It all began with a wedding on Easter
Sunday. Coaching has traditionally been associated with sports. Every top
athlete has a coach. I decided to hire a coach for 3 months to get me through a
difficult time I was having with my job. My job was at a church. Church budgets
tend to have limited budgets for continuing education, so I used my personal
resources and hired a coach to strengthen my performance.The coach I hired was someone I met when I owned a beautiful Bed and Breakfast called "The Browning Plantation" in Chappell Hill, Texas. (It is now a private home). Both my husband and I were working full time and had a manager who helped run the B&B, which was also our residence. The man who eventually became my coach, who I had never met at that time, wanted to get married on Easter Sunday.
Easter Sunday at many churches tends to be a "more than usual" busy time. The whole week prior to Easter Sunday involves additional worship services and activities (choir rehearsals, egg hunts, etc.). I would be waking up on Easter morning around 4 a.m. so I could be at the church at 6 a.m. for the Easter Sunrise service that started at 6:30. I would be heading back home around 1 or 1:30 in the afternoon. Upon arriving I would be ready for a little nap - not a wedding.
I said absolutely not. Besides wanting to rest, I didn't think that I could convince my normal staff to be away from their families on Easter Sunday. Also the caterers we used would more than likely want to be with their families. Besides, "Why Easter Sunday?", I asked (sure that I would get an answer about the specific date being the reason). "Easter falls on a different day every year", I continued. To which my inquirer answered, "I met my wife-to-be on Easter Sunday, so we want to exchange our vows on Easter Sunday - and we want it to be at the Browning."
After several ways of trying to turn down the business, I finally gave in. We needed the business, and he was determined and convincing (money talks). Oh, by the way, did I mention the name of his business was "The Wealth Source"?
I rented a hotel room close to the church and took a nap there before going home. When I arrived back at the house, the caterers were packing up and leaving, the guests were gone, and the wedding had taken place. That was the beginning of my coaching adventure. A few years later, the man who arranged everything for the wedding became my coach.
Coaching changed the way I look at life. Coaching changed the way I approached ministry. Celebrations, concerns, action items, and priorities were shared with my ministry teams and team leaders on a weekly basis. I took certification training to become a coach.
I discovered that coaching involves unleashing the personal power of each person to discover their own solutions by providing support, accountability, and unconditional positive regard. Coaching was so much more effective than managing. Intuitive listening and powerful questions lead to more ministry in less time.
Through TEAM Ministries I want to offer 4 FREE coaching lessons. These will be lessons you can do on your own or with your ministry team(s). The four lessons will cover the topics of "Powerful Questions", "Goals and Values", "Beliefs", and "Perspectives". In each lesson there will be an opportunity to practice the skill you have just learned. Ask anyone who has attended a conference or a class where they learned amazing approaches to ministry, but never actually did anything with what they learned. Doing something after you learned it takes a more intensive approach than just learning something.
Since all this may be new to you, I will be available to answer any questions you may have about coaching by phone. My goal is to develop a coaching package that more churches can afford so that more ministry can happen with less frustration and more joy. Accountability is key to coaching. Another key is heart.
Coaching is a discipline that comes from the heart - a heart that believes in people.
Christians are Easter people. Every morning is Easter morning when you examine your options, discover your creativity, and live your life with meaning and joy. Some options may not be of your choosing. Good Friday didn't seem like such a good choice for Jesus. Easter morning lead to a whole new world.
Look for lesson 1, Powerful Questions, next week. I will be developing them weekly so this process will be good practice for me too. My prayer is that our learning together will create synergy. Your input and suggestions will be valuable as the adventure to create this tool for churches begins. Let's reach for the best and make a difference we were born to make.
Coaching works for individuals (like me) as well as ministry teams. You may choose to practice these skills yourself this summer, and then introduce them to your teams in preparation for the fall. Learning to coach will help you grow, fulfill your destiny, and exceed your own expectations. I believe in it - and I believe in you!
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