Coaching Church Planters Lessons Learned about Best Practices Gene Wilson

Coaching Church Planters What is coaching? Coaching usually takes place between a coach and a player or a supervisor and a worker. It is coming alongside someone else to help them grow and succeed in what God has called them to be and do. Coaching is helping others discover Gods plan for their life or ministry and cooperating with the Holy Spirit to see that plan become a reality. Bob L. Logan We should make a distinction between mentoring and coaching. In mentoring there is direct guidance in a common environment like a small group and there is frequent contact, usually several times a month. In a mentoring relationship there is close, ongoing contact and informal feedback. Biblical Basis What is the Biblical basis for this approach? The Greek word katartidzo is translated equip, train, prepare and mend (nets) (Eph 4: 13; Luke 6: 40; 2 Tim 3: 16-17). The meaning is a contextually appropriate preparation for a ministry (Elliston 1993). This ministry is more than a task; it involves not only doing but being and relating to others. Equipping is a broader term than training. Its aim goes beyond the cognitive and behavioral domain to the affective (relating to emotions, attitudes and values) domain. It must produce church planters with well-rooted Christian convictions and values. "Effective ministry emerges out of the quality of character - not out of technical competence. Until the Lord has shaped the vessel, it will not serve His purpose." (Elliston 1993, 165). In the Scriptures we see this worked out in the preparation of elders. A reading of first and second Timothy and Titus shows that equipping touches the whole person and is done in the context of relationships. It is moral, doctrinal and practical. Paul writes to Timothy, The things which you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. (2Tim 2:2) Although I hesitate to call the apostle Paul a coach, I would argue that he saw this as a part of his vocation. He appears to have adopted more and more apprentice missionaries as he progressed in his missionary work. His relationship with Timothy, reflected in Acts and in the prison epistles, illustrates this dimension of his apostolic ministry. He did not want to continue a mentoring relationship with John Mark, Barnabas nephew, during his second missionary 1 PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

journey but he later takes him back on his team and finds him very useful (Col 4:10, Philemon 24, 2 Tim 4:11). Paul learned coaching in ministry from the best Barnabas, his first Christian friend. Barnabas is a coach par excellence. He took Paul in when others were afraid of him and adopts him as a son in the faith (Acts 9:26-30). His trustworthiness is shown by the fact that twice he serves as a delegate from the Jerusalem church and twice as a delegate from Antioch. His real name was Joseph, a Levite from the island of Cyprus, but he was renamed Barnabas or son of encouragement by the apostles (Acts 4:36). He was known for his compassion and generosity, setting an example of sacrificial giving (Acts 4:37) and helping to administer a relief fund (Acts 11:27-30, 12:25). He was willing to take risks to strengthen believers in their faith, returning with Paul to Lystra, Iconium and Derbe where they had just faced severe persecution and remaining there until they established elders. He mentored Paul, Titus and his cousin Mark. He was willing to stick it out with Mark, over Pauls cries of protest. Some argue that it was because of their blood kinship. His life pattern indicates to me that he was motivated more by his compassionate nature, gift of encouragement and calling as an equipper than by family loyalty. He was a mentor and a coach. We would probably learn that he took many other young men under his gentle wing but he takes a back seat to others and disappears from the pages of Scriptures. He leaves however a rich legacy through the lives of those he mentored. Formal and informal coaching A coaching relationship does not require a common environment and but it does require regular contact. Coaching can be a more structured relationship that is determined by roles and responsibilities or an informal relationship like peer coaching. Formal coaching relies more on initial teaching and training followed by periodic observation and debriefing. In informal coaching coachee and coach have a common goal of growing and becoming more effective in ministry and meet regularly to discuss challenges, rejoice in victories and pray over struggles. The coach serves as facilitator but is also benefiting from the coaching relationship. Effective coaching requires accountability. The new church planter is often under the authority of the mother church and receives some financial help. It is like an internship but the ministry of the church-planting apprentice is outside of the church. He would have the assignment of beginning evangelistic activities in a designated community leading to a Bible study group. If the pastor of the mother church has church planting experience, he may serve as coach. Otherwise a coach should be found outside of the local church. Church planting coaches should have the following qualifications They need not be experts or have great success but they must have proven experience in church planting. The should have a spiritual gift mix that includes several of the following: Teaching, 2 PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

