Your people live life in the margins. When push comes to shove, they sacrifice their health (spiritual, mental, physical) in their efforts to lead well. Yet taking care of ourselves well is imperative if we aim to make any sort of impact in leading, shepherding, or empowering others in the way of Jesus.
Have you ever looked across the desk, or table, or screen, and wondered about the condition of your leader’s spiritual life, their emotional health, their physical condition, and, while coaching them, entertained a separate conversation in your head about how you could help them gain more traction in those areas? Have you thought that if they made just a few micro-changes in nuanced ways, they could thrive in both their professional and personal life?
This is the time of year when people are thinking about these kinds of aspirations. Realistically, the good intentions that your people have in January begin to lose the feel-good sensation in February. In March, sputter. And, let’s face it: by summer, they are all but forgotten
How can I help leaders move good intentions into actions that result in deep change?
We want to support our leaders as they envision the year ahead. Ask a series of questions to help them reflect on the primary areas of life – spiritual, emotional, physical. Expand it to social, financial, and recreational. Whatever, or whatever fits their specific situation. Be prepared! Some of your leaders will share personal struggles they face and problems they want and need to confront. This is where careful, non-judgmental listening and asking powerful questions can do the heavy lifting. Resist the temptation to give advice, and finish by asking about important areas they want to change. Then move into a more focused planning conversation to flesh out a plan. The Achilles Heel of moving good intentions to action is some form of support by way of accountability. Ask your leaders to pursue an accountable relationship that will keep them on track. The more you can get out of the role of “accountability partner” and stay in your lane as their coach – the more you empower your people!
5 Questions to ask leaders for their work-life balance
How is your spiritual, mental, and physical health today compared to this time last year?
What changes did you intend to make last year to improve your quality of life?
How did it go?
Do you feel empowered or defeated, proud or ashamed about the state of your health in those three areas?
What do you wish to change?
What is your plan to regain balance in your work and life this year?
Churches that have a vision to cultivate leaders demonstrate four keys to spot, train and mobilize leaders. If you are having success in this area, assess how you are doing in these four areas. If you are new to the idea of developing leaders, identify the area(s) where you need to begin and get to work! Here are the four areas that churches cultivate in order to develop leaders:
Clearly defined pathway and outcomes
Specific skill assessment and training
Robust coaching system
Community to cultivate relationships
Clearly defined pathway with outcomes
Every journey needs a map. To cultivate leaders, it is healthy for everyone to know the steps involved and for each individual to understand where they are at any given time. Think back to your journey.
Coaching is a relationship with the purpose of cultivating leaders.
What did the person who came alongside you do to support you in your development?
How has this shaped your approach to developing leaders?
What do you actually do to cultivate leaders?
In this article, we have outlined the five best ways to develop coaches – and to grow as a coach in the process. A great place to get started is to read Christian Coaching Essentials. One of the most critical things a Christian coach does is help people listen and respond to the Holy Spirit. You will find QR codes embedded in the book to help you go deeper into the key aspects of becoming an excellent coach.
Community to cultivate relationships
This environment prioritizes leadership development for your people. Think of it as the engine for the other three above!
Coaching keeps leaders engaged.
Skill assessment and training offer strategic focus.
A pathway serves as a map to follow.
The environment sustains leaders from one step to the next, one generation to the next.
If you are interested in learning more about how InFocus can help you develop your leadership development process – CLICK HERE!
Survey says….
As you know, InFocus empowers leaders to navigate complex issues of ministry to multiply disciples, cultivate leaders, and plant churches. The way we do that is coaching, training and consulting. Do us a favor and let us know how we can best service you in 2024. Your voice matters. As we plan out how to best come alongside you in your ministry, we want to hear from the person who matters most—you. You know your ministry. You know your skill sets and goals. Take a minute or two to complete this SHORT SURVEY to let us know how we can laser-focus on what you need most in 2024. Your response will directly impact what you get from us this year.
Looking ahead at 2024, you are probably thinking about the bigger picture. You know your ministry doesn’t stop with you. It trickles down not only to those you lead, but to those they lead, and to those they lead.
Effective leadership has the potential for maximum impact. You want to see your teams and ministries flourish, thrive, and expand. You want to see disciples and leaders made and multiplied. You want to see the Kingdom coming closer with each step forward they take in their plans.
