Coaching through chaos  
Change is happening at lightning speed. It’s hard for leaders to keep up and stay on mission. Coaching is more important than ever.

Written By Robert E Logan

Christian Coaching Pioneer, Strategic Ministry Catalyst, Resource Developer, Empowering Consultant : Logan Leadership
We all see the headlines. In the midst of chaos, why coach? Because coaching is actually more important than ever. Where else will people go to find a listening ear? A steadying presence? A safe place to process? As a coach, you can help provide people with the deep and thoughtful kinds of questions that help them determine how to live and how to grow. You can help people who are otherwise flailing in the wind experience how God is at work in them even in this present moment. 

As a coach, you get to help see people through this season of their lives. You have the power to enjoy them and love them for who they are, practicing one of the most important coaching principles of all—remembering that you are not in control of outcomes… especially other people’s outcomes. 

Focusing Personal Ministry Contributions

In the midst of chaos, coaching is more important than ever

What you can do here though is help other people focus their personal ministry contributions. The leaders you coach are all quite different, correct? Good leaders are not one-size-fits-all. They all come with different experiences, passions, and gifts. Each leader will bring something unique to the table. Help each leader you coach consider their own abilities. How has God uniquely gifted them? How might he want to use them? Just as the Body of Christ holds great variety, so do its leaders. No single person—no matter how gifted— can do everything. Nor is God calling any one person to everything. 

Encourage your leaders to take time to listen for the voice of God in their lives, considering what contribution he might be asking them to make. How could they uniquely show Jesus to the world? It may or may not sound grand—but it is all part of the coming Kingdom. The next step then will be helping them focus their time and energy to make that contribution as significant as possible. What outcomes do they hope to see in the future? 

Coaching Questions to Help Dispel Chaos and Focus Ministry

  • What gifts has God specifically given you? 
  • What are you particularly good at? 
  • For what purpose do you believe he has given them to you? 
  • How could you best use those gifts in your current environment? 
  • What are some unique contributions you can make? 
  • What are some creative ways you might use your gifts in the future? 
  • What might result? 
  • What next steps do you sense God calling you to take?

A Visual Representation is a Powerful Tool

A storyboard is a one-page image that lays out researched and principled steps toward a specific goal. Reviewing a storyboard with your client helps them identify where they are in the process or a key step they might have skipped. It’s a powerful tool to determine an accurate starting point and plan the next best steps. For clients that need to focus their ministry attention, the Focused Ministry Storyboard and Coaching Guide is an excellent tool.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

Cover Photo by Tara Winstead

Too many ways to grow as a coach? Try this instead.

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Coaching Leaders to Build Team Unity

The most vocal of the political divisions within many churches may have died down at this point, but it’s still pretty black and white out there with little room for constructive conversation. One of the best ways for leaders to fight division is by modeling unity.

5 Steps to Increase Ability to Focus

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The Essential Skill of Mental Flexibility

The world just keeps getting more complex. It’s hard to keep up. Mental flexibility is more important than ever. The good news is that mental flexibility is a skill that can be taught and honed. Here’s how…

Coaching leaders in times of rapid change and transition

The last few weeks have demonstrated a key principle of change: Change happens FAST, transition is slow. It takes time to understand what has changed, to develop new rhythms, and to build the new normal. These are not easy transitions. With a few waves of a pen, the world has undoubtedly been thrust into a season of transition. And the changes are far from over.

7 Questions to Boost Creativity

Has your client been doing the same events for years even though they are getting diminishing results? They are in a ministry rut. Here are 7 questions you can ask to boost creativity for more effective ministry. 

When Your Coaching Client is Wounded

Sometimes new—or old—wounds hold clients back. Here is what you can do to help and what to do when you can’t.

Coaching Through Decision Fatigue

The world is changing at breakneck speed. For many ministry leaders, new innovations are seen as roadblocks to their mission and vision. Constantly navigating around them is exhausting. Here is how you help those leaders keep moving forward.

Drilling down for insight

Giving feedback is a learned skill.  Helping someone grow in this area can be a game changer. But you must slow down and remain present and ask reflective questions.