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 Paul, and then Paul came alongside Timothy and others. By encouraging and challenging others, coaches empower them for ministry.
The goal of coaching is helping someone succeed. And what is success? It’s finding out what God wants you to do and doing it. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” A person’s success is directly tied to finding out what works God has prepared for them to do and then doing that.
Given that definition, success will certainly look different on different people, but following the will of God—in all its varied and colorful forms—is the core calling of a life of faith. Coaching empowers each individual believer to listen to the Spirit and act in accordance with the mission they sense God calling them toward. Coaching is essentially listening to the Spirit and taking action accordingly.
If you’re interested in a basic introduction to coaching, pick up a copy of my book Coaching 101.