That’s what those you are leading want too. They’re looking for clarity and direction. They’re looking for practical, strategic ways of doing ministry better and smarter. They’re looking for customized solutions and top-notch guidance. So how can you stand ready to provide the most helpful guidance you can?
Consider your ministries’ specific needs
What challenges are you facing now? What issues are you likely to be facing throughout this next year. So what are the issues you are facing? Think it through: do you need help knowing how to develop leaders? How to make disciples? How to multiply your ministries? How to deal with conflicts? How to get others on board with the vision? How to navigate leadership transitions? You’ll want to pre-think some of the most common needs your ministry will face this coming year so you can lead through the issues in the most effective and healthy possible ways.
Reflect on your own skill base
Given the demands of your ministry, what will be required from you? Brainstorming help? Strategic planning strategies? Help casting vision? Determine which skills you’ll most need to grow in to help you sharpen your leadership in the new year.
Plan ahead to expand your ministry influence
In addition to identifying your needs and sharpening your own skill set in 2024, you’ll want to take a wider view of your own ministry. How can you expand your ministries’ influence, be more effective, and go deeper? How can you target the influence and impact of your ministry so it grows and you’re in a stronger position to help more people? How can you know that your efforts are resulting in more life change, transformation, and the extension of God’s Kingdom?
Survey says….
As you know, InFocus empowers leaders to navigate complex issues of ministry to multiply disciples, cultivate leaders, and plant churches. The way we do that is coaching, training and consulting. Do us a favor and let us know how we can best service you in 2024.
Your voice matters. As we plan out how to best come alongside you in your ministry, we want to hear from the person who matters most—you. You know your ministry. You know your skill sets and goals. Take a minute or two to complete this SHORT SURVEY to let us know how we can laser-focus on what you need most in 2024. Your response will directly impact what you get from us this year.
Take a look at the following list. Why do you think these blogs were the most viewed? Which topic resonated most with you? In true New Year’s Eve style, we are counting down to the #1 blog of the year…
10. Avoiding Burnout as a Leader Where do you go when you are reaching your limit? What happens when you ignore your margins? Every single leader on the planet needs a refresher now and then.
9. Christian Coaching Essentials RELEASE This post being in the Top Ten demonstrates your commitment to strengthening your ability to empower leaders! This is the only research-based Christian coaching process available today. The result is a comprehensive coaching process that is spiritually-anchored in Christ so that you can cultivate leaders in your ministry.
8. Reconnecting with God We love that this post made the Top Ten! You are pulling up your sleeves and eager to nurture your spiritual growth and help others be all that God has created them to be. After taking a break, it is important to meet people where they are and help them reconnect with God.
7. Lent Week Four: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus We were pleasantly surprised by the Lenten series. You showed a heightened interest in revisiting the season of spiritual preparation approaching the Passion of Christ. Be on the lookout for another version of the series in 2024.
6. Coaching on Succession Planning Every leader is in a state of transition. However, when a leader is moving from one position to a new position, there are three phases that we addressed in this blog that caught your eye. We will look at succession again in 2024.
5. Workplace Culture and Respect There is a gap in communication styles and even values between generations. That isn’t necessarily bad, but it is something to be aware of and be intentional about as you adapt your leadership style to the leaders you are cultivating.
4.5 Habits to Make Disciples We’ve been honing in on these habits that were fundamental to Jesus’ ministry. It’s exciting to see you resonating with these! Look for more on the 5 Habits in 2024.
3. Slow Your Role! When You Launch Small Groups Matters Small groups are one of the most influential contributors to church health. It is no surprise that the topic attracted so much attention this year. Whether you call your small groups missional communities, Community Groups, Life Groups – look for more insights in 2024.
2. 5 Challenges Every House Church Faces Every single post in this series on qualities of churches of various sizes were near the top of your favorites. We hear you! Look for more IF posts that offer insight and tips into understanding the unique challenges in these specific contexts in 2024.
1. Reconstructing DiscipleshipSo much has been discussed, written, and forecasted about the deconstruction of discipleship. This raises the question – what is discipleship? We will bring you more on the challenge of making disciples, who make disciples, in 2024.
