Tomorrow's Life Coach
Volume 2 Issue 4 : April 2003

In This Issue

Upcoming Classes at ILCT
Pat's Ponderings ~ ILCT's New Website!
Editor's Pen ~ Focus: Christian Coaching
Patrick Williams Featured on Sky Radio

Christian Coaching 2013 ~ Gary R. Collins

Coaching Women in Ministry ~ Brenda A. Smith
Coaching Toward Forgiveness ~ Jim Street, PhD
Jumpstart Your Writing Career ~ Rochelle Melander

Case Study: Life Purpose Coaching for Lay Leaders ~ Tony Stoltzfus and Wendy Good



Upcoming Classes at ILCT

Group Coaching: ($150 - 4 hours)
4 Thursdays, May 1, 12:00 PM Eastern
4 Wednesdays, October 8, 3:00 PM Eastern

Coaching with Spirit and Soul: Coaching through the Midlife Transition
Tuesdays, May 6 - May 27, 1:00 PM Eastern
Mondays, October 6 - October 27, 11:00 AM Eastern

Marriage Coaching ($300.00 - 8 hours)
Tuesdays, May 6 - June 10, 7:00 PM Eastern

Computer Skills/CyberSavvy (Computers for Coaches): ($150 - 4 hours)
Tuesdays - May 6 - May 27, 8:00 PM Eastern
Wednesdays - June 4 - June 25, 12:00 PM
Thursdays - September 4 - September 15, 2:00 PM Eastern

Coaching Skills Practicum: ($450 - 12 hours)
Wednesdays, May 7 - June 25, 1:00 PM Eastern
Wednesdays, July 2 - August 20, 1:00 PM Eastern
Wednesdays, September 3 - October 22, 1:00 PM Eastern
Wednesdays, October 19 - December 17, 1:00 PM Eastern

Focus-Skills-Attitudes & Habits: ($150 - 4 hours)
Thursdays, May 8 - May 29, 3:00 PM Eastern
Tuesdays, July 8 - July 29, 7:00 PM Eastern

Listen-Mirror-Path-Floodlight: ($150.00 - 4 hours)
Tuesdays, June 3 - June 24, 1:00 PM Eastern

Manifesting Strengths: ($150.00 - 4 hours)
Mondays, June 9 - June 30, 8:00 PM Eastern

Business Wheel: ($150 - 4 hours)
Tuesdays, July 8, 7:00 PM Eastern

Practice Made Perfect: ($450 - 12 hours)
Thursday, July 10, 7:00 PM Eastern
Wednesday, October 1, 1:00 PM Eastern

Simply Coaching Series ($450.00 - 12 hours)
Wednesdays, September 3 - November 19, 9:00 PM Eastern

Executive Coaching and Development ($300 - 8 hours)
Mondays, September 8- October 17, 6:00 PM Eastern

Creating a Referral Based Business ($150 - 4 hours)
Thursdays, September 9, 16, 23 & 30, 8:00 PM Eastern
Tuesdays, November 4, 11, 18 & 25, 8:00 PM Eastern

Foundational Coach Training for Christian Counselors ($1995 - 40 hours)
Mondays and Wednesdays, October 6 - February 4, 2:00 PM Eastern

Group Coaching ($150.00 - 4 hours)
Wednesdays, October 8 - October 29, 3:00 PM Eastern

Using Assessments: ($225 - 6 hours)
Mondays - November 3 - February 2, 6:00 PM Eastern

Some schedules may change; check listing on website or contact Edwina Adams, Administration/Registration, at edwina@lifecoachtraining.com or Diane Menendez, Director of Faculty and Curriculum, at diane@lifecoachtraining.com.  



Pat's Ponderings

Dear Colleagues:

For the past three months we have been upgrading our website, our marketing image, and everything that reflects our high degree of professionalism at ILCT.  Our graduates and students are receiving a high-quality educational experience from an internationally recognized coach training organization.  Check out our new website at www.lifecoachtraining.com!

Let me hear your comments...both positive as well as constructive ideas for improvement. 

