive position him to understand the complexities and pressures of ministry.

His life experience and formal education have equipped him as a Well-being Mentor, Professional Supervisor and Consultant.

His Book, “Burnout and Beyond” is available on Amazon.

Francine Hunt

Francine has 37 years of pastoral experience and is an Ordained Minister. Over those years some of her roles have been: house parent in a shelter for homeless teenagers, state leader for QLD/NT Christian women and up until recently along with her husband pastoring a local church for the past 26 years.

There are challenges those in ministry face at multiple levels and, with an understanding of this, Francine has a passion to see others thrive in their vocation. She believes in the importance of supervision to aid in fulfilling one’s calling with strength and fruitfulness.
Francine has been married for 38 years and has three adult children.
She has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science (BSocSc) and has completed a Graduate Certificate in Professional Supervision (Pastoral) (Clinical).

Steve White

After being born again in 1976 through the ministry of Young Life, Steve along with his wife Deb were members of Frenchs Forest Baptist Church for many years, until moving to the Gold Coast in 1988 for work (Steve has a background in project and construction management) and joining C3 Currumbin.

In 1992 Steve and Deb and their young family of four were sent to plant a church in the NSW north coast regional town of Kingscliff. Over time the church thrived and grew until in 2011 they were asked to go and help bring healing to a church in Canberra. After leading the church for 20 years they transitioned C3 Kingscliff over to their daughter and son-in-law, who continue to lead it to this day. Both churches have multiple staff, significant property assets and enjoy multi-site and community expressions. After nearly twelve years in Canberra Steve and Deb have returned to Kingscliff to embrace their next season of ministry expression whilst being surrounded by their ever-growing family, currently numbering nine grandchildren and enjoying all the other distractions that north coast living brings.

Steve has been in pastoral ministry for over 30 years as a church planter, senior minister, overseer, area director, C3 Australia Executive member, college lecturer, church health advocate and conference facilitator. Steve was on the Australian board of Natural Church Development (NCD) for over 5 years and served on the board of a community based aged care facility for 6 years and for many years has mentored the C3 Pastors in Solo Indonesia.

Steve’s passion is to see healthy local churches led by healthy local leaders who are equipped to navigate life and ministry transitions with sustainable discernment and grace.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Applied Science (Building), NSWIT
  • Advanced Diploma of Christian Ministry & Theology, C3 College
  • Grad Cert of Arts (Christian Leadership), Sydney College of Divinity
  • Grad Cert in Professional Pastoral Supervision, St Marks National Theological Centre

Accreditations & Memberships

  • Registered Minister of Religion (C3 Global)
  • ACMN (Australian Christian Mentoring Network)

Ministry Emphasis

  • Coaching, Mentoring and Supervising of Senior Pastors
  • Spiritual and leadership development of ministry teams
  • Spiritual Retreats for Ministry Teams & Senior Pastors
  • Strategic Planning
  • Ministry Transitions for leaders and churches
  • Church Health
  • Working with overseers

Training Proficiency

  • Mentor Training with Keith Farmer (National Mentor and Trainer)
  • Church Health using NCLS and NCD tools

My Passion for Serving

My love for the local church and belief in the intrinsic value of every individual motivates me to help disciple, to the best of the grace given to me, every person at whatever stage of their journey. That may be through coaching, mentoring, supervision or whatever discipleship expression is contextually most appropriate. Navigating life transitions is a key skill both for individuals and churches and discipling people along their journey is, to me, a God-given privilege. I love to empower, encourage and see God’s people released to fulfill the destiny on their lives. As a father in the faith, I hope to encourage God’s people and churches to pursue their unique expression and live authentically to their call.

Recognised Supervisor

Nicky Harper

Nicky has worked in pastoral ministry in a church context for over 30yrs. 

She is an ACC credentialed pastor, currently co-leading Centrepoint Church (Brisbane) with her husband, Russell.

Broadly speaking, Nicky’s experience has been in youth ministry, pastoral care and senior/executive leadership.

She has completed a Grad. Cert. in Professional Supervision and also a Grad. Cert. of Leadership. 

She is an accredited member of AAOS (Aust. Assoc. of Supervisors).

Nicky values the confidential and reflective ‘safe space’ that supervision offers for all those working in a people industry.

Nicky is available for appointments in Brisbane or by Skype/Zoom. She also offers group supervision.

