What is a Coach

When I first started telling people that I have been trained as a coach, I got strange looks. Most people think of a coach as someone who works with sports teams and individuals. People thought I was going to start telling people how to achieve better in athletics. I must admit that there is a similarity between athletic coach and professional coach. Except, professional coaches do not tell people what to accomplish.

Definition of Coaching

·        Coaching: Coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.

·        A professional coaching relationship: A professional coaching relationship exists when coaching includes a business agreement or contract that defines the responsibilities of each party.

·        An ICF Professional Coach: An ICF Professional Coach also agrees to practice the ICF Professional Core Competencies and pledges accountability to the ICF Code of Ethics.

From The International Coach Federation Website

 

Photo by graur razvan ionut. Published on 10 May 2010Stock photo - Image ID: 10016416

A coach builds a relationship with an individual or group. In the relationship, the person or people being coached (client/s) express dreams and passions. In the relationship, the coach and client/s define specifics of the goals and dreams and set in motion a process to accomplish those passion and dreams.

Definition of Christian Coaching

Christian coaching works in the same process as the general definition. The main difference is the foundation and perspective the conversations. Christian Coaching starts with a foundation that the dreams and passions have been influenced by God. The relationship builds on a foundation that we are coming from a similar faith and the Bible is used in the conversations.

Christ Focused Coaching builds on the principles of relationships, passions, dreams and goals to deliver a ways to help clients grow in faith and service. Because coaching is built on a relationship, the first meeting is free. Fees for sessions are discussed during the first session. There will be a contract and a commitment to confidentially. The free session is available to congregations and groups wanting to investigate the potential of what a coach can provide your group.  

What Does Christian Mean?

The decry of many in Christian circles in the loss of "Christian America."[i] It was most obvious the other week with the Supreme Court ruling on marriage across the country. I have been asking what does the term Christian mean. I believe the term has had a change in definition and understanding since it was coin long ago.

How the Name Was Given

In truth, people who believe in Jesus Christ cannot take credit for the title of Christian. Biblical tradition reports that the title was given to the followers of Jesus in an ancient city called Antioch.[ii]  The title was given to followers of Jesus by non-Jewish people. It is a composite word from two languages, Greek and Latin. The meaning is “like/belonging to Christ.” The people on the outside saw the people following Jesus as being like Christ.

What Happened

I believe today we understand the title to be less of action and more of persuasion. People identify as a Christian not because of what they accomplish, but what personal convictions they hold on faith. In and individual believes in a god and believes that god sent a person on earth with the name of Jesus, they are a Christian. But that does not seem like enough. It is because of this identification many people are throwing away the title of Christian and identifying in more generic terms.[iii]

The Modern Transformation

Well, Gabe Lyons believes that this is changing with a new generation of followers.[iv] I believe that all followers can learn from this new generation. It will take us all reclaiming a new title. We cannot keep the Christian title for the near future. It has been tainted by hate, hypocrisy, judgement, and many other misalignment. No, it would be better to take on a different identifier. I do not mean the trendy titles of spiritual, religious, or any other generic religious motif. No, I believe we should relearn a very basic ideal of Jesus’ teaching. We need to live again ,” You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”[v]

The Challenge 

Our identifier will not be words or titles as the faith passed down from generations past. In the now, the identifier of followers of Christ must be our actions. Once our actions coincide with the New Testament teaching and words of Jesus, others may one day call the followers of Jesus by the title of Christian. But we must earn that title.

Do you know what changes you need to make to become a follower? What in your life needs transformed to becoming a servant and live out the love command? Christ Focused Coaching is committed to working with you to discover the calls of Christ in your life and the transformation you can make. Church will need to make the same transition. Life cannot be the same. Christ Focused Coaching will work with your congregation to discover and uncover the old habits pushing others away. A congregation can be an inward focused or outward. Christ Focused Coaching wants to help all be Christ focused.

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[i] Gabe Lyons states the end was in May, 2007 with the death of Jerry Falwell. (Lyons, Gabe. (2010). The Next Christians: How A New Generation Is Restoring the Faith (p.13). New York: Doubleday Religion.)

[ii] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+11%3A25-26&version=NASB. The term only occurs in two other places in the New Testament (Acts 26:28; 1 Pet 4:16) (Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 273). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)

[iii] Lyons, Gabe. (2010). The Next Christians: How A New Generation Is Restoring the Faith (p. 11-12). New York: Doubleday Religion.

[iv] Lyons, Gabe. (2010). The Next Christians: How A New Generation Is Restoring the Faith. New York: Doubleday Religion.

[v] Luke 10:27, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10:27&version=NASB See also Matthew 22:36-40

The Great Ends of the Church

The Great Ends of the Church are: 

the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; 

the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; 

the maintenance of divine worship; 

the preservation of the truth; 

the promotion of social righteousness; 

and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world. 

(Presbyterian Church (USA) Book of Order F-1.0304)

Setting Goals

Many of us have heard about setting goals in our lives.  Some of us might have been told to do this in high school or college as you prepared for the “real world”. You might have been asked about your goals as you entered a new position. Most of us have set a goal. We understand that a goal is something we want to achieve. Once we have a goal, we need something more. We need objectives.

Objectives are items with specific dates and times we prepare to accomplish our goals. Without a good set of objectives, we will not achieve our goals. Many groups and individuals miss this step of the planning process. We will spend months and hours developing our goals, but not take the time to set the objectives.

Other times, the objectives are written for us. We have just not realized we need to put in a little more effort. The list above is from my Christian tradition rules. It is in a part of our constitution we call the historic foundations for our government. I believe these are the objectives set forward for each congregation, region and national church. These objectives were never given details of how to accomplish these objectives. The reason is that each group must discover for themselves the how of accomplishing these objectives.  The goal for the church remains to make disciples.

Review, Review, Review

When was the last time you reviewed your goals and set some objectives? Most do this once a year at New Year’s with resolutions. This time of year, we are busy with way too much and the pressure to accomplish these resolutions. Our goals and objectives need to be reviewed more often. Actually, every day is the real need to review these objectives. Each objective needs to be examined for accomplishment to move on to our goal.

The same is true with groups. If a group wants to continue seeing success, they need goals and objectives. Without a goal, we are working towards nothing. For a congregation, this is the road to an end. When the church is not making disciples, there are no new followers. Most congregations are seeing a lack of new disciples. A growing church see transfers and the declining churches are the ones sending the transfers.  Goals, objectives and time lines are needed to grow, thrive and life a full life.

We Can Help

Are you stuck in the setting objectives? Have you not set any goals for work, ministry or life in a long time? Has your congregation set goals (5 year plan) but no objectives? Christ Focused Coaching can help in setting these areas.  Contact us to see if our services will help you.