And please take a look at how close you are to becoming a certified coach. You can earn your credits toward certification with us and join our increasing ranks of ICF-certified coaches and ILCT Certified Life Coaches™.  

I have had many opportunities to promote coaching as a profession and ILCT as a training school for helping professionals in the past year. I have spoken in Canada, Europe, 7 different states and several conferences. And this summer, I will be back at Cape Cod, Los Angeles, New Orleans, as well as London, Italy, and then an Australian tour in September. I try hard to be the "ambassador" of life coaching. My mission is to profoundly impact the lives of those I coach, teach, and train so that they (YOU) may profoundly impact the lives of those you live and work with.

Join us in establishing life coaching as the preferred paradigm of communication and as a professional relationship that not only attracts increasing numbers of people, but moves humanity to a new level of purpose and authenticity.

To harmony, ecstasy, and love in abundance...

Pat

Patrick Williams Ed.D., MCC
Chief Energizing Officer, ILCT

 



Editor's Pen

Welcome to our first issue focused on Christian coaching! What is happening in the Christian coaching world today? First, let me mention Christian coach training:  the ILCT has the world's first and largest ICF-accredited Christian coach training program with 167 graduates plus 46 more currently enrolled! 

Second, the first international Christian coach conference, sponsored by Christian Coaches Network (CCN), was held in Virginia, USA on February 26-March 2, 2003. There were 150 attending (four internationals) and 17 vendor booths. The ILCT was represented well both on the conference leadership team and in attendance (about 50 graduates). Christopher McCluskey (chris@lifecoachtraining.com), director of the ILCT Christian Track program was the emcee, Mary Ann Dietschler (ILCT graduate) was the conference chair and Judy Santos (judy@lifecoachtraining.com), co-leader of the ILCT Christian Track program and founder of CCN, was prominent in the conference planning. Everywhere laughs were ringing and warm hugs were exchanged as virtual relationships became "live" during the "reunion" of many ILCT graduates and instructors who, in the words of Bill Gay (ILCT graduate), were "meeting old friends for the first time!" It was a powerful, life-changing experience in so many ways for all of us who attended due to the heavenly inspiration, poignant training, passionate prayers, deepening relationships...and just by having a lot of fun and laughs!

The powerful coaching movement is reaching within the Christian world and contributing to stronger, healthier individuals, churches and parachurch organizations! Whether this is your focus or not, you'll find every article in this issue interesting--from Christian coaching in 2013 to becoming a writer!

Next month's focus: International coaching. Please note the changes to the guidelines for submissions which include shorter lengths for articles (500 words) and bios (50 words).

As always, comments and articles are welcome, just send to annette@lifesync.com!

Annette

Annette Miller
Editor, Tomorrow's Life Coach
Graduate, ILCT Christian Track 2002
President, LifeSync Coaching (www.lifesync.com)
Authorized Affiliate for Christian Coaches, Extended DISC of North America--certification workshops and outsourcing with the world's fastest growing assessment system (free sample reports, ask us about discounts for training)


Patrick Williams Featured on Sky Radio

The following airlines will be featuring an interview with our own Pat Williams on their sky radios. You can also hear the interview at www.skyradionet.com.

UNITED, DELTA, AMERICAN, NORTHWEST



Christian Coaching 2013
by Gary R. Collins

Last weekend [February 26-March 2, 2003], at the Christian Coaches Network conference, I gave some predictions about what Christian coaching might look like in ten years. I suggested:

1. Coaching will be at the core of leadership. I often quote James Belasco from San Diego State University: "Coaching is destined to be the leadership approach of the twenty-first century." This is the focus of most of my work as a coach today.

2. Coaching will be a core part of ministry. People in churches and parachurch organizations will know how to coach effectively and for the glory of God. That gives Christian coaches an exciting challenge.

3. Coaching will be a new kind of profession with:

  • Less emphasis on private practice. As more people become coaches and the economy struggles there will be fewer paying clients.
  • Greater specialization. Most coaches will know their niches.
  • More knowledge and awareness of psychological issues. These can undercut coaching but get overlooked by coaches who are not attuned psychologically.
  • More culturally sensitivity, with awareness of generational, racial, socioeconomic, ethnic, multinational and other issues.
  • More regulation and refinement. The initial enthusiasm will be gone and coaching will be a profession with standardized training, credentials, research backing, ethical standards and licensing regulations.
  • Greater unification, with Christians and other coaches working more together and less in isolation or competition.