encouragement/exhortation, wisdom, evangelism, faith They must be passionate about church planting and love church planters They must be humble servants seeking the success of others more than their own They seek to develop not only the work but also the workers Gods call to this ministry should be evident to them and others They must have the support of organizational leaders They must have adequate theological training and a well-developed philosophy and praxology of church planting They must have access to the resources necessary to the task (books, travel, etc..)

Now we will look at the ministry of a church planting coach. That ministry is shaped by the giftedness and personality of the person. However certain dimensions of a coaching ministry are particularly significant. We will look at the place of mentoring, teaching, training, team building, tracking, supporting and challenging. The foundational skills are empathetic listening and asking reflective questions There are probably two or three root issues in the person or family life of a church planter that will make or break his/her ministry. Most conversations with supervisors about about mechanics and surface issues. Coaching has to get beyond the surface to the deeper issues. Tom Landry once said that Coaching is getting someone to do what they don't want to do, in order to become what they want to become. That requires trust but also skills especially the ability to observe non-verbal messages, to empathize, to listen for what isnt said, to ask questions that probe deeper, and to peel off layers of fear and pride to get to the real issues. Coaching is telling others how to improve or how YOU did it. Its helping them discover who they are, what God wants them to do, and what they must change to be the godly person and effective servant they want to be down deep. Bob Logan has developed a five step process built on relating, listening and debriefing skills that he calls the 5 Rs (Coaching 101). 1. Relate - Take time to connect and get caught up at a personal level. Show that you care. 2. Reflect Using open-ended questions help them reflect on where they want to go and what is in the way. Ask follow-up questions to get to the deeper issues, the whys. 3. Refocus Ask for options to overcome obstacles and move forward. 4. Resource What book, training, experience, or further help is needed to go to the next level? 5. Review Discuss next steps and set up the next appointment A simpler way to describe this coaching process is to help the person, after reconnecting, to recall where he/she wants to go, what is in the way, and what can be done to overcome the obstacle and get there. The key is self-discovery. Mature people make lasting changes because 3 PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

they have new insights into things, not because of others expectations or demands. A coach must develop the relating, listening, observing and debriefing skills that will help them move their leaders along through this process of self-discovery. The good news is that this is learned behavior if we check our natural tendencies to problem solve, share OUR experiences or make evaluative judgments about what others SHOULD do. It requires the firm conviction that the Holy Spirit will do His work in His time. Coaching Church Planters often begins with a Mentoring Relationship Trust requires a solid relationship. Mentoring will be an important component in the preparation of church planters. Although church planting coaches cannot personally mentor all the church planters they work with they can foster and facilitate mentoring relationships between experienced church planters and novices. They may be able to personally mentor a few church planters who live in close proximity but they will want to see that each new church planter is involved in a mentoring relationship. What is mentoring? Mentoring relationships are learning partnerships in which an experienced church planter serves as guide and the less experienced apprentice seeks to learn from the mentor's experience. The mentor shows the apprentice how to do things and provides guidance and encouragement on a regular basis. The term mentor comes from a character in Homer's Odyssey (800 BC). Before setting off for the Trojan Wars, King Odysseus of Ithica left his royal household in the charge of his trusted companion, Mentor, and instructed him to raise his young son Telemachus. This meant that Mentor had to be a father figure, teacher, role model, approachable counselor, a trusted advisor, a challenger, an encourager, among other things to the young Telemachus in order that he become, in time, a wise and good ruler. (Carruthers 1993: 9) Caldwell and Carter (1993) give several other mentorship models from various settings. Not all the principles apply to church planting but, in my opinion, the following do: 1) A mentoring relationship, or dyad, is mutually beneficial and should be established to meet the developmental needs of both parties. 2) The best mentoring occurs when the dyad mutually choose each other. At times a third party can suggest a dyad as long as both parties feel comfortable in the relationship. 3) The mentorship is formed around a common interest or task but extends beyond that to a relationship of affection and trust. 4) A mentorship evolves through relational stages. Initially the relationship is formal, in the eyes of the apprentice; than in stage two it is cautious. The third stage is a sharing stage; the fourth stage an open stage; and finally the relationship extends beyond the end of the official mentorship (Carruthers 1993). 5) Excessive emotional dependence by either party is detrimental. Mentoring relationships across gender lines often have sexual or romantic overtones, which get in the way of the 4 PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

