Coaching

Effective ministry begins when you as a church, or when you as a church leader, can give definition to the "how" of ministry.  You need to have some strategies.   It is one thing to understand who you are as a church and the God-given purposes that He has called to do live out in and through your church.   When you as a church know your mission, vision, and core-biblical-values you can answer the 'who' and 'what' questions, 'who' you are and 'what' God has called you to do.   But in order to live out your mission, vision, and core values you need to come up with some strategies - how you will accomplish what God has called you to be and do.

What is true for the local church is true also for denominations, including the CRCA.  As churches our mission is to be "a church reforming to reach the lost for Christ."   Our vision is "to multiply Bible-based churches which equip and nurture their members and grow throughout Australia and the world."¹   There are also five core biblical values that shape the culture of the CRCA.   What we do as churches is very much determined by the things we value as God informs us through His Word.   In order for us to live out our mission, vision, and core values we as churches have a number of key strategies -- the 'how' of ministry.  

What are these strategies?  In the CRCA we call our key strategies our fourfold task.  These four tasks are PRAY - GROW - TRAIN - ALIGN.  Prayer undergirds and surrounds everything we do!   We rely on God for strength, endurance, and wisdom as we seek to be a church reforming to reach the lost for Christ.  "Unless the LORD builds the house, the workers labor in vain."  (Psalm 127:1) Unless the LORD builds our churches – everything we do is really in vain.  Prayer is our first task and the most important task.  Prayer is on the one side.  On the other side is align.   Alignment has to do with making sure everything we do lines up with our fundamental aim of reaching the lost for Christ.   Between these two bookends are the tasks of GROW and TRAIN.   While these two tasks summarize the two key aspects of realising our denominational vision, within these two tasks are nine specific strategies of 'how' we will accomplish what God has called us to be and to do.   In the weeks ahead I will unpack each of these nine strategies.   Each of these strategies is critical to the accomplishment of our mission and vision. 

Take for example the strategy of coaching.   Our strategy is to "ensure regular and ongoing mentoring/coaching for all pastors in line with the emphases of the fourfold task."   We realise that in order for our churches to thrive we need thriving pastors and leaders in our churches.   In the words of leadership expert, author, and speaker John Maxwell, "As goes the leader so goes the organisation."   Pastors and other church leaders need to set the example of what is means to be a follower of Jesus.   For this reason the apostle Paul would say: "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." (1 Corinthians 11:1; see also Philippians 3:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:7)   Jesus himself was our example (John 13:15) so that we could follow in his footsteps.

In order for pastors, elders, and other gospel workers to lead well, they need to keep on learning.   In a previous blog, where I wrote about the need for coaching, I quoted author and teacher Aubrey Malphurs where he points out that “leadership development is never ending, because leaders are learners and if they ever stop learning, they stop leading."  This is why our strategy in the CRCA is to make sure that all our pastors receive ongoing mentoring/coaching.   For this reason we have been promoting the SHIFT Coaching initiative.   If our pastors are ever going to lead well they need to keep learning about and growing in the areas of evangelism, discipleship, loving-relationships, and multiplying leaders.   If pastors and other church leaders are learning and growing in these four areas then the local church will also see movement in these areas.   When this movement happens, the church will grow in gospel impact as they live out what God has called us to be and to do.   When we as churches are living out our God-given purposes, then ultimately God will be glorified. (2 Thessalonians 1:12)

If you are a pastor, are you receiving ongoing and regular mentoring/coaching?   Any surgeon will tell you that the one instrument she can never use in an operation is a dull one.   As servants of Christ, to be effective we need to keep sharp in ministry.   Coaching will help you achieve this goal.  As we read in Scriptures: “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17)   Perhaps pre-COVID you started in a coaching relationship, but time and other urgent matters have put this on the back burner.  I encourage you to pick it up again.   If you need to learn more about SHIFT and how you can (re)establish an effective coaching relationship then go to SHIFT Coaching.

As a denomination God has called us to be a church reforming to reach the lost for Christ.   If we are to accomplish this mission, a key strategy will be to see all our pastors (and other church leaders) receive regular and ongoing coaching.

¹ This vision statement is the slightly amended statement which will come up for discussion at the upcoming CRCA Synod