Reasons to Consider a New Work Coach

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Reasons to Consider a New Work Coach

• By
• Tom Cheyney

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The Five Cycles of a New Work Coach
There are at least five phases you will go
through as the coach of a new church planter.
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The Five Cycles of a New Work Coach
1. The Buddy Phase This is where most
sponsoring church pastors begin with the church
planter. It is where you are buddies.
Usually, this is during the initial phase of a
coaching relationship. Do not mistakenly become
lax in your responsibilities towards establishing
clearly, delineated expectations. Much attention
should be given towards your expectations at this
phase. If the waters should get rough later, it
will still be clear what is expected up front.
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The Five Cycles of a New Work Coach
2. The Lack of Trust Phase There is a
second phase that comes when both, or either, of
the planting parties begins to say through their
actions, Im not sure I trust you. It is a
hard phase to work through, and the sponsoring
church leadership must do everything possible to
keep this phase from derailing the effort.
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The Five Cycles of a New Work Coach
3. The Dislike Phase The dislike, or
mild resentment, phase depends on how well things
are going. Not many coaching relationships are
able to avoid this phase unless the partnering
church takes a whatever view of the new work.
That is never advised. As a coach, be sure not
to burn bridges in the midst of the skirmish.
Keep the relationship vital and seek health in
all cases.
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The Five Cycles of a New Work Coach
4. The Determination Phase Many partnering
churches feel relief because the turbulence has
settled down. Optimism and glimmers of hope give
both the planter and the partner church
excitement. Usually, this happens as the corner
is turned and the planter begins to see success
is just a few steps away. These become the
exciting days for both the sponsoring church and
the new work planter.
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The Five Cycles of a New Work Coach
5. The It Was All Worth It Phase As the
sponsoring church and the new work team will
discover, there comes the reward phase where all
the struggle was worth it. Here is the principle
to discover The joy of sponsoring a new church
work does not come by substitution of one place
for another, but by the transformation of a place
that was in darkness and is now a lighthouse.
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Ten Reasons to Consider a New Work Coach

• 1. To get an outlook from someone who has no
  vested interest in the situation's conclusion.

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Ten Reasons to Consider a New Work Coach

• 2. To help you shed light on God's vision.

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Ten Reasons to Consider a New Work Coach

• 3. To point out what the leader can't, won't or
  doesn't see.

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Ten Reasons to Consider a New Work Coach

• 4. To have an empathetic, secure and private
  outlet to vent problems and frustrations.

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Ten Reasons to Consider a New Work Coach

• 5. To conduct reality checks as the vision
  progresses.

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Ten Reasons to Consider a New Work Coach

• 6. To walk with you through conflict when it
  arises.

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Ten Reasons to Consider a New Work Coach

• 7. To put into practice the master plan in
  appropriate progression.

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Ten Reasons to Consider a New Work Coach

• 8. To ask the questions that no one else is
  asking.

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Ten Reasons to Consider a New Work Coach

• 9. To develop strategies for recruiting,
  transitioning and developing funds.

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Ten Reasons to Consider a New Work Coach

• 10. To help you balance the demands and stress of
  leading a church while maintaining a healthy
  family life.

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Characteristics or Qualifications You Should Seek
in a Coach for the New Church Plant

• 1. The new work coach must have a deep-seated
  passion for the church plant, and for the
  individuals that make up the church planting team.

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Characteristics or Qualifications You Should Seek
in a Coach for the New Church Plant

• 2. The new work coach must love the planter
  and his family, and all members of the new work
  team. Caring about the church plant alone is not
  enough you must care for the individual members
  of the church planting team also.

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Characteristics or Qualifications You Should Seek
in a Coach for the New Church Plant

• 3. The new work coach must have evangelism as
  a primary tenet, and be able to coach the church
  planting team in evangelism, outreach and
  witnessing effectively. Relationship-building is
  wonderful, but it must lead towards evangelism or
  else it is just hanging out together!

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Characteristics or Qualifications You Should Seek
in a Coach for the New Church Plant

• 4. The new work coach should also be a good
  listener he should learn what is happening in
  the church planters life. The ability to listen
  well and ask effective questions is perhaps the
  single most important key to good coaching.

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Characteristics or Qualifications You Should Seek
in a Coach for the New Church Plant

• 5. The new work coach must have some level of
  experience in planting New Testament churches.
  Dont allow an inexperienced individual to coach
  your planter.

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Characteristics or Qualifications You Should Seek
in a Coach for the New Church Plant

• 6. The new work coach must be able to deliver
  the medicine without causing the ill to get more
  sick. Heavy-handed coaching usually creates a
  huge disconnect with the planter and new work
  team. Often, it is not repairable if all you do
  is criticize and scold.

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Characteristics or Qualifications You Should Seek
in a Coach for the New Church Plant

• 7. The new work coach must be willing to make
  this coaching partnership a long-term commitment,
  perhaps as long as three years. Several church
  planting movements suggest 12 to 18 months, but
  if you have been planting very long, you discover
  that at the end of 18 months, the new work is
  just getting moving. Spend the time. It will be
  worth it.

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Characteristics or Qualifications You Should Seek
in a Coach for the New Church Plant

• 8. Remember, that coaching is hands-on. It is
  the process of helping your church planter and
  the new church succeed.

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A Sample Coaching Meeting AgendaFor the
Sponsoring Church

• Begin with prayer. (prayerful preparing)
• Planters family, new work and sponsoring church.
  (relate)
• Explore how the planter is doing. (focused
  listening)
• Explore how the new work is doing.
• Ask about what is working and not working.
• Review notes from last meeting. (reflect)

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A Sample Coaching Meeting AgendaFor the
Sponsoring Church

• What assignments have you completed? (strategic
  questioning)
• What are your BHAGs for the next few weeks?
  (refocus)
• What are the priorities you have for the next few
  months? (review)
• Ask about the general direction of the plant.
• Review what has been done in the areas of
  assimilation and evangelism.

Big Hairy Aldacious Goals
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A SAMPLE COACHING MEETING AGENDAFOR THE
SPONSORING CHURCH

• Ask the planter what resources are needed at this
  time (resource)
• 1.) EQUIPPING and TRAINING?
• 2.) NEW STAFF?
• 3.) FUNDS?
• 4.) VOLUNTEERS?
• Clearly delineate what assignments are being made
  for completion by the next scheduled meeting.

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A Sample Coaching Meeting AgendaFor the
Sponsoring Church

• Give clear steps towards completing assignments.
• Review each others schedules, set date, time,
  and place for next meeting.
• Close the time with prayer. Make sure you pray
  for the planters prayer requests and anything
  else that comes out during the session.

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A Sample Coaching Meeting AgendaFor the
Sponsoring Church

• Now Stop being the coach and be his friend.
  Take him to lunch, have some fun and pick up the
  tab!