Recognised Supervisor

Edwina Stonebridge

Edwina Stonebridge has a unique approach to Professional Supervision, combining her experience in pastoral ministry, leadership and psychology with a deep-rooted passion for the well-being and flourishing of those in ministry. Edwina is dedicated to supporting pastors, ministry staff, chaplains, missionaries and those in Christian leadership across various denominations and faith backgrounds.
As an ordained local church pastor, Edwina understands the unique challenges and joys that come with the calling. Having served in this role, she possesses an intimate knowledge of the demands and pressures that ministry can bring. Her extensive pastoral ministry experience has equipped her with a profound understanding of the intricacies of spiritual leadership.
As a registered psychologist with over 20 years of practice, Edwina brings a wealth of expertise to her work. Her proficiency in working with pastors and ministry staff stems from her extensive experience in providing psychological support and guidance. Edwina is well-versed in navigating the complexities and nuances of ministry, allowing her to address individuals’ specific needs and concerns within this context.

Edwina is deeply committed to creating a safe, nurturing space where brave reflection and courageous conversations can unfold. Recognizing the importance of allowing the unsaid to find its voice, she provides an environment where individuals can openly explore their thoughts, emotions, and spiritual journey. Her dedication to fostering physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being ensures that those under her care experience holistic support.
Edwina has an unwavering belief in the power of diversity and multiple perspectives. She firmly believes that examining issues from different angles can lead to profound growth and transformation. With a commitment to exploring matters creatively and dynamically,
Edwina encourages her clients to step beyond the confines of traditional thinking and embrace innovative approaches.
Edwina Stonebridge is a trusted companion on the journey of ministry, offering her expertise, compassion, and guidance to those seeking to survive and thrive in their sacred calling. Her unique blend of pastoral experience and psychological acumen creates a space where individuals can find solace, healing, and the courage to embrace their fullest potential.

Mentor Development Team

Founder - CEO

Dr Don Easton

Pacific Region

Wayne Peat

Professional Supervision

Nick Burns

Shiree Ross

David Ross

Steve White

Founder - CEO

Dr Don Easton

Dr Don Easton’s passion is to lift the buoyancy and resilience of Christian leaders to enhance our communities’ well-being, sustainability, and safety.

After journeying through severe burnout in 2014, he has conducted qualitative research to quantify ideal Christian Leader Health and develop pathways to well-being. This outfits him to build resilience and aid revitalisation.

Don founded Verve Lead to develop and multiply quality well-being mentors.

The Verve Lead team consults with movements, develops mentors and provides mentoring and professional supervision to executive, global, and local Christian leaders.

Don’s Forty-Five years of ministry experience includes church planting and ordained ministry in traditional and Pentecostal churches. His roles as Senior Minister (31 yrs) and ten years on the national executive position him to understand the complexities and pressures of ministry.

His life experience and formal education have equipped him as a Well-being Mentor, Professional Supervisor and Consultant.

His Book, “Burnout and Beyond” is available on Amazon.

Pacific Region

Wayne Peat

Ps Wayne Peat has over 38 years of experience in pastoral ministry leadership. He leads C3 Pacific Pastors Support team and oversees C3 Fiji. His book Staying Power is a helpful read.

“Staying Power – surviving ministry long term addresses some of the key issues that lead to the high attrition rate in ministry and provides ways of overcoming them. My prayer is that it will help pastors and leaders prepare for and negotiate the inevitable challenges so that they will stay the course.” — Wayne

Professional Supervision

Nick Burns

Nick currently lives on the Sunshine Coast in QLD and has had experience working in Christian leadership in Brisbane and regional Qld since 1997. Nick’s experience includes leading Teen Challenge Queensland’s residential drug and alcohol centre, church planting, being an associate pastor in a large suburban church and a strategic regional leadership role connecting pastors, churches and care services with each other and their local community. Nick is now utilising this broad experience providing, professional supervision, mentoring and coaching to Christian leaders. Nick has an authentic judgement freestyle that enables reflection, growth and personal development.

Shiree Ross

Shiree has 17 years of Pastoral experience and is an Ordained C3 Senior Minister. She has studied for two years full-time at C3 Oxford Falls Pastoral Care & Counselling, has been part of the C3 Pacific Oversight and is currently on the C3 Pacific Pastoral support team. She is engaged in post-grad studies through BTI Trauma Responsive organisation NZQA and is also completing a Certificate in Professional Supervision through Learning Cloud. Alongside her husband David and three boys, they planted C3 Church Invercargill in New Zealand 14 years ago.

Shiree & David have previously owned and operated their own successful dairy farming business, and her background is in registered nursing for over 30 years. Her heart is to come alongside Leaders and pastors, strengthening resilience & life sustainability.

David Ross

David lives in New Zealand with his wife Shiree & three boys. 

