by Gary Reinecke | Jul 24, 2016 | Church Multiplication, Disciplemaking, Leader Development |
I am passionate about learning and studying other disciplines in society. Then extract the principles to apply to life and ministry. Here is an example from the arena of health coaching with questions to ask yourself to enhance the way you reproduce disciples and leaders.
My wife Gina is a health coach. She helps people “lose it” every day. She works for a company committed to leadership development that provides training combined with mentoring relationships. In the photo above you see four generations of health coaches beginning with Gina (far left). Each person has experienced the process of gaining optimal health by participating in a simple, reproducible program.
Following is a timeline of their development:
- Generation #1: Gina (in 24 Gina empowered the next generation & reproduced herself)
- Generation #2: Susan (far right – 16 months until Susan reproduced)
- Generation #3: Rebecca (second from left – 4 months until Rebecca reproduced)
- Generation #4: Mike (in process)
This is what I observed from Gina’s experience:
The first generation took more time to acquire the skills and pass those onto the second generation. But once the second generation experienced the way “the program” works, it took less time because they had sifted through the essentials to pass on to the next generation. Through that sifting process, the third generation took far less time to reproduce.
Here are some questions that might help you reflect on your disciplemaking and leadership development process.
- What non-essentials get in the way of making disciples or developing leaders?
- What steps are missing that would enhance what you are doing?
- How can you accelerate the process of reproducing disciples and leaders into the 3rd and 4th generation?
One insight I leave with from this experience is the importance of laying a solid foundation with the right DNA from the very beginning. Another insight is the value of solid training and support. When the 1st. generation reproduces into the 2nd., 3rd. and 4th. generations; they will resemble the 1st. generation. Finally, when the right DNA is in the seed, then the fruit of reproduction is multiplication!
by Gary Reinecke | Jul 15, 2016 | Church Growth, Church Multiplication, Coach Training, Disciplemaking, Focused Ministry, Leader Development |
VUCA is gaining traction in the coaching world and certainly has application to the world of coaching church planters, pastors and network leaders. The notion of VUCA was introduced by the U.S. Army War College to describe the more Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambigious multilateral world which resulted from the end of the Cold War.
The best VUCA leaders are characterized by change-agent skills, a clearly defined change process and an intimate understanding of how to manage change.
The dynamics of change individually and corporately can be complex but with care, the process can be managed in a positive manner.
As a family we are preparing for our oldest to leave home and attend university this fall. This will be our first. If you have gone through this, perhaps you can relate – we are riding a steep learning curve. We, Gina and I, are learning to be very intentional to make sure our son is anticipating the benefits and challenges for his new found freedom. At the same time, managing the emotions on the home front.
Healthy small groups experience this dynamic when they release leaders to start-up new groups. We are going through these growing pains right now as our small group is sending off 50% of our group to join our church’s first new church plant. Our response – to celebrate the work of God in our community, have a party for the missionaries that we are sending-off and prepare for the next one.
Churches that plant churches experience similar emotional responses when they release their first daughter church. Churches that get through this first pregnancy and deliver a healthy baby become more adapt at future births. But the same emotional responses occur to varying degrees: denial, anger, bargaining, depression testing and acceptance.
One resource that I use in coaching leaders in managing change is the Change Management Skill Builder. This resource offers a brief yet concise understanding the way change works with a simple 6-step response:
- Involve
- Inform
- Initiate
- Implement
- Review.
See if the Change Management Skill Builder helps you sharpen your Change Management Skills.
by Gary Reinecke | Jul 4, 2016 | Church Growth, Church Multiplication, Leader Development, Uncategorized |
The term VUCA is gaining traction in the coaching world and certainly has application to leader development, church planting and church growth. In addition, it can aid coaches serving leaders in those arenas. The notion of VUCA was introduced by the U.S. Army War College to describe the more Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous multilateral world which resulted from the end of the Cold War.
The “V” in the VUCA acronym stands for volatility. The challenge is unexpected or unstable and may be of unknown duration, but it’s not necessarily hard to understand; knowledge about it is often available.
The “U” in the VUCA acronym stands for uncertainty. Despite a lack of other information, the event’s basic cause and effects are known. Change is possible but not a given.
The “C” in VUCA stands for complexity. The situation has many interconnected parts and variables. Some information is available or can be predicted, but the volume or nature of it can be overwhelming to process.