Here are more highlights:

  • Christian coaches who are now on the fringes of churches will be more involved in church ministry as coaches.
  • Churches and other organizations will value and appreciate having an in-house coach.
  • Missionaries will have coach training before entering the mission field.
  • If coaching is to be more than a fad, it will need to be effective and that means having highly trained people.
  • More and more leaders at all levels will look for a coach.
  • Coaching will become a sought after method for advancing one's career.
  • More coaching will utilize the Internet.
  • If coaching can live up to the possibilities of what it can do for leadership development, you will see more dollars than you can dream of being thrown at coaching. (Maybe!)

Dr. Gary R. Collins is not only a sought after speaker around the globe but also the author of more than 50 books, the recent of which is "Christian Coaching--Helping Others Turn Potential into Reality" which includes significant contributions by ILCT's Christopher McCluskey and Judy Santos. Dr. Collins is a graduate of ILCT and was a keynote speaker at the Christian Coaches Conference in Virginia in February. Used with permission from his newsletters "Letter 37" and "Letter 38" (published March 6 and 13, 2003); free subscription available on his website, www.GaryRCollins.com. ©Copyright 2002 The Bridge Institute. All Rights Reserved.

 



Coaching Women in Ministry Leadership

by Brenda A. Smith

"My role in ministry seems artificial; I don't feel like myself."

 "The open door policy is required, but I can't get my work done."

 "My visionary gift isn't valued because I'm seen as the implementer, not the creator."

What do these comments have in common?

They are all voices of women in ministry.

My current telegroup, Encouragement By Design, has gathered women who are leaders in ministries nationwide.  Together we are mastering the art and science of encouragement.  The fundamental premise is that we give and receive praise according to our "hard wiring."  These women are recognizing and embracing God's unique design.

As they explore their giftedness explosions of understanding occur.  They begin to relish their uniqueness and work with:

1)      What encourages them

2)     What discourages them

3)     What stresses them

4)     What relieves stress

They can then translate these principles into the personalities of people they live and work with, creating a system of encouragement that enhances their personal and professional lives.

Frequently women find that ministry environments produce enormous stress.  Some even experience permanent changes in their personalities.  Gender expectations often cause women to operate from an adaptive style that varies greatly from the natural one.  The resulting stress reveals conflicts of calling, vision and giftedness.  For example, the pressure to exhibit a "heart for people" often hinders the project-focused woman from thriving.  The visionary often finds herself assigned "here and now" tasks.  Or, the open architecture of many organizations may force women to behave as extraverts who are more naturally introverted.  Disconnect and discontent result.

But there is good news!  Joy and freedom come through seeing the power of divine design.  Experiencing direction in purposeful movement allows women to minister from a full and true heart.  Hearing a woman say, "Oh, now I understand why I feel like a phony, and now I know what God has called me to be" gives me enormous encouragement.  The world of institutional ministry is an environment of great opportunity for women.  But it is critical to understand and appreciate design, purpose and giftedness.  What a privilege it is as a coach to walk beside them and see the joy of Jesus shine! 

Brenda A. Smith is President of The Purpose Group, Dallas, Texas.  Her goal is to equip and inspire women as they see that they are designed "with purpose for a purpose."  She leads telegroups for women in ministry, business and home leadership.  Currently she is participating in an archiving enterprise, the BWF Project.  Her background includes executive management, sales and marketing and entrepreneurial endeavors.  She was a member of the first insurance delegation to China and has spoken widely throughout the financial services industry.  She is the proud mother of 3 and exuberant grandmother of 3. She can be reached at brendaasmith@aol.com or 214-673-8779. 

 



Therapy vs. Coaching: Coaching Toward Forgiveness

by Jim Street, PhD

Coaches must distinguish between therapy and coaching.  To do that, they must get beyond theorizing about the differences and apply them to real world issues.