Prior to stepping into ministry his experience covers 20 years as a successful dairy farm owner. David attended Bible college in Sydney (C3 Oxford Falls) and pastored a church in Miranda. In 2009 the Ross family moved back to New Zealand to plant C3 Church Invercargill where he is the Senior Minister. He has held roles on the C3 Pacific oversight team and is currently on the C3 Pastors support team, providing pastoral care & oversight to pastors. 

Steve White

After being born again in 1976 through the ministry of Young Life, Steve along with his wife Deb were members of Frenchs Forest Baptist Church for many years, until moving to the Gold Coast in 1988 for work (Steve has a background in project and construction management) and joining C3 Currumbin.

In 1992 Steve and Deb and their young family of four were sent to plant a church in the NSW north coast regional town of Kingscliff. Over time the church thrived and grew until in 2011 they were asked to go and help bring healing to a church in Canberra. After leading the church for 20 years they transitioned C3 Kingscliff over to their daughter and son-in-law, who continue to lead it to this day. Both churches have multiple staff, significant property assets and enjoy multi-site and community expressions. After nearly twelve years in Canberra Steve and Deb have returned to Kingscliff to embrace their next season of ministry expression whilst being surrounded by their ever-growing family, currently numbering nine grandchildren and enjoying all the other distractions that north coast living brings.

Steve has been in pastoral ministry for over 30 years as a church planter, senior minister, overseer, area director, C3 Australia Executive member, college lecturer, church health advocate and conference facilitator. Steve was on the Australian board of Natural Church Development (NCD) for over 5 years and served on the board of a community based aged care facility for 6 years and for many years has mentored the C3 Pastors in Solo Indonesia.

Steve’s passion is to see healthy local churches led by healthy local leaders who are equipped to navigate life and ministry transitions with sustainable discernment and grace.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Applied Science (Building), NSWIT
  • Advanced Diploma of Christian Ministry & Theology, C3 College
  • Grad Cert of Arts (Christian Leadership), Sydney College of Divinity
  • Grad Cert in Professional Pastoral Supervision, St Marks National Theological Centre

Accreditations & Memberships

  • Registered Minister of Religion (C3 Global)
  • ACMN (Australian Christian Mentoring Network)

Ministry Emphasis

  • Coaching, Mentoring and Supervising of Senior Pastors
  • Spiritual and leadership development of ministry teams
  • Spiritual Retreats for Ministry Teams & Senior Pastors
  • Strategic Planning
  • Ministry Transitions for leaders and churches
  • Church Health
  • Working with overseers

Training Proficiency

  • Mentor Training with Keith Farmer (National Mentor and Trainer)
  • Church Health using NCLS and NCD tools

My Passion for Serving

My love for the local church and belief in the intrinsic value of every individual motivates me to help disciple, to the best of the grace given to me, every person at whatever stage of their journey. That may be through coaching, mentoring, supervision or whatever discipleship expression is contextually most appropriate. Navigating life transitions is a key skill both for individuals and churches and discipling people along their journey is, to me, a God-given privilege. I love to empower, encourage and see God’s people released to fulfill the destiny on their lives. As a father in the faith, I hope to encourage God’s people and churches to pursue their unique expression and live authentically to their call.

Directors

Founder - CEO

Dr Don Easton

Director

Max Rankin

Pacific Region

Wayne Peat

Director

Richard Botta

Founder - CEO

Dr Don Easton

Dr Don Easton’s passion is to lift the buoyancy and resilience of Christian leaders to enhance our communities’ well-being, sustainability, and safety.

After journeying through severe burnout in 2014, he has conducted qualitative research to quantify ideal Christian Leader Health and develop pathways to well-being. This outfits him to build resilience and aid revitalisation.

Don founded Verve Lead to develop and multiply quality well-being mentors.

The Verve Lead team consults with movements, develops mentors and provides mentoring and professional supervision to executive, global, and local Christian leaders.

Don’s Forty-Five years of ministry experience includes church planting and ordained ministry in traditional and Pentecostal churches. His roles as Senior Minister (31 yrs) and ten years on the national executive position him to understand the complexities and pressures of ministry.

His life experience and formal education have equipped him as a Well-being Mentor, Professional Supervisor and Consultant.

His Book, “Burnout and Beyond” is available on Amazon.

Director

Max Rankin

Max has experience in coaching to increase performance and financial outcomes across a broad range of businesses, and in building an online community to foster the development of individuals and their relationships. What pleases him most is seeing others succeed. To this end, he has moved into the area of psychology to be a more effective coach and mentor.

