more reviews

Marina Lytle

School Director
Kunming International Academy, China

John is an encourager who listens well and speaks needed truth with grace, so it is easy to accept. My staff and I have grown in many ways due to John’s work. Individuals who are struggling with discouragement, culture conflict, work environment tension, and negativity, would benefit from having John’s support. In addition, leaders who need to implement change or gain employee trust would also benefit from his support. Another area his support would be helpful for is team building. John helped with team building among my staff, he helped me to balance transparency while maintaining confidentiality, and to re-frame things so I don’t take them in a personal or defensive way.

Caroline

Bible College Lecturer

John possesses humility/hospitality of person. It’s hard to find a word that describes it, but John makes space for those he counsels and gives them a voice that is not able to be heard elsewhere. He is perceptive and able to see how small stories fit into a meta-narrative. I like John’s lack of ‘shiny’ solutions. I feel I am taken seriously as a human within the human condition. John has helped me to see connections between what I had hoped for in my career / calling and what is actually happening. This ended up being very encouraging, though this was the very thing I had been discouraged about.

Gai Carmen

Financial Counselor

John listens and balances the conversation. Working with him has given me perspective and helped me reflect. Supervision is the key to stay in the game, burnout would be the results if supervision is NOT apart of the work strategies.

Glenn Coombs

Scripture Union Australia/International

John is a great listener, with a great heart for God and people. He is committed to seeing people flourish in life, work and relationships, therefore I would recommend John to anyone who is interested in gaining insight into who they are, how they relate, what are their gifts and blind-spots with someone who is professional, friendly and safe.

Takeshi Shibuya

Japanese Ministry Worker

John has a very warm personality which is helpful me to share my thought honestly even through the online session. As he understood and experienced Asian culture, he could easily understand what I have experienced in my life which bring a great security and trust. I appreciate his wise and timely questions for reflecting my life and achieve long-term personal growth in Christ.

I appreciate the safe space which he gives me to think and reflect my life. I often do things without thinking but automatically done by previous experiences or good or bad emotions which cause another problem. So, his mentoring provides the opportunity to stop and reflect what I have been doing and to pay attention my deep thoughts and hidden emotion. Through verbal expression, I often discover interesting hidden thoughts and my strengths and weakness.

Hew & Cindy

Christian Workers in Transition

John is a great listener who connects really well with people. He is also highly encouraging, very affirming and easy to talk to.
He helped us to see a way forward when we were very lost. He brought clarity and direction to us in a time of real confusion and rather than simply instructing us, he was able to draw the best from us and work with us. He helped us create strategies to deal with a lot of pain and hurt, and enabled us to move forward in a healthy manner.
John works effectively with individuals or groups who are currently struggling to find a way forward and see an intelligent and insightful outside perspective.
We are really grateful for his time and input, it has been so helpful.

John Dickson

Australian writer, speaker and academic
I visited John in Hong Kong and China in 2015 and 2016, and saw first-hand the great esteem in which John was held by locals for his sensitivity, experience, and insight. On one occasion, I witnessed him talk (in Mandarin) to a gathering of church workers about the dangers of ‘burn out’, and was touched to see all of them riveted and challenged, and a few of them in tears. I have seen John in a huge range of personal and ministry/professional settings, and count him one of the most beautiful human beings I have ever known. He is intelligent, compassionate, humorous, diligent, humble, and profoundly Christian in his outlook.

Simon Longden

National Director
Pioneers Australia
John’s ministry (in Asia) has had tremendous impact throughout the region, and he is held in the highest regard as a person of integrity and righteousness by those who know him and have worked with him. I appreciate his quick-thinking and wit, his listening ear, his uncommon insight coupled with sensitivity and encouragement, and his thoughtful acts of kindness. John is admired for his servant-leadership and for how he transparently models what is entailed in serving and leading in complex cross-cultural mission endeavours.

Richard Cho

Former Regional Leader Nth Thailand, OMF
John is a compassionate and empathetic person who has solid Biblical and ministry training as well as significant experience in cross-cultural ministry; raising third culture kids and connecting with people from all walks of life. John’s skills and experience would particularly benefit missionaries and people in ministry facing difficulties as he has personal experience in this area. John has been an accountability partner and sounding board as well as encouragement in prayer.

