Focused discipleship

Focused discipleship

This blog entry is part of a series of three that focuses on the three environments for making disciples: peer-to-peer discipleship, guided discipleship, and focused discipleship. Each of these represents a relational, intentional way to make disciples within our...
Scripture shedding light on coaching

Scripture shedding light on coaching

In what ways does scripture inform the way we think about coaching? 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 sheds light on how coaching is done: The Apostle Paul paints a picture of how we are to develop others in their faith—as a father dealing with his children. The functions a...
Equipping people for works of service

Equipping people for works of service

Ephesians 4:11-12 sheds light on why coaching is done: “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in...
Four more ways coaching aligns with biblical principles

Four more ways coaching aligns with biblical principles

Note:  See yesterday’s blog entry for the first five. Coaching moves people toward maturity rather than dependence. Instead of simply telling people what to do, coaching helps people mature in making their own godly decisions. In this way, they grow in responsibility...
Five ways coaching aligns with biblical principles

Five ways coaching aligns with biblical principles

Coaching assumes that each believer has the capacity to hear from the Holy Spirit for themselves. The Apostle Paul modeled that listening and discernment process for us: “I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit”...
Is coaching biblical?

Is coaching biblical?

The Bible never commands us to coach. In fact, the word coach is never used. So why coach? Should we even coach? Is coaching biblical? The Bible does command us to do certain things: to make disciples, to encourage one another, to listen to the Holy Spirit, to follow...
What is coaching?

What is coaching?

Coaching is the process of coming alongside a person or team to help them discover God’s agenda for their life and ministry, and then cooperating with the Holy Spirit to see that agenda become a reality. Coaches come alongside to help, just as Barnabas came alongside...
How is ministry like a Thanksgiving dinner?

How is ministry like a Thanksgiving dinner?

Guest blog entry from Christina Roberts, church planter: I was recently talking with my coach, sifting through all of the elements that need to be put into place for my next ministry initiative. I realized in saying all of this that I feel like I am making a...
Straight talk from a church planter

Straight talk from a church planter

Enjoy the entry below, courtesy of one of the church planters I’m coaching:  We had gotten to the point of starting a worship service, but it was not going well. Something was wrong. Not the numbers, those were okay. But we weren’t attracting the crowd I was looking...