Your Voice Matters
We hope this post has helped you see our commitment to you and to creating content that is important to you. As you can see, identifying the top ten blogs of the year has been a strategic part of our planning for 2024. We invite you to speak into this further and invite you to take a few moments and complete this SHORT SURVEY. Please let us know how we can come alongside you to help you grow as a coach, build your coaching business, and work with specific context and clients.
In last week’s blog, we took a broad look at self-assessment, one of the core competencies of a Christian coach. This week, we begin to dive deeper into what self-assessment actually means, how it is expressed through our behavior and how we can grow in awareness of ourselves. Truly understanding our own motivations and our own strengths and weaknesses will ultimately help us to better meet the needs of the people we coach.
Self-assessment is developed through several behavioral expressions. In the upcoming weeks, we will explore each of these expressions, starting with Interpersonal Awareness. Interpersonal awareness means becoming aware of and evaluating the strengths and weaknesses you bring to your coaching relationships.
I recently reflected on one of my own weaknesses when it comes to coaching: I tend to interject my own experiences into my coaching practices. As a coach, part of our job is to stay indifferent and detached. This isn’t to say we don’t care, but it’s important not to overreach and push our own opinions or agendas into the lives and situations of our clients.
As a recent example of this, I was working with a client who was navigating the best way to mobilize the house churches in his network. During the Covid pandemic, his church broke down into smaller house churches. It was a large congregation, splitting into thirty house churches, which eventually grew to fifty. That’s a lot to manage! We talked about the model for a house church and the best way to train a leader. I definitely have a lot of opinions in this area, and it was difficult for me to stay indifferent as he was choosing a route I might not have taken myself. I came to realize that the path he was choosing was actually the better option for that particular congregation.
It’s important to have an understanding of ourselves as we coach others. Because I recognize my tendency to assert my own opinions, I can intentionally hold back those opinions when it’s not appropriate to share them. A lot of this comes down to our particular behavioral styles; we don’t want to superimpose our behavior onto a client. If you aren’t sure what your behavioral style is, I’d recommend looking into DiSC.
In addition to deepening our self-awareness, we also need some prior understanding of our clients. The more we know about them, the more we can adapt to their needs. A good coach is aware of how their strengths and weaknesses interact with another’s.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself before your next session with a client:
Do I tend to be dominant or be more passive in relationships? What about my client?
Do I tend to control a conversation or go with the flow? What about my client?
Is my processing slow or fast? What about my client?
Am I task-focused or driven by the relationship? What about my client?
Do I think in terms of the big picture or do I focus on the details? What about my client?
If you are interested in a full explanation of how our team (namely Dr. Bob Logan & Dr. Chuck Ridley) arrived at the competencies of a Christian Coach – CLICK HERE. And check out our new resource for Christian Coaching – ChristianCoachingTools.com!
Identify areas that need your focused attention as a Disciple Coach
Hearing happens when we’re able to recognize a sound.
Listening happens when we put in the effort to understand what it means.
It not only requires focus, but it also requires a commitment to encountering the experience, intent and emotion behind the words. And that commitment can be scary. Because if we’re exposed to that emotion and those ideas, we discover things we might be avoiding.
Seth Godin blog June 7, 2020
At this time in our history, listening to one another – really listening, is not just important; it is essential.
On both sides of the racial divide, the local church has a special and unique role to play in facilitating meaningful conversations. I remember listening to Ray Bakke (founder of the Ray Bakke Center for Urban Transformation) many years ago, share that three institutions are ordained in society to govern, care for and give order – the family, the local church and government. Each is strategically positioned to facilitate difficult conversations. However, if the local church is left out of this strategy, the vision for reconciliation will never be achieved. Why?Because reconciliation is a spiritual issue! No other institution in society is designed to address the spiritual issues of sin, repentance and forgiveness.
How can we as church leaders facilitate conversations around the gospel to bring light to the darkness?
A current member of our Leadership Collective – Brian Wilson, Lead Pastor of Access Church in Menifee, CA recently interviewed a panel of guests to allow his congregation to listen, truly listen to the issues that divide people based upon the color of their skin. My prayer is that these exchanges help educate people on both sides of the racial divide.
Watch Part I of a two part series of this informative interview – CLICK HERE.
Questions for your reflection:
How can our congregation be part of the solution?
Who can we partner with to demonstrate and practice racial reconciliation?
What can we do to sustain the process of racial reconciliation so that it is not perceived as an event?
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