COACH originally came from a word that described a horse-drawn vehicle that would get people from where they were to where they wanted to be. At its core, Christian Coaching is the art and practice of coming alongside others to help them discover where they are, where God wants them to be, how to get there and cooperating with them to see their agenda become reality.
‘Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them’.
–John Whitmore, Coaching for Performance
What makes Christian coaching so powerful?
It helps people discover their purpose and keeps them on track and committed to that purpose. People are measurably more fruitful in their personal and ministry development when in a coaching relationship.
Consider some of the benefits of coaching:
- Provides encouragement for the journey
- Helps cultivate deeper insights and wisdom
- Facilitates breakthrough thinking
- Maintains focus on what’s truly important
- Transforms vision into reality
Andy Stanley in the book ’The Next Generation Leader’ says,
“You will never maximize your potential in any area without coaching. You may be good, you may be better than anyone else, but without outside input you will never be as good as you could be”.
How many people would benefit greatly from a conversation once a month with someone who wasn’t trying to tell them what to do, but was listening to them and asking them good questions? Questions like:
- What’s working?
- What’s not working?
- What needs to change?
- What’s next?
Everyone longs for someone to walk alongside them. Someone who can draw out their vision, help them sort through options, leverage opportunities, discover and use the gifts they didn’t know they had.
Coaching opportunities
Consider engaging a coach who can walk alongside you to draw out your purpose and vision, to help you sort through your options, make the most of your opportunities and discover the gifts you didn’t know you had. Consider developing your coaching skills and then introducing coaching into the fabric of your life and work.
Colin Noyes is the Director of ResourceZone International. He has thirty years of ministry experience as a pastor, college lecturer and consultant/coach to consultants, denominational leaders and local church pastors.
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