Everybody Needs a Coach
Four years ago, in a Famous Dave’s BBQ in Columbia, MD a good friend gave me some advice that changed my life forever. He had planted a church several years earlier and had been in ministry for many years. Ron told me that the best decision he ever made was finding a pastoral coach to help him work through issues of ministry, family, and life.
Leaving that lunch, I called a Christian counselor, Fred, who had helped me in the past. He and another therapist had come to my church and dialogued with me about the impact of Lust on a family. This dialogue was our sermon that Sunday morning. I knew Fred had been a pastor so I called his office to see if he did pastoral coaching. His practice said he did, and we scheduled time to be together. Four years later, I still visit with him regularly. He has helped me focus my life, understand who I was created to be, who I am, and how to deal with the issues life, ministry and family through at me.
In addition to the formal relationship that Fred and I have, I also have informal relationships and deep friendships with others whom I seek for advice. But I always look forward to spending time with Fred. There is something about this coaching relationship that exceeds all others.
Over the years, as I’ve spent a lot of time with people and whether it was formal or informal, I discovered myself either being coached or coaching people. It came natural to me. As an informal/formal coaching relationship, I coached them, trained them and mentored them in some area of ministry, life, or family. In addition to that, I spent five years formally as an IT administrator and programmer and am even Microsoft Certified. During those years, I found myself doing the same thing, just in a business and IT setting.
Over the past year, as I have narrowed down what I felt I was designed to do, I have come to understand that I was wired to teach, train, coach and mentor. As a result, part of the next phase of my life, moving from success to significance, will involve me formally engaging in coaching and teaching relationships.
I have started a new coaching and teaching ministry called Missional Strategy. All coaching is done through live, interactive video and/or audio discussions which are archived for review purposes, as well as through a private, interactive website with additional resources such as podcasts, links and questions to help move you forward. I am focusing my coaching on the following areas:
Missional Practices:
- Developing Missional Theology, Thought and Practice
- Church Planting
- Starting a Small Business
Personal & Ministerial Development:
- Personal Life Coaching
- Pastoral Coaching
- Children’s Ministry Coaching (with my wife as participant)
- Leadership Development
Social Media Strategy:
- Personal and Ministry Social Media Strategy Development (facebook, twitter, blog presence including hosting, coaching and ghostwriting)
Publishing through our publishing partner Missional Press
Group Coaching:
- Cohort of pastors
- Staff coaching
Regarding the teaching ministry, Missional Strategy develops and teaches courses on a wide variety of topics. Courses can be developed to provide theological training or to supplement existing training. In addition, we can develop training for your specific needs as a church, a staff, or simply a group interested in a certain theological, philosophical, or leadership development topic. All teaching is done through live, interactive video discussions which are archived for review purposes, as well as through an private, interactive website with additional resources such as podcasts and questions or quizzes and discussion groups.
For instance, I have developed a course on the Parables of Jesus that are unique to Luke. In this course, we would all gather in a video chat room through tokbox and discuss the parable and its implications to living life in a world that does not appreciate Jesus. During the week, there would be a website where people could ask questions, engage in discussions, and post podcasts, links, etc that pertain to that weeks discussion. It is totally interactive.
I am particularly excited about the social media strategy development. We will coach you through setting up both ministry-based and community interest blogs, facebook pages and events, as well as twitter accounts and social media strategies. We will even do ghost tweeting and ghost blog writing if you desire such services.
Everyone needs a coach. Rick Warren says:
Every pastor needs a mentor. No matter what stage you are in your ministry, you need someone to coach you.
All sorts of organizations use the mentoring process to make people better at what they do. In medicine, doctors mentor younger doctors. In music, musicians mentor other musicians. Why? It works. We learn best when we have people who can speak into our lives and ministry.
Proverbs 19:20 says, “Get all the advice you can and be wise the rest of your life.” I will always need a coach – no matter how old I get or how successful I become. Lebron James is one of the best basketball players on the planet. He still needs a coach. You will never get to a point in your life you can say, “I’ve learned it all. I don’t need anybody else to help me.”
A mentor brings out the best in you in three areas: your roles, your goals, and your soul. Mentors give us perspective. They help us look at ourselves and our ministry from the outside. We don’t always see what we’re doing outside of our own perspective. We see from our own limited focus. We need somebody else in our life to say, “Have you thought about…? What about this? What about that?”
…
Pastor, you need a mentor in your ministry. Whether you’re 35, 55, or 75, there is someone you can learn from. Find someone with character. Find someone with skills you desire. Find someone you trust.
Find a mentor.
(excerpted from “You need a mentor” http://legacy.pastors.com/RWMT/default.asp?id=376&artid=11714&expand=1)
If you are interested and would like more information on my coaching services, go to Missional Strategy (http://missionalstrategy.com) or click the contact link at the top and shoot me an email.
I would like to close with a short video from Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google. He is asked, “What is the best advice you have ever received?” His answer? Find a coach.
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