objectives of the mentorship. Same sex mentoring is preferable for this reason. 6) Much thought should be given to the selection of mentors and apprentices and to the mentorship program. The preparation and orientation of mentors and interns contributes to the success of the mentorship. 7) There are role changes with regard to the task. The mentor begins in the dominant role and progressively takes a back seat to leave place for the intern. The transfer of responsibility is progressive as illustrated below.

Responsibility of mentor

Responsibility of apprentice
Coaching church planters requires effective teaching Teaching is the cognitive element of equipping. There are many good works on teaching and public speaking so we will not spend much time on communication but will limit ourselves to a few principles that relate to in-service training.

Ken Blanchard calls coaching: teaching and practice focused on taking action, with celebration when things go well and supportive redirection when things go wrong (Blanchard 1999: 159). Church planters need a biblical and theological knowledge base to deal with situations that arise ministry. In an urban church-planting context, the teaching component is particularly important. Most people the church planter will work with do not have a consistent biblical worldview. Many have never taken a basic doctrines course. In our cosmopolitan centers such as Lima or Mexico City, we can expect elements from rational humanism, Catholic theology, and Eastern mysticism to be present in the mental grid of new believers. The context of teaching is important. Teaching is most effective with a small number of church planters. Coaches can use weekend retreats effectively because they provide a controlled environment, extended time together and good opportunities for team building and practice. Our experience is that ten to twenty people attend most equipping weekends. Coaches can also do some follow-up teaching and review in a leadership community meeting and in debriefing sessions. What makes this type of teaching effective? Effective teaching is audience-centered and connects with the group. It is important to remember that people listen selectively. A dedicated and competent psychology professor 5 PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

conducted an experiment to find out what his students were thinking about during his lectures. Without a warning, he would fire a starter pistol and make the students write down what they were thinking of at the time the pistol went off. Here is what he found. 20% were pursuing erotic thoughts or sexual fantasies. 20% were reminiscing. 20% were worrying about something or thinking about lunch. 8% were pursuing religious thoughts. 20% were reportedly listening but unable to recall what the professor was saying. 12% were able to recall what the professor was talking about (Beebe 1991). There are many ways to capture people's attention, such as appealing to needs or creating temporary dissonance. Then there is the challenge of maintaining their attention. Humor, illustrations and visual aids help. The teaching plan should take into account people's limited attention span and the fatigue factor by breaking the material into manageable units and including interaction in each unit. Distractions should be anticipated and eliminated. Many techniques will help with the attention factor, but the key is to plan with the audience in mind. Effective teaching is purposeful and focused. It is estimated that after twenty-four hours, listeners will recall only 50% of what was said and less than 25% after forty-eight hours. The content needs to be packaged for retention. Repetition, illustration, and interaction help. A good teaching device is to conclude with a review of the main points of the teaching in an encapsulated form (Beebe 1991). Effective teaching aims to produce lasting change: change not only in attitudes and beliefs, but also in values. Values are harder to change than beliefs. Values are that which we consider good or valuable; they are deeply ingrained. Beliefs are changed by evidence. To value something differently we have to look at it from a new perspective. We call this a paradigm shift. For example, in order to get people seriously involved in prayer events and intercessory prayer, the average church member needs to see prayer differently. Telling them they should pray or how to pray does not accomplish this. Coaching Church Planters must include Practical Training Coaches are catalysts and coordinators of skill-oriented training for church planters. They may not be able to do all the training themselves but they will develop or finding the best tools and prepare others to use them. Practical training implies learning for use in a predictable situation. Some equipping programs have training as their primary focus. Elliston and Kauffman (1993) review compelling evidence that leadership training alone does not produce leaders. Training does not change values, character, or relationships. Foundational character and commitment requirements must be in place before much time is invested in skills. If it is, the training will reinforce these qualities. Although it is not foundational, training is nevertheless indispensable. 6 PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