As a pastor and coach I often help people on the journey toward forgiving those who have hurt them.  In this article, I explore such forgiveness to distinguish between a therapeutic approach to forgiveness and a coaching approach to forgiveness.

When I am meeting with someone seeking to forgive another, I ask questions to discern the proper path for the client to take.  Based upon the client's response and my own judgment, I either refer them for therapy or offer them my coaching help.  Following are some of the main questions I ask:

First, is the client seeking specific steps they can take to arrive at a more forgiving attitude toward the offender?

More often than not, the people who come to me for assistance are still bogged down in their hurt and their anger.  They struggle with issues of justice or they are still playing the same mental tapes that keep them stuck in their rage.  They feel forgiveness would be akin to approving the offender's acts.  They maintain their anger as a hedge against getting hurt again.  They entertain revenge.  When a client struggles with those kinds of issues, I refer them for therapy.

However, some people want to know how to get beyond their anger and at least approach forgiveness.  If I sense a "bias for action", I entertain the possibility of entering into a coaching relationship with them.

Second, does the client display commitments (i.e. values/convictions) that would enable her to move toward forgiveness?

In coaching, we seek to leverage the core values of the client in assisting her toward her goals.  The coach may feel that she is constantly "swimming upstream" in offering assistance to a client who believes that "someone has to pay."

Third, is the client able to recall either narratives or experiences of forgiveness that have been extended to her?

I ask about the client's narratives and experiences of forgiveness.  For example, the Christian clients with whom I work can draw on the central narrative of God's gift of forgiveness as one resource to bolster their own journey.  However, the client's personal experience of having been forgiven is also a powerful resource.  If client's have a difficult time recalling such formative narratives or experiences of forgiveness they may not be good candidates for coaching.

Fourth, is the client ready to repent?

Almost always, the client is taken back by that question.  After all, the word "repent" is not a word that one hears in therapy, especially the secular models of therapy.  On top of that, the client may wonder what the victim of an offense has to repent of.

I use that word purposefully.  What I am really asking is "Are you ready to change your mind about the offender and the offense?"  While the client may not know how to do that, I can at least make a judgment as to his or her readiness to being coached.  If the client is willing and ready to change his or her mind, I coach them in ways that enable them to rewrite the story of their victimization, challenge unenforceable rules, and reframe their experience so that it more closely aligns with their sense of mission and values.  Therapy may be needed if the "r-word" brings on feelings of indignation.

Fifth, can the client imagine a future that is more compelling than the past?

A client who can imagine a future more compelling than her past is likely to be attracted to that future.  If she can imagine the experience of not only being freed from the burden of resentment but also of being liberated for a more fulfilling life, she can more easily navigate the journey toward forgiveness.  If the image of offense is more compelling than the image of freedom, the client may need further therapy.

 Sixth, is the client ready to learn new skills and embrace the challenges ahead? 

Therapy often carries a heavy psychodynamic overtone whereas coaching is more educational and developmental.  If the client clings to gaining insight into the offense and seems less interested in learning the skills to forgive, she may be better suited for therapy. 

Jim Street, Ph.D. is a pastor and life coach who serves the North River Community Church in Lawrenceville, Georgia. (www.northriverchurch.com)   He specializes in coaching those who are struggling with forgiveness.  You may contact him at jlstreet@mindspring.com.  Thanks to "buddy coach" Sherry Richmond Frank (creative_growth@cox.net) for her assistance in preparing this article. 



Jumpstart Your Writing Career
by Rochelle Melander

Think about the coaching you do with individuals and companies. Think about how you have affected their lives. Multiply that by hundreds, thousands, even millions of people. What would it be like to affect the lives of millions of people with your coaching?

