COACHING
The Ecclesia Network Coaching System
Coaching provides leaders with ongoing purposeful conversations around church and ministry leadership over a longer period of time in order to ask the question, “What is the Holy Spirit’s intent with me and our ministry context?”
Why coaching?
Starting, leading, serving and guiding churches on mission can be fulfilling and exciting, but can also be difficult and complex. Having other experienced pastors and leaders to encourage, guide, inspire, equip, pray with/for you and provide insight and perspective is essential to the process. Research shows that pastors – specifically church planters – who receive ongoing, purposeful coaching are healthier, more fruitful and more effective in the long haul. Many pastors in our network can personally attest to the significant benefits they have received through coaching.
Ecclesia’s mission is to partner, equip and multiply churches. In order to accomplish that mission, the network has developed a coaching process that provides opportunity for purposeful guidance, growth and equipping.
Who can receive coaching?
Mission-oriented pastors, church planters and kingdom leaders – regardless of their Ecclesia Network membership status – are welcome to participate in our coaching process. No matter where you are, ministry leaders can utilize Ecclesia coaching.
2 coaching tracks
We offer two unique types of coaching tracks:
- Content-rich coaching track (recommended for newly developed/developing church planters/churches).
Content-rich coaching includes several session topics such as:
- Developing the mission, vision and values of our church plant
- Gathering and developing your core team
- Creating and cultivating a culture of discipleship, health and multiplication
- Leadership development
- Personal soul care
- Developing a clear strategy for gathering
- Developing a clear strategy for scattering
- Funding the Ministry
- Legal & organizational elements of a new church
- Questions & further processing
2. Ministry leader-driven coaching track (recommended for more established pastors/churches).
In this track, the content will be driven by the needs of the ministry leader as he/she sees them. Leaders will be encouraged to think ahead of time of where they feel “stuck” or where they desire more clarity, perspective, wisdom, guidance or help – and communicate that to the coach before/during the session for effectiveness and fruitfulness.
These issues can range from:
- Soul care: deepening intimacy with Christ, developing a richer prayer life, rest and reflection, etc.
- Missional ecclesiology: developing the theological and biblical foundations of a missional church.
- Ministry nuts and bolts: developing an elder team, identifying the next teaching series, developing a process of multiplying leaders, developing small group leader training, worship team dynamics, children’s ministry issues, etc.
- Ministry issues and relational conflict: navigating relational conflict, perspective on ministry stressors, needing support/insight on complex and emotional issues, etc.
- Other issues impacting the life of the ministry leader.
Our coaches:
Our coaches do not coach simply out of missional theory. They are practitioners with significant experience in church planting and missional church leadership.
Our coaches are:
- Bob Hyatt: Ecclesia Staff Member (Boise, ID)
- Cyd Holsclaw: Life on the Vine (Chicago)
- Jim Pace: New Life Christian Fellowship (Blacksburg, VA)
- Doug Moister: The Renew Community (Lansdale, PA)
- Jeanette Staats: New Life Christian Fellowship (Blacksburg, VA)
- Stephen Redden: New Denver Church (Denver, CO)
How many coaching sessions are offered – and how long are the sessions?
Securing an Ecclesia coach provides the ministry leader with 10 coaching sessions lasting 1 hour each session. Sessions are held every 3-4 weeks and can occur via phone, video conference (Skype, Google Hangout, FaceTime, etc.) or in person (if applicable).
What is the cost?
Contact J.R. Briggs for questions regarding cost. Ministry leaders who are a part of Ecclesia member churches receive a 25% discount. (Some scholarships may be available).
What are the next steps?
If you have questions or you’d like to inquire about securing a coach, contact J.R. Briggs at jrbriggs@ecclesianet.org.
