As a leader in the Christian education and formation ministry in your
church, you provide leadership to those in the classroom or small group;
and you need to work well with others. How do you find ways to sharpen
your own skills and expand your knowledge base in order to do well? What
if all you had to do was to make a phone call to a coach? (As a
"shorthand" way of referring to the person being coached, we'll use the
term "leader.")
What Is Coaching?
Coaching is practice between a coach and one or more leaders who
establish an agreement about what they want to accomplish. The coach
will help leaders discern the healthy things they want to do or to be
and find appropriate behaviors to get there. How is coaching different
from other disciplines with which you may be more familiar?
The coach and leader are essentially peers, not "master and student."
Coaches believe that knowledge is within the leader or within the
leader's grasp if he or she knows where and how to obtain it.
Coaching is not primarily focused on giving new knowledge (teaching) or
skill sets (mentoring or apprenticing), but rather on the action plan
for obtaining that knowledge or skill. The coach may point to various
resources, but the initiative rests with the leader to follow through
with attendance at a conference or district event, for example.
The coach and leader "design an alliance" concerning what will be
accomplished. The leader sets his or her agenda. The coach and leader
agree on it and work together to honor it. Within that framework, the
coach may also give the leader "homework" between coaching sessions. The
leader can say "Yes," "No," or make a counter offer.
Coaching is oriented toward next steps and focused on what behaviors
will help the leader reach her or his goals. The coach will also help
the leader deal with feelings so that they do not become a block to the
leader's future goals.
The coach keeps personal opinions and advice out of the conversation so
that the leader can move ahead on the agenda. The coach listens deeply
and asks probing questions.
Coaching is often done on the telephone. The leader and coach do not
have to meet face to face, although they may meet when that is both
possible and preferable.
Coaching for Christian Education/Formation Leaders
How might coaching help you? Perhaps one of these scenarios will sound
familiar. Each one suggests ways in which working with a coach would be
beneficial.
One: Part of your work is with volunteers who need to be nurtured,
cultivated, and equipped for their own ministries (which they might view
as "jobs"). A coach can help you develop your own sense of how to work
with various personality types and a plan for dealing with group
dynamics and conflict resolution. In addition, a coach can help you work
on your own nurture at the same time to avoid (or recover from) burnout.
Two: You spend a lot of time doing "details," such as organizing,
ordering curriculum, or keeping up with a calendar of events.
"Administrivia" is not your thing, but you need to do it. A coach can
help you cultivate the administrative skills you need to stay organized
and effective and provide a safe venue of accountability and support for
your plan. Since coaching tends to happen over time, you have a chance
to develop powerful habits.
Three: You are responsible for the vision and mission of the ministry of
Christian education and formation, and you are a detail person. A coach
can assist you in stepping back to see a larger picture and to get a
handle on the overall ministry. Your coach can also help you find ways
to interpret the ministry through biblical and theological lenses using
your own level of theological knowledge and experience. Furthermore,
since you don't have to be and should not be alone in that endeavor, a
coach can assist you in fully engaging the other "stakeholders" who can
contribute to and develop that vision with you.
Four: You are new to this ministry and are having some difficulty
focusing on all that needs to be done and thought about. A coach can be
instrumental in taking the time, over time, to help you explore both the
big picture and the various pieces that make up the whole. In addition,
the coach can help you to work through your own sense of call and to
keep all the parts in perspective.
Five: You have been in this ministry for a while now and need a boost. A
coach can guide you through some appreciative inquiry about your call
and sense of mission and ministry; help you identify current barriers,
blocks, or ruts; and work on an action plan for revitalization and renewal.
A Coaching Network
Given this model of what coaching is, how quickly would you call a coach
for help? Some annual conferences are either exploring or using coaching
as a model for equipping leaders. The General Board of Discipleship is
in the early stages of establishing a coaching network in partnership
with annual conferences by planning for several pilot programs in select
conferences. To read about some of the coaches and coaching resources
currently available to you, check out:
CoachVille at http://www.coachvillereferral.com or
http://www.cvcommunity.com/Public/Home/index.cfm/
Christian Coaches Network Referral System
http://www.christiancoaches.com.
church, you provide leadership to those in the classroom or small group;
and you need to work well with others. How do you find ways to sharpen
your own skills and expand your knowledge base in order to do well? What
if all you had to do was to make a phone call to a coach? (As a
"shorthand" way of referring to the person being coached, we'll use the
term "leader.")