You can. Writing articles and books can substantially increase the amount of people you will reach with your message. In 1995, my husband and I coached our congregations to use a small group process to begin every church committee, task group, and team meeting. Individuals told their stories. The tears flowed freely. These men and women told us that they had never had the opportunity to talk about how their faith intersected with their lives inside - or outside - a church. They loved the process and they wanted more. We took our idea to a publisher and our first book, Growing Together: Spiritual Exercises for Church Committees (Augsburg), was published in 1998. Since then, it has been published in 4 more editions, two of them in foreign countries. Our small nugget of an idea has now changed the lives of individuals at thousands of churches. You can do the same with the coaching programs, tools, and ideas you have developed. Here are some tips.

1.Start an idea bank.

Create a place to hold your ideas. It could be a notebook, a computer file, or even a file box of index cards! Then, make "regular deposits" in the bank. I coached a professional who discovered that carrying a notebook with him made keeping ideas a breeze!

2.Start thinking markets.

Consider who might be interested in buying your ideas. Writing for magazines and newsletters will garner more readers - and potential clients. Writing books holds some prestige, but it is also a long process. You can also self-publish your ideas as pamphlets, booklets, and books.

3.Test-market your ideas!

Sure, they sound great when you're on the treadmill at 5:00 AM - but how will they play in Peoria? Test your ideas through coaching and speaking. I work with a client who tests all of her ideas in a free class she offers at her local bookstore. The ideas that go over well make it into her popular booklets.

4.Start Writing!

Sooner or later, writers have to write. Just like exercising regularly keeps you in shape, writing regularly makes the job easier. Take time each day to write in a journal, so that when you are ready to write the big article - you'll have both the strength and stamina to do the job!

5.Get feedback.

Find a friend, a writing coach, or a writing group to give you feedback on your work. Their advice can save you valuable time (and prevent too many frustrating rejections).

6.Write it again, and again, and again!

Writers will say that the magic comes with the revising, not the writing. Editors love polished manuscripts. A polished manuscript will increase your chances of publication.

7.Find the perfect market... or two!

You probably have had something in mind. It's often good to try to write for a periodical you know well. If you don't have any ideas, check out Sally Stuart's Christian Writer's Market Guide. This helpful book is packed with publishers and periodicals looking for writers. Each entry has valuable submission information you need to know! Choose a few markets that will work. That way, if you are rejected by one market, you'll still have other places to send your manuscript.

8.Put together a submission packet.

Write a cover letter, include a copy of your manuscript (never the original), add a self-addressed stamped envelope - and send it off!

9.Start again!

You can use your writing again and again to minister to people beyond your immediate reach. Think about the mentors you have met through the written word. Now consider how you can be that light, shining in the darkness, for other people.

Rochelle Melander is a writing coach, popular speaker, and ELCA pastor. Together with her husband, Harold Eppley, she is the best-selling author of five books. The newest book is a 52-week coaching program for clergy called The Spiritual Leader's Guide to Self-Care (www.Alban.org). Give her a call (414-963-1222) or send her an e-mail (rochelle@liferhymecoaching.com), to schedule a coaching session that will jumpstart your writing career! Visit her online at www.LifeRhymeCoaching.com and www.MelanderEppley.com.

 




Case Study: Life Purpose Coaching for Lay Leaders
by Tony Stoltzfus and Wendy Good

Communion Fellowship is a small-town midwestern church with a Sunday attendance of around 120. Begun in the 80's on a college campus, this younger church is composed almost exclusively of members under 45, and has focused on missions, worship, small groups and leadership development. Members of the congregation had high expectations for being developed as people-they believed that Communion Fellowship was a place to discover God's purpose for your life and begin to actively fulfill it. Members were ready to serve and to give their lives to something meaningful, but frustrations mounted: somehow it just wasn't happening for the average lay leader. 

Things began to change when several members entered a coach-training program. Wendy Good had been a key part of the congregation's leadership for a number of years, serving as an elder as well as on staff in various leadership development roles. The catalyst for a new approach happened when she was about halfway through her own training as a coach.

"There were several young couples I was in touch with that were facing major life decisions," she recalls, "like moving, going into missions, things Like that. I could see that they were struggling. They didn't know the right questions to ask-they weren't making those decisions out of a broader perspective of understanding their life purpose....And this is what we as a church were supposed to be about: whether or not these people leave, we want to help them engage what God is doing in their lives and equip them to pass what they learn on to others." Drawn by her own sense of call to help others find their destiny as well as her church's mission, Wendy dove in.