The type of training we have found most useful to accomplish these objectives is in-service training. Bill Hull has identified six steps in Jesus' training of his disciples (Hull 1988). He has carefully documented this equipping process and convincingly demonstrated Jesus' intentional use of this process. "Tell them what." The gospel of the kingdom "Tell them why." God's redemptive purpose in Christ "Show them how." The first year of ministry "Do it with them." Christ's Nazarean ministry "Let them do it." The disciples' Nazarean ministry in Matthew 10 "Deploy them." The commissioning at His ascension As we have already seen, effective training is learner-centered. The following diagram shows the training process from the learner's and from the trainer's perspective. Hull (1988) has underlined that Jesus called the apostles to "Come and see" (John 1-4) before he called them to "Come and be with me" (Mark 1: 16-20; Matt 4: 18-22; Luke 5: 1-11). This is why the following training process begins with observation rather than instruction.
THE TRAINING PROCESS

from the learner's perspective

PRACTICE TRIAL REFLECTION QUESTIONNING OBSERVATION PROGRESSIVE DEPLOYM ENT EVALUATION

CLA RIFICATION INSTRUCT ION

fro m the trainer's perspective

M ODELING

Notice in the above chart that the trainee is an active participant in the training. In some cases trainees should be allowed to initiate ministry without adequate skills and learn from their experiences. Debriefing should follow the experience closely. Training experiences should not be selected artificially or randomly. The basic objectives of the training must come from the basic roles church planters are called to fulfill. Here are some examples. Leading others to Christ & guiding them in their spiritual growth Leading a small group in worship and Bible study Effective cross-cultural communication 7 PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

Organizing an evangelistic outreach Training others in evangelism Providing basic pastoral care to members Guiding a core group to personal growth and preparation for service Discerning spiritual needs and Satanic influences

Coaches Use Support and Challenge According to Daloz (1990), there are three primary ways to facilitate the growth of leaders: supporting, challenging, and providing vision. The chart below illustrates that support without challenge hinders growth and that challenge without support creates relational distance between the supervisor and leader.

High

C H A L L E N G E

Retreat

Growth

Status Quo

Confirmation

SUPPORT Low High

Dimensions of Response to Environmental Variation (Daloz 1990, 208)

Supporting is affirming others in their present ways of being and doing. It is expressed by words of encouragement, by listening to understand, by providing needed resources and information, and by providing appropriate structure and timely constructive feedback. These are ways of saying, "I am on your side; we are in this together". Effective coaches express positive and realistic expectations and underline what is done right before they bring up what is done wrong. They also pray for those under their care and encourage profusely. Spending adequate time with the church planter is a form of support, as are listening and affirming gifts and potential. The wise coach will not only look at the performance of church planters, but also at their effort and progress. Coaches use challenging along with supporting in order to provide guidance. One of the most difficult but most beneficial interventions a coach can make is to challenge the church 8 PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