The “A” in VUCA stands for ambiguity. Casual relationships are completely unclear. No precedents exist; you face “unknown unknowns.”
A month ago I was flying through Istanbul after training leaders in the coaching process and skills in various VUCA regions around the world. Complex factors play a major part in the way they, and we, approach discipleship and leader development. It is important to be mindful of these four elements for leaders who make disciples and plant churches. Think of the missionary that imports Western approaches to evangelism and you get a sense of the paradox.
For instance, one leader I know is leading a congregation in an agricultural community and another is relocating from the the east coast of the US to plant a multi-ethnic church in the same community. The established congregation is reaching middle class families from primarily European backgrounds. The church plant will deal with a very different socio-economic group of people even through they are relatively close geographically. It is clear that the approach each leader takes to engage people will be unique; but the more agile the leader to assess and adapt, the more effective they will become.
VUCA elements of any community/culture, whether India, Turkey or the US are significant and must not be ignored. The chart above provides a simple framework to bring perspective to VUCA. If you would like to view a brief explanation of the VUCA framework, click “A Framework for Understanding VUCA” (Harvard Business Review article which is referenced in this blog).
Next week I’ll talk about leader development in a VUCA environment and how to flip the framework to establish agile leaders. What are some questions you use to help leaders work through the VUCA framework?
by Gary Reinecke | Apr 23, 2016 | Church Multiplication, Coach Training, Leader Development, Uncategorized |
You’ve probably heard about the rule of thirds as it relates to art and photography. Recently though, people have been talking about a rule of thirds as it pertains to personal and professional development. This was reinforced as I completed a year-long training process with a network of church planting coaches this month.
These are outstanding leaders in their own right. Over the course of the training process participants were asked to engage in various learning environments including webinars, workshops, triads, etc. As you might expect, when life got in the way the urgent took precedent over the important and people were forced to choose. What I found was that 2/3 of the participants were able to complete the training.
The insight I’ve learned from training various groups over the last 25+ years is that there seems to be three distinct levels of engagement from individuals you train.
- Group #1 were “All in!” They surpassed expectations. About 1/3 of the group I trained were these high achievers.
- Group #2 were “Right on!” They met expectations. Another 1/3 engaged in the process and finished well.
- Group #3 were “Not yet!” They under-performed. This final 1/3, did not engage at the level of the first two, were inconsistent or failed to complete the process e.g. the timing for them was off.
It is important to have realistic expectations when training leaders. What is your experience like? When you objectively assess your training results, what percentage are in Group #1, Group #2 and Group #3?
Please comment below, I’d love to hear your experience.
I am entering the FB community and the 21st. Century. In May I will be traveling to India & Turkey to conduct coach training workshops. Please “Friend me” on Facebook to receive updates along the way.
Have a wonderful week!
by Gary Reinecke | Apr 17, 2016 | Church Growth, Church Multiplication, Coach Training, Disciplemaking, Focused Ministry, Leader Development, Personal Development |
I’m as happy as a pig in mud! I mentioned that I was working on the new InFocus website. Today you get a preview – click on www.infocusnet.org.
I was thinking back the other day. When I was 18 years old, I traveled to London, England to explore the possibility of playing soccer (“football”) and going to college. What I discovered about the player developmental system with the top flight Arsenal Football Club, influenced me for the rest of my life. The club was organized around player development so there were players ready in the wings when injuries occurred, a footballer retired or was disciplined.
One afternoon, I was given the opportunity to train with the Arsenal youth team. Every player was outstanding, had been assessed and placed with a group of boys of similar talent with the intent of taking their game to the next level. The fortunate few were given opportunities to serve an apprenticeship where they learned the game of football from seasoned professionals. They started out cleaning boots for the established players and for a select talent, allowed to progress to train with the reserves until they proved they had the skills to advance.
That model has served me well in ministry. As the product of a Christian home, a vibrant church and multiple people who have invested in me; I have experienced the power of coaching, the necessity of training and the catalytic influence of exceptional leaders in my life. Out of this crucible the vision for InFocus was birthed.
The passion to help people far from God discover who they are and what they are called to do, burns at the core of InFocus. The purpose why I coach, train and consult is so that more and better disciples, leaders and churches are multiplied. I hope you enjoy the new look and feel to the site.
I am entering the FB community and the 21st. Century. In May I will be traveling to India & Turkey to conduct coach training workshops. Please “Friend me” on Facebook to receive updates along the way.
Have a wonderful week!
