One of the reasons that many church plants fail is because church planters often feel alone and isolated. They don’t have input: someone from outside who can come alongside to listen, provide counsel, give insight and offer wisdom.
Coaching is a resource that ensures that every member of the Acts 29 family has someone on hand to help them think through the issues of church planting and to navigate the problems of planting a gospel centered church in the real world.
At its core, coaching is an intentional and ongoing conversation aimed specifically at equipping and resourcing someone as they plant and pastor. A coach is a person who comes alongside, a fellow church planter who has been there and who “gets” some of the distinctive issues involved in planting. Coaches are not mentors, consultants, counsellors or supervisors. Coaching is not just a friendship nor a conversation, but an intentional relationship designed to have a definite starting and a definite end point. There are agreed upon purposes, goals, action steps, follow ups and accountability throughout.
Coaching is an intentional, ongoing conversation aimed at equipping and resourcing you as you plant and pastor
Your coach will aim to listen to your situation and ask good questions in order to help move you forward. This will, in turn, help them know where to focus and how to develop your strategy and the next steps necessary for your development. The coach will then follow up with regular conversations, always seeking to serve you by speaking the truth in love in a direct and sensitive way, remembering that the gospel will be the fulcrum on which every conversation pivots.
We see coaching as an integral part of a healthy global family and one very important aspect of planting healthy, gospel centered churches. Our hope in all of this is that you will glean meaningful insights into church planting in light of the gospel, find motivation to press on in the difficult task of ministry, notice significant turning points and celebrate the gracious providences of the Lord Jesus Christ in your life, marriage, family and ministry.