planter toward more appropriate behavior adaptations. "Sponsors make their best contribution when they help their sponsees break out of negative patterns of behavior..." (Neighbour 1995, 42). Challenging requires that the supervisor provide specific feedback that may bring out faulty assumptions or unclear expectations. When verbal confrontation is needed it should be followed by an open discussion of root causes. This takes skilled probing through non-threatening questions. Challenging is not always accomplished through confrontation. It is also accomplished by involving the learner in increasing responsibilities. These changes should be discussed with the learner. Other options include: * Design tasks to promote change or growth (assignments). * Explore options and discuss alternate plans. * Provide an alternative perspective or interpretation. * Help learners identify assumptions and think through consequences. A third dimension of guidance is providing vision. Coaches should not be overly consumed with behavior; they should focus more on understanding. Daloz (1990) and Neighbour (1995) underline the coach's responsibility to guide learners through paradigm shifts as needed. Coaches can serve as "interpreters of the environment" by guiding learners into new understandings of themselves and others. "They can provide vision for students to help them see where they have been and also where they are going" (Daloz 1990, 207). One way is to provide a map, like a development plan, by which the new church planters can chart their course. Communicating vision is a two-way street. Daloz (1990) points out that people need a positive mirror. The coach can help learners see their qualities in a new light, as well as their potential and their progress. He can also provide a new language to reinforce new perceptions. Finally he should focus on values worth striving for and traditions worth maintaining. It is good to ask the new church planters what vision they have and what God wants of them. Then coach and learner can pray and plan together with God given goals in sight. It takes wisdom to use supporting, challenging and providing vision at the appropriate time. Coaches tend to naturally favor challenging or providing support. Those who are more directive must work on increasing their listening and support. Those who are naturally empathetic and have a hard time challenging need to become more intentional about challenging for change and growth. Coaches invest in team building We noted in the Biblical foundations that New Testament church planting was a team effort. Teaming is a life skill we would like all our church planters to develop. It is the cooperative and coordinated effort of a group of persons acting together as a team for a common cause. From experience we know that it takes time and effort to build and maintain healthy team 9 PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

relationships. It is not easy to keep a team focused and to maximize effective service. Conflicts invariably take place. Frustration mounts when a team member rides on the coat tails of more gifted or more dedicated members. Jealousy surfaces when a team member rises above the rest. Some teams stifle individuality; others give too much place to it. Either extreme will hinder productivity. Exclusive and absorbing relationships, detrimental to interdependent teamwork, can develop unless expectations are clarified and guidelines are set. This requires ongoing opportunities for communication in a safe climate. A leadership team must model biblical patterns of relating and ministering together. It must also develop skills in resource and conflict management in order to work on difficult issues. They usually need help in that process. While the church planting team is preparing for ministry they should devote regular time to team building activities and discussions. It is not essential that the coach be present all of the time. He should be present however to serve as a protector and a guide until they have 1) clearly identified a team leader, 2) agreed on core values and 3) determined how they will make decision and handle disagreement and conflict. These are the most sensitive issues. The coach should help the team develop a plan to cultivate and evaluate the team relationships and effectiveness. We have found that team retreats are needed about twice a year. If the team meets to invest in relationships, refine strategy and review vision instead of meeting only when problems occur, it will feel more positive about community life and joint ministry and set a better example for others. The coach should also help the team at key junctures in the team life such as: When major strategy changes occur When there is a leadership change When new team members are added When the team is not progressing as they should in strategizing or ministry Coaches keep track of the progress of church planters The last component of coaching we will discuss is tracking. In the world of sports a coach will keep track of a players statistics. This is not to compare players but rather to gage how they are responding to the training and developing as players. It measures both individual and team progress. It allows the coach to debrief with players and guide them based on real facts rather than impressions or verbal reports. Likewise good record keeping allows a church planting coach to track the progress of church planters and assess their growth as well as the growth of the church plant. Few people like keeping records. In fact it would be foolish to waste time in paperwork if it did not serve a purpose. Coaches should select the records they find most useful and include instructions about their use in the training. 10 PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