Libby Horton

Local & Global Ministry Facilitator and Trainer, Logosdor
John helped facilitate a day of ‘dreaming & brainstorming’ for our organisation. He was highly effective in getting us to honestly look at our current ministries and clarify what our hopes and dreams were for future ministry.
John has also helped me clarify the gifts/talents I bring to my workplace and to ministry life. This has helped me grow in confidence in those gifts and take steps to focus more of my work based on these.

Clayton

Chaplaincy Student

John is a caring, empathetic and thoughtful supervisor and mentor. He listens intently, thinks deeply and then asks penetrating questions in an affirming way. John has greatly helped me in my chaplaincy training as I have come to understand the value of supervision. Supervision provides a safe place to share struggles, unpack feelings, deal with questions of doubt and re-enter ministry feeling empowered and supported.

Keith Farmer

Mentor, retired Pastor and former Principal of Australian College of Ministries
I am very pleased to be able to commend John Cotter as a person of strong Christian character and integrity, who has been involved in Christian ministry and mentoring over a number of years overseas.

Jason Teh

Postgraduate chaplaincy student and pastor

John was gracious and display so much empathy, compassion, humility and diligence as he journey with me.
If you need someone to listen to you without judging you, John would be the go to person. He will listen to you calmly and lovingly point you to some available options.
John help me to see my cases clearly and explore some of the actions I have taken. His affirmation and feedback are critical to ensure I am on the right track.
It’s a pleasure to work with John, he is so gracious and truthful.

Simon Hood

Managing Director
Logosdor Sydney

John has both professional credentials and on-the-ground experience over decades in dealing with people of many backgrounds. He is a great listener and reflector. His extensive experience, living and working in Australia, Asia and Africa, gives him a unique perspective. John has been a great help in talking through ministry related issues of many kinds and always with an ability to probe, explore, ask and guide discussion towards practical next steps.

Oliver Arjonilla

Missions Mobiliser, Pioneers
John has helped me personally and professionally to remain focused and persevere through challenging tasks and relationships.  Through John’s ability to listen carefully and re-frame what I’ve shared, I have felt enabled to move forward, grow in maturity in Christ and persevere in ministry. I would recommend him to anyone in any kind of ministry capacity (including cross-cultural). He is professional, but also very caring and authentic.

Roy Meredith

Learning Designer and Trainer, Logosdor
John is intuitive and wise, a great listener and reflector, great at asking the right questions, gentle, sharp, trustworthy. He has helped me get a clearer picture of myself and my situation. To see my strengths in each situation and then help me decide on best next steps. I recommend him for anyone who is working in an ever-evolving workplace. Especially people who are in some way responsible for the wellbeing of the lives of others.

the value of
supervision & mentoring

“Pastoral supervision is something I would consider as essential. It recognises that we as leaders are not machines or perfect specimens. We are fragile and often struggling leaders and need people outside of our network of usual relationships to confide and wrestle with complex issues with.”

“Supervision helps clarify what I need to work on. It has given me a safe space to talk about work and ministry issues. It has also helped me see how God has been at work in my life – both in my work and in my spiritual walk with Him.”

“Mentoring provides accountability and encouragement to continue on in our roles. It helps implement the change in our lives that we want to see.”

“Supervision is compulsory for most secular health professionals. I wonder if those serving in a variety of Christian leadership positions made the same commitment, what kind of ongoing fruit we might see in the lives of men and women that may previously have ended in resignations, conflict, bitterness, burnout, adultery and abuse.”

“I would strongly recommend receiving mentoring.  I did not receive regular mentoring even though I had been in ministry for many years.
After being mentored by an experienced mentor, there was a significant change in my personal and professional life and some long-term addictions were dealt with which I thought was not possible. I would highly recommend mentoring for everyone, especially those in Christian ministry.”

(before John moved back to Australia) “I received informal mentoring from John. I regret that I did not have ongoing mentoring, because my work would have been in a more proactive mode instead of a crisis management mode if I would have had his formal ongoing support. I would recommend mentoring, even if things are going well, because as leaders we need to continuously grow and have a clear outside perspective on our own leadership abilities. Mentoring brings in clarity and accountability which every good leader needs.”