Month: August 2010

by Jeff Tunnell

This week I would like to share with you some beneficial information by Touch Ministries (presenter: Jay Firebaugh) from the cell coaching seminar entitled “The Key is the Coach”.  Jay shared this with us some time ago, and I enjoy re-visiting these insightful differentiations in coaching:

Nurturing is the act of speaking confidence and vision into people.  Equipping is the act of helping them do their ministry better.  Developing is the act of helping them become all they can be for God and His kingdom by committing yourself to pour into them personally.

Nurturing                       Equipping                     Developing
All                                       Many                                 Few
Care                              Training for work            Training for personal growth
Focus is on Need              Focus is on Task              Focus is on Person
Relational                          Transactional                   Transformational
Service                                Management                    Leadership
Maintains Leadership      Adds Leadership              Multiplies Leadership
Establishing                       Releasing                          Empowering
Helping                               Teaching                           Mentoring
Need Oriented                   Skill Oriented                   Character Oriented
What they want                 What the                           What they need
                                               organization needs
A Desire                              A Science                           An Art
Little or No Growth          Short-term Growth          Long-term Growth

These lists are a bit incomplete without the entire presentation.  Touch Ministries has provided the audio files for free at their website. Just scroll down the page a little and you can hear Jay present all 5 sessions.

I think seeing the differences in these aspects of coaching provide us with some stimulating insight for staying on task as we develop leaders. The final comment from me is that caring for others is tantamount to successful coaching; I may fail to coach well, but I will always care about and for those God entrusts to me.

by Joel Comiskey

What is the essence of coaching? If you had to sum up coaching in one word, what would it be? Which word would you choose?

I’d choose the word servanthood. It seems to me that the bedrock foundation for coaching is servanthood.
The coach is the servant. The coach is trying to place the coachee in the driver’s seat. The coach doesn’t lord over the leader but attempts to wash his or her feet.
Servanthood requires doing whatever it takes to make the coachee successful. The best way to do this is through listening, asking questions, encouragement, and challenging the leader to fulfill his or her vision. Yet, the coach should not hesitate to use other instruments in the toolbox, always focusing on the question, “How can I serve the leader?”

I’ve learned that I have to do what it takes to make the coachee successful. I’ve termed this concept “throwing out the rulebook” or put more positively, “using everything in the toolbox.” This is probably the most important discovery I’ve made about coaching.

I’ve discovered that sometimes I have to confront and challenge. Other times, I listen to their concerns about cell church, ministry in general, or personal struggles. I have found that there are times when I need to tell the coachee to go back and re-read a book that has all the answers to his or her concerns. I’ve learned to create new approaches as circumstances arise.

I have found that I have to bring my entire self to the table when coaching. I’m not just focusing on one aspect of my life but the entire spectrum (e.g., personality, upbringing, cell experience, and knowledge). Whatever I can draw from, I use. I’m not just pulling out my PowerPoints, my cell notes, or coaching rules; I’m giving my entire self.

What brings it all together is the concept of servanthood. The coach does what it takes and uses whatever tool necessary to build up the coachee and make him or her more fruitful.

Are you in agreement that servanthood is the essence of coaching? Why or why not?

Joel Comiskey

by Steve Cordle

Recently my wife’s car gave out and we had to buy her another one. As we visited various car dealerships, I noticed the differences between their sales and staff people. Some were relaxed and gave us space, others were insistent and almost aggressive. When we finally decided on a car, the employee who did our paperwork was smiling most of the time he spoke with us. He had worked there 12 years and told us how great the company was to work for. He said they were all trained and supported in their roles, and from top to bottom it was a quality organization. This wasn’t a sales tactic; after all, we had already purchased the car.

As I thought about it, I realized that all the sales and support staff at that dealership shared the same joyful, giving attitude. When I need another car, it is likely I will make that place my first stop, not because I like the owner or general manager (we never met them), but because of the experience their staff delivered. That dealership’s business depends on its staff, and they train them that way.

If our small group leaders are on the front lines of ministry, help shape members in Jesus’ image, mobilize outreach, and hear of problems first, then it is surely important that we give those leaders our priority attention!

How important is your leader’s development to you? The way we coach our leaders is our answer to those questions!

Comments?

Steve

by Michael Sove

Eccl 4:9-10  “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:  If one falls down, his friend can help him up.  But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!”

Cell leadership done well is a lot of work.  So our cell leaders need to be blessed and encouraged.  They need someone who believes in them and who cares for them.  I see coaches as strategic friends in ministry.

Sometimes friends bring correction in our lives as well as point out blind spots.  The fact that they are friends gives them leverage in our lives and the right to be heard.  Next week I will bring out more of what I do as I meet the cell leaders but for now I want to stress the power of being a strategic friend.

More than anything else a leader wants and needs affirmation and encouragement.  They want someone who cares about what is happening in their personal lives.  A leader needs a prayer partner as well as someone to dream with.  Leaders need words of life spoken into them and blessing spoken over them.

Since all of our coaches are also leaders, the encouragement and blessing is a two way street.  Sharing together what God is doing in the lives of people provides mutual blessing.

Anything you can do to build a great personal friendship with your leaders will serve you well as you help them develop their potential as leaders.  I enjoy any kind of activity I can do with my leaders from rounds of golf, to bike rides, walks by the ocean and of course dinners together, whether it’s my house, their house or a restaurant.

If you want to be a coach who makes a difference, focus first on friendship and you will be amazed on what happens in your ministry relationship.

Comments?

Michael

by Mario Vega

A prominent evangelist said: “It costs 10% of effort to bring a person to Christ and 90% of effort to keep him in Christ.” This principle also applies to leadership. It’s a lot of work to develop a member into a leader, but it is even harder to get that leader to persistently produce fruit. And this is where the coach comes in.

The coach cares for the leader so that he feels stimulated, healthy and appreciated in his efforts. Because the essence of cell ministry is leadership development, the coach’s role is vital to this task.

It’s normal for cell churches to have a leaders’ dropout percentage. This percentage may be higher or lower depending on the effectiveness of their coaches. Desertion often occurs when leaders feel manipulated to achieve goals. But, on the contrary, if leaders are cared for, nurtured, and built up, they will want to remain active and will naturally achieve their goals.

I believe the primary work of the coach is pastoral care of the leaders. What other coaching functions do you consider essential?

Mario

Translation into Spanish:

La labor del supervisor

Un conocido evangelista expresó: ‘Cuesta un 10% de esfuerzo llevar una persona a Cristo y un 90% de esfuerzo mantenerlo en Cristo’. Este principio es también verdad con respecto al liderazgo. Es todo un trabajo hacer de un miembro un lder, pero cuesta mucho más trabajo lograr que ese lder continúe como tal de manera persistente.

Esa es la labor del supervisor. Tal propósito se logra cuidando de cada lder de manera que pueda sentirse estimulado, saludable y apreciado en sus esfuerzos. Si el trabajo celular es una estrategia de desarrollo del liderazgo, sin duda que el papel del supervisor resulta ser vital en la tarea.

Normalmente las iglesias celulares poseen un porcentaje de deserción de lderes. Ese porcentaje puede ser mayor o menor dependiendo de la eficacia de sus supervisores. La deserción se produce principalmente cuando las personas se sienten instrumentalizadas para alcanzar metas. Pero, por el contrario, si las personas se sienten atendidas como lderes, desearán continuar activos y las metas se alcanzarán como consecuencia.

La labor del supervisor es básicamente de cuidado pastoral. ¿Qué otras funciones considera usted que debe realizar el supervisor?