I would suggest two tools: a church planter self-assessment and a coachs journal. 1) The self-assessment is completed by the church planter. It is simply a list of questions that makes church planters reflect on their growth and the growth of the church plant. Basically the end result should identify obstacles to growth and critical actions point for sustained growth. The self-assessment can be sent to the church planter by email but should be reviewed in person. The debriefing interview is the most important part of the self-assessment. A sample form follows. 2) The coaching journal is simply a log or record of debriefing sessions with the church planter. It should highlight the main topics discussed, any needs or problems related to the work, progress or victories to celebrate, personal growth needs and prayer requests. The journal is useful only if it used between meetings for prayer, reflection and to prepare the following debriefing session. We have talked about teaching, training, mentoring, team building and tracking. Coaches will develop these skills over time. However, the discernment of how to apply them in the lives of individual leaders can only come from God. The coach must walk with God and receive specific direction through his times of prayer for new church planters. This work is also accompanied by great joy. The Challenge of Equipping Church Planters The challenge to church groups and associations in Latin America is to develop a program to equip church planters. This kind of equipping program should be built around three things: 1) Church planting plans and personnel needs, 2) an outcome profile of the type of church planter desired, and 3) the experiences needed to test and prepare potential church planters. It doesnt make sense to train a pilot in a classroom. Pilots are given critical theoretical and technical information. Then they get up in a plane with an experienced pilot. The ideas of in-service training and coaching make just as much sense in the preparation of church planters. Pedagogical Basis for Coaching Church Planters What is the pedagogical basis for this approach? For centuries, the academic model has dominated leadership development. The theological seminary is a derivative of the monastery that emphasized withdrawing for spiritual preparation. With the Reformation, the Scriptures took a central place but the academic model remained. The minister was primarily a pedagogue. As a result, the idea of withdrawal was maintained and the gap between laity and clergy was reinforced. 11 PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

Most Western leadership development programs today start with teaching, usually include a training component in the area of public speaking but do little if anything to deal with attitudes and values. Leaders often have relational and character problems rooted in unresolved attitude and value issues. These problem areas should be identified and worked on as early as possible in the equipping process to avoid future pitfalls. The classroom model does little to identify and resolve these underlying issues. The Need for In-Service Training Dr. Ted Ward of Trinity University was a key player in the evolution of Theological Education by Extension. He chose a model from the workplace: in-service training (IST), to make decentralized ministerial education more effective. IST is the term that refers to education or training that makes people more competent in the job they are already holding (Ward 1970). Why is in-service training more effective for preparing church planters? It is because equipping must be learner centered. "It's not what the teacher does that provides the learning. Rather it is what the learner does" (Elliston 1993: 207). Ward (1970) underlines four applications of learner-centered education: 1) Learning proceeds best as learners associate new information with the information they already have. 2) Learning (retention) depends on the use of the newly acquired information very soon after it is acquired. 3) Learning depends on the perceived importance of the information (how it relates to the learners' purpose and goals). 4) Learning (retention and accuracy) is increased when learners are informed very promptly whether or not their use of the new information is appropriate. How do these principles apply to the preparation of church planters? Let me describe possible equipping program for church planters. The local church takes the responsibility for training its church planters on a local and regional level. It should not wait for the national office to do so. The training is centered in the local church. An established church is the best base for preparing and deploying a church planting team to reach an outlying area or unreached people group. The curriculum is built around the Christian service. That is not to say that reading, reflection and discussion are not important, but that they facilitate retention and growth when to are done in preparation for service or arise out of service. The goal is to integrate the development of attitudes, skills and knowledge. There is no magical formula for this integration. However it usually takes place in a context where church planters are guided through learning experiences by a coach or mentor who provides example, resources, encouragement and corrective redirection. 12 PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

Biblical and theological knowledge is not neglected but put in balance and applied to life and ministry progressively. Bob Logan (1992) speaks of just-in-time resources. Knowledge and insight received at the moment of need is a powerful catalyst for change. Applied knowledge is what changes lives. Selection of Potential Church Planters When selecting church planters, churches must replace the old criteria of credits and diplomas by new criteria based on character, biblical and theological training, and proven ministry. Where will these church planters come from? They will be people with leadership and diverse ministry experience in the local church who have a track record of reaching and discipling others. We make two common mistakes in our selection process: 1) We select enthusiastic witnesses who lack personal maturity and local church experience. Church planters must be evangelists but they must be more than evangelists. They must be men and women of God. 2) We select people like pastors who are caregivers and maintainers and that lack evangelistic and developer skills. Church planters change agents who see what others dont see and go where others wont go. Dr. Ben Sawatsky (1991) lists the following recommended experiences in preparation for a church-planting ministry. On the job training (formal and informal) Ministry experience in the local church. Actual church planting experience as an apprentice Experience in leading evangelistic Bible study Experience in leading others to Christ & discipling them Experience as a leader Experience in exercising Christian disciplines Experience in cross-cultural communication

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