The first step was connecting with the three couples individually. By listening, asking some key destiny questions, and helping the couples begin to sort through their decisions, Wendy gave them a taste of what coaching could do. This was hitting them exactly at the point of highest motivation-they were hooked. Gathering all three couples together, Wendy introduced the idea of forming a coaching group to walk through a structured destiny-discovery process using materials from TLC's Life Focus track. Because their congregation offered 8-week Wednesday night classes (and child-care was provided!), she proposed meeting on Wednesday nights.

"One thing I learned from that first round was to call it a Practicum, not a class," Wendy relates. "Class sounds more like a place you just sit and listen, and I wanted them to connect with the idea that they were going to be involved and do some work." In fact, in laying out expectations Wendy made a stretch and asked for a 4-hour per week commitment (including the hour and fifteen minutes class time.) Participants would do independent self-discovery exercises, listen to taped input on destiny and meet individually or as couples with the coach during the week. 'Class' time would be used for discussion, hands-on discovery exercises and one-on-one interaction with peers.

A high point of that first vision-casting meeting was bringing in a young couple from the congregation who had just walked through the same Life Focus process for a major decision in their own lives. Their testimonial provided a real-life 'story' the other couples could relate to.      "They (the three couples) all knew each other, they all were dealing with the same issues, so they were all excited about working on them together." All three couples said yes.

"That first group did pretty well with keeping the time commitment," Wendy comments, "but the group I had the second time around did better. "I think part of it was that the church put out a flyer with the different classes we were offering. I made sure to put in a good description of what the class involved and what the commitment was." Giving participants complete information up front and asking for a decisive commitment (participants signed a coaching covenant as part of the process) helped get things off on the right foot.

One obstacle that came up along the way was paying the coach. Even though the church agreed to subsidize a third of the cost, the Life Focus practicum still cost three times what any of the other Wednesday night classes did-a necessity to cover the cost of the coach's time and the materials. "It was a paradigm shift, but I think people were motivated enough and saw the value of it so that it wasn't too much of an issue. There were several people before the second round who joked around with me about the cost in a way that told me there might be a little more there than just a joke, but that was about the extent of it...In the evaluations afterward everyone said it was worth it." The positive word-of-mouth from the first group also helped overcome the cost barrier the second time around.  

The first Life Focus practicums at Communion Fellowship covered dreams and dreambusters, discovering your life purpose, and developing a set of personal values. Wendy plans to add a "Life Focus II" that covers taking what people discover about who they are and developing goals and an action plan to move toward it.

The participants had a great experience: they loved the coaching appointments, and found the time to work together as a group on their own destiny questions invaluable. Often key insights came while listening to another person share something they wanted or were wrestling with. Peer appointments were also cited as important. "I had given them the freedom to do their peer appointments by phone or in person," Wendy says, "and they really appreciated that." Several participants traveled as part of their jobs, and liked the freedom to complete appointments over a cell phone while on the road.

Many members made significant breakthroughs as a result of the coaching experience. One couple (leaders of the children's program) said, "We came to this church because we wanted to be developed as leaders. This gave us what you said we'd get when we came here...If we left here tomorrow, we could say, "This is why God brought us to Communion Fellowship."

Wendy was especially gratified to see participants turn around and use what they learned for the benefit of others. One member, a woman in her twenties, was serving on a community development committee that had set out to revitalize their neighborhood. As she listened to committee members discuss what they wanted to do, she realized that they were really talking about their personal values for community development. The other members found it so helpful when she pointed this out that soon she had led the entire group through a process of identifying a set of development values and writing a mission statement to define where they were headed. The group has since moved forward to serve the community with greater unity and a clearer sense of purpose. 

When asked what she's learned from coaching lay members in finding their destiny, Wendy laughs. "I learned it works! For example, we just finished a group a week ago, and the night afterward we had a congregational meeting. Three different people from the group stood up spontaneously and shared with the church how life-changing the coaching experience had been for them. I had people accusing me after the meeting of staging it all!"