Pacific Region

Wayne Peat

Ps Wayne Peat has over 38 years of experience in pastoral ministry leadership. He leads C3 Pacific Pastors Support team and oversees C3 Fiji. His book Staying Power is a helpful read.

“Staying Power – surviving ministry long term addresses some of the key issues that lead to the high attrition rate in ministry and provides ways of overcoming them. My prayer is that it will help pastors and leaders prepare for and negotiate the inevitable challenges so that they will stay the course.” — Wayne

Director

Richard Botta

Richard Botta has over 35-years’ experience in Pastoral Ministry and 5-years’ experience
in Consulting Engineering.
Richard, and his wife Susan, planted C3 Church Carlingford with a group of 70 people
growing to over 500 people today. It has helped to plant C3 Church Ryde and planted C3
Malmo (in Sweden) and C3 Wentworthville (Sydney).
Richard oversees five Australian C3 Churches and are the Regional Directors of the South
Asia Region for C3 Church Global. He is an informal mentor to many pastors. He is
motivated to keep pastors healthy and the development of next generation Christian
leaders.
Richard coaches Business executives in Leadership and Team Building.
He has diplomas in Biblical Studies and Ministry, a Bachelors degree in Mining
Engineering, a Masters Degree in Christian Studies and a Graduate Certificate in
Professional Supervision.
Richard is married and with his wife have three adult children.

Development Consultants

Dr Bob Logan

Development Consultant

Dr Chuck Ridley

Business Development

Deb-B Chew

Dr Bob Logan

Bob has over 40 years of ministry experience including church planting, pastoring, and equipping leaders. Through coaching, consulting, and training, He counts it a privilege to walk alongside leaders to help catalyse their ministries toward fulfilling the call God has placed on them. Bob thrives in channeling his hands-on missional experience to develop practical, principle-based, transformative resources that are easy for leaders to implement in their context. Bob enjoys cycling and is on track to log over 6,000 miles in 2020.

Development Consultant

Dr Chuck Ridley

Chuck has utilized his expertise in the area of measurement and assessment in the development of the Health of a Christian Leader Profile and the Christian Well-being Mentor Profile. He has also done extensive work on mentor competencies and assessments, supervising a qualitative international research project. Chuck earned his PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Minnesota.

Business Development

Deb-B Chew

Deb-B is an entrepreneur who has co-founded and held directorships of several businesses and was one of the founding directors for Verve Lead. She is qualified as a financial advisor and coach and is actively involved in mentoring and coaching, particularly in business development. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Verve Lead team.

Advisors

Don’s mentor

Dr Keith Farmer

AZUSA Pacific University

Dr Chris Adams

Don’s mentor

Dr Keith Farmer

For the last 15 years, Keith’s ministry has involved mentoring an aggregate of approximately 200 Christian leaders from a wide range of ministries across Australia. He believes Burnout is the single most powerful and most likely challenge to the wellbeing of Christian pastors today.  He is convinced that Mentoring, among other pastoral supports, is a major resource for helping to ensure that Christian leaders are healthy and that they have a sustainable lifestyle.

Keith Farmer has been Don’s mentor and coach in mentoring since 2015.

AZUSA Pacific University

Dr Chris Adams

He is a consultant to a number of denominations and seminaries in the areas of clergy candidate assessment, clergy health, and pastoral leadership formation, and is participating as a consultant, researcher, and writer with the Duke Clergy Health Initiative, Profiles in Ministry Project for the Association of Theological Schools, and Senior Research Associate in the Flourishing In Ministry project at the University of Notre Dame. Executive Director of the Center for Vocational Ministry Azusa Pacific University

Support Team

Content Editor, Master of Creative Writing

Adrienne Easton

Content Creator

Cecelia Meserve

Website Strategy & Design

Josh Easton

Content Editor, Master of Creative Writing

Adrienne Easton

Adrienne is a trained teacher who now tutors children in Mathematics and English. She holds a Master of Creative Writing, and apart from editing others’ work, enjoys writing short stories and poetry, and is working on a novel. Adrienne highly values good spelling and grammar—Don sometimes jokes that he married her for her ability to edit his writing.

Content Creator

Cecelia Meserve

Cecelia Meserve is a freelance writer, specializing in ghostwriting and creating content for blogs and websites. She loves having the opportunity to work with others, bring their ideas to paper (or screen) and help create narrative and structure for their vision. Cecelia has a degree in English from Hope College and lives in Denver, Colorado.

Website Strategy & Design

Josh Easton

Josh combines form and function to build beautiful systems and clever user experiences. Josh is also an associate pastor of C3 Church Robina and has a passion to help people and churches thrive.