What Is Coaching?
Coaching is practice between a coach and one or more leaders who
establish an agreement about what they want to accomplish. The coach
will help leaders discern the healthy things they want to do or to be
and find appropriate behaviors to get there. How is coaching different
from other disciplines with which you may be more familiar?
The coach and leader are essentially peers, not "master and student."
Coaches believe that knowledge is within the leader or within the
leader's grasp if he or she knows where and how to obtain it.
Coaching is not primarily focused on giving new knowledge (teaching) or
skill sets (mentoring or apprenticing), but rather on the action plan
for obtaining that knowledge or skill. The coach may point to various
resources, but the initiative rests with the leader to follow through
with attendance at a conference or district event, for example.
The coach and leader "design an alliance" concerning what will be
accomplished. The leader sets his or her agenda. The coach and leader
agree on it and work together to honor it. Within that framework, the
coach may also give the leader "homework" between coaching sessions. The
leader can say "Yes," "No," or make a counter offer.
Coaching is oriented toward next steps and focused on what behaviors
will help the leader reach her or his goals. The coach will also help
the leader deal with feelings so that they do not become a block to the
leader's future goals.
The coach keeps personal opinions and advice out of the conversation so
that the leader can move ahead on the agenda. The coach listens deeply
and asks probing questions.
Coaching is often done on the telephone. The leader and coach do not
have to meet face to face, although they may meet when that is both
possible and preferable.
Coaching for Christian Education/Formation Leaders
How might coaching help you? Perhaps one of these scenarios will sound
familiar. Each one suggests ways in which working with a coach would be
beneficial.
One: Part of your work is with volunteers who need to be nurtured,
cultivated, and equipped for their own ministries (which they might view
as "jobs"). A coach can help you develop your own sense of how to work
with various personality types and a plan for dealing with group
dynamics and conflict resolution. In addition, a coach can help you work
on your own nurture at the same time to avoid (or recover from) burnout.
Two: You spend a lot of time doing "details," such as organizing,
ordering curriculum, or keeping up with a calendar of events.
"Administrivia" is not your thing, but you need to do it. A coach can
help you cultivate the administrative skills you need to stay organized
and effective and provide a safe venue of accountability and support for
your plan. Since coaching tends to happen over time, you have a chance
to develop powerful habits.
Three: You are responsible for the vision and mission of the ministry of
Christian education and formation, and you are a detail person. A coach
can assist you in stepping back to see a larger picture and to get a
handle on the overall ministry. Your coach can also help you find ways
to interpret the ministry through biblical and theological lenses using
your own level of theological knowledge and experience. Furthermore,
since you don't have to be and should not be alone in that endeavor, a
coach can assist you in fully engaging the other "stakeholders" who can
contribute to and develop that vision with you.
Four: You are new to this ministry and are having some difficulty
focusing on all that needs to be done and thought about. A coach can be
instrumental in taking the time, over time, to help you explore both the
big picture and the various pieces that make up the whole. In addition,
the coach can help you to work through your own sense of call and to
keep all the parts in perspective.
Five: You have been in this ministry for a while now and need a boost. A
coach can guide you through some appreciative inquiry about your call
and sense of mission and ministry; help you identify current barriers,
blocks, or ruts; and work on an action plan for revitalization and renewal.
A Coaching Network
Given this model of what coaching is, how quickly would you call a coach
for help? Some annual conferences are either exploring or using coaching
as a model for equipping leaders. The General Board of Discipleship is
in the early stages of establishing a coaching network in partnership
with annual conferences by planning for several pilot programs in select
conferences. To read about some of the coaches and coaching resources
currently available to you, check out:
CoachVille at http://www.coachvillereferral.com or
http://www.cvcommunity.com/Public/Home/index.cfm/
Christian Coaches Network Referral System
http://www.christiancoaches.com.
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