Wendy also says, "The practicum gets easier every time I do it. It has been extremely helpful to have the coach's notes for the exercises-it saves me from doing a bunch of preparation and trying to track what they are all working on." The exercise format of TLC materials made it easy for Wendy to give assignments, because she could simply hand out a sheet of paper with the exercise and the instructions already made up. This kept the group on the same page and eliminated a lot of questions and logistical headaches.

"One other thing I learned was that I assumed when people contacted me to sign up for the class that they had actually read the flyer that described it-that was a bad assumption! I had one guy that came to a first meeting who hadn't read it, and when I started talking about outside coaching appointments and the four hour a week commitment he got that deer-in-the-headlights look. I told him he could still re-evaluate joining if he wanted, but he went ahead and did it." 

Their experience with coaching has been successful enough that Communion Fellowship has set out a new leadership development goal: to provide every leader in the church with a coach. Each leader will be coached through the process of discovering and moving toward their call, while team leaders receive ongoing coaching on team-building, pursuing a vision, etc. Wendy is moving into a part-time staff role as a coach, with a charge to provide coaching to the church's key lay leaders, to continue to do life purpose coaching with the congregation, and to build a team of coaches to widen what the church is able to offer. Currently the congregation has two trained coaches (one a professional counselor), while the pastor and one of the elders are just beginning coach-training.

Wendy has already begun integrating coaching into the existing leadership structure. "We have a regular leadership meeting, and now every time we meet I give the leaders a question based on one of our core leadership values or principles to reflect on for the next meeting." Every leader is responsible to think over the question and write something down between meetings. So when the team gets together they are ready for a rousing, productive discussion. And when Wendy encounters a teachable moment during one of her leadership coaching sessions, she's begun to ask permission to debrief on it with the group. "We'll talk about what happened, what the leader did and why, ask the group what they would have done in that situation. It's a great way to get at leadership principles." It also works to build openness and a sense of shared experience among the leaders, as they talk and laugh together about their successes and what God is doing among them.

Wendy filled similar leadership roles in her congregation both before and after being trained as a coach. When asked what difference coaching and coach training makes, Wendy replied, "The biggest thing is to have tools to move forward with. I know the procedure now; I know what to do when I come across a growth issue. Before I'd often have an intuitive sense that something was going on, and I'd get frustrated because I couldn't get at it. Now I know how to deal with what's going on in me internally, I know how to name the thing (which is so helpful to people) and how to engage it...And I'm conscious competent about what I'm doing. We have so many people in our church who know where they want to go but don't know how to get there, and so many who are doing something but don't know how they do it or how to pass it on. Now I'm able to train those I work with to do what I'm doing."

Tony Stoltzfus lives and works in Virginia Beach, VA, where he coaches leaders and develops coach-training materials. He is director of Curriculum Development and Training for Transformational Leadership Coaching, which trains Christian coaches internationally. Tony has served at all levels in the local church for many years, including worship leading, cell leading and oversight, and church oversight. His passion is creating growth-centered authentic relationships and developing leaders. He has extensive business experience in sales, internet marketing and furniture design. You can reach him at tonyst@highstream.net or 757-427-1645.

Wendy Good has had a broad base of ministry experience. She has served on staff with YWAM, as well as in various ministry positions within the local church. Some of these include being part of a leadership team for a discipleship training school, serving on the Worship Oversight Team, and as an elder. Currently, she is a TLC (Transformational Leadership Coaching) Certified Coach and is on staff at Communion Fellowship in Goshen, Indiana as Ministry Coach. She is a gifted speaker and coach with a passion to help people tap into their God-given destiny and empower them to walk in their calling. She can be reached at wendyg@maplenet.net or 574-533-5759.


Tomorrow's Life CoachTM
Patrick Williams, Ed.D., Publisher
Annette Miller, Editor, annette@lifesync.com
© 2003 Institute for Life Coach Training
www.lifecoachtraining.com
Phone: 888-267-1206
info@lifecoachtraining.com

Interested in submitting your articles for possible publication in Tomorrow's Life Coach? Please read our submission guidelines.


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