by Gary Reinecke | Apr 5, 2018 | Church Growth, Leader Development, Personal Development |
Not too long ago I was asked to recommend a book to help churches design a leadership pipeline. A “leadership pipeline” is a leadership development process that helps local churches establish, grow and reproduce leaders. At that point in time, when I searched my mental files, I came up short. Today, I can answer that question with a resounding “yes”.
“The Leadership Difference”, by Robert Logan, offers principles for the leader who’s vision is to develop other leaders. Reflection questions with related resources enable reproducing leaders to create their unique development process.
When discussing leadership development with other leaders, I’ve discovered the lines between discipleship and leadership are often blurry. In fact, some would argue, discipleship = leadership development. There is some truth to that statement. Logan makes the case and captures the essence of that dynamic; the relationship is one of interdependence:
Discipleship is the often less visible but absolutely essential foundation upon which leadership must rest. Without it, everything else collapses (p.19)
But there are also differences. The author makes a clear distinction between Discipleship Competencies and Leadership Competencies:
Discipleship Competencies:
- Experiencing God
- Spiritual Responsiveness
- Sacrificial Service
- Generous Living
- Disciplemaking
- Personal Transformation
- Authentic Relationships
- Community Transformation (p.21)
Leadership Competencies:
- Personal Development
- Developing Leaders
- Leading Teams
- Organizational Development
- Communication Skills
- Pastoral Skills (p.26-27)
This alone is worth the price of the book. A more complete list is presented in Appendix A and B. Clarifying the two creates a clear distinction. This allows a leader to design her/his own leadership pipeline, with the end in mind.
Logan is one of the leading thinkers in church planting and leader development today. His extensive experience as a coach, consultant and trainer in 30+ countries, spans four decades and gives him a broad base from which to draw. Logan is constantly asking God: “What’s next for the church to grow and reproduce healthy disciples and leaders?”
I highly recommend “The Leadership Difference” when you are being asked to build a leadership pipeline in the church or ministry you serve.
by Gary Reinecke | Mar 14, 2018 | Church Growth, Church Multiplication, Coach Training, Disciplemaking, Leader Development |
Leaders want to know what is different about coaching.
I was asked this question recently and I gave my standard answers – click here. I like the illustration of wearing hats. When I am using a coach approach I have my “coaching hat” on. But when the focus shifts to another approach like counselor, adviser, teacher or mentor; I should be aware the leader may not see the shift they are asking me to make OR, that they may need help finding the assistance they really need OR, explain that I am willing to switch my “coaching” hat for some other hat.
The clearer we can be, the more confident people become when the shift occurs during a conversation. This is especially helpful when using a coach approach in disciplemaking and church planting/multiplication to avoid confusion, for the coach and the person being coached. I found the chart illustrated in Sending Well: A Field Guide to Great Church Planter Coaching by Dino Sinesi – to be extremely helpful to make the distinctions between coaching and other people-helping approaches. He breaks down the different roles in three categories: Function, Key Word & Scripture.
Here are the Roles with the Function and Key Word describing the outcome each role provides:
- Counselor: ER Doctor – Relief
- Advisor: Auto Mechanic – Solutions
- Teacher: Librarian – Information
- Mentor: Personal Trainer – Imitation
- Coach: Taxi Driver – Service
Reflect on these for a moment.
Below are three questions to help you clarify what approach is needed, and if you need to change your “coaching hat”…
- What kind of assistance is the leader/team asking for in this moment?
- Are you the best person to provide that type of help?
- If not, how can you help them find it?
by Gary Reinecke | Mar 4, 2018 | Coach Training, Disciplemaking, Leader Development, Personal Development |
What is the difference?
In his book Sending Well, Dino Senesi differentiates the unique ways coaches and mentors, or consultants, operate: Coaches “Draw Out” while Mentors “Pour In”.
If you find your-self desiring to help disciples, or disciplemakers you are coaching by “drawing out” the best path forward, then you might want to explore the upcoming Disciplemaking Collective.
We will give you a sneak-peak of what to expect in the Disciplemaking Collective, meet the Disciplemaking Collective Training Team and have a chance to interact on the questions you need answered.
Disciplemaking Collective Overview WEBINAR
Can you block-out 35 minutes on March 5 @ 2:30pm PST/5:30pm EST for this important FREE informational webinar to learn more about the Disciplemaking Collective?
Please register here to confirm your spot and write “Disciplemaking Collective Overview” in the Message box. Click Disciplemaking Collective Overview Login to enter the webinar.
Thank you for your continued passion and commitment to developing the healthiest, disciple-making movements possible. We’re looking forward to supporting you in every way we can.
The Disciplemaking Coaching Collective Training Team!
Gary Reinecke – Church Health Coach Facilitator
Daniel Bethel – Missionary & Disciple-Making Catalyst
by Gary Reinecke | Feb 12, 2018 | Church Growth, Church Multiplication, Coach Training, Disciplemaking, Leader Development |
Developing followers of Christ is like two rails of a train track. First, disciplemaking is the strategic side of helping a person follow Jesus. Second, coaching is the relational side of helping a person follow Jesus.
Coaching has evolved from an intuitive activity to a science. Discipleship sits in a similar continuum with “organic” and “programmic” approaches to spiritual strategy offering different perspectives on relational development. Combining effective coaching with a sound approach to discipleship often yields amazing results, with many individuals guided by this philosophy ultimately developing into followers of Jesus.
After listening to many leaders over the course of my career, I have discovered that coaching and disciplemaking perfectly complement one another.
What does it take to become a Disciplemaking Coach?
Listening to the Holy Spirit and asking powerful, thought provoking questions is central to the Disciplemaking Coach.
Here are two rails the Disciplemaking Coach rides:
1. The Developmental Rail
The Disciplemaking Rail using the Storyboard – the developmental path a person navigates on the discipleship journey.
2. The Coaching Rail
The Coaching Rail using the 5Rs – the path a coach travels as they interact with a disciple(s).
Recently, my family and I were sharing a meal with some new friends. The question of spirituality came up. My natural urge to offer my perspectives was managed by my more powerful desire to help these new friends take the next step on their spiritual pilgrimage to Jesus. Instead of sharing my nuggets of gold, I listened and asked questions. By allowing our friends space to discover the truth of Jesus for themselves, the conversation resulted in an invitation to another meal, where we will continue to explore the questions that matter most.
The Disciplemaking Collective is designed to give attention to both rails by providing:
1. Real-time learning to help you navigate the developmental path a person travels on their discipleship journey
2. Coach-skill development based on a Online Coach Assessment you administer with at least one disciple you have coached in the past.
Save the date! Please block-out 55 minutes on March 5 @ 2:30pm PST/5:30pm EST in your calendars for this important informational webinar to learn more about the Disciplemaking Collective.
Thank you for your commitment to make more & better disciples; by creating the healthiest church environments possible.
by Gary Reinecke | Feb 5, 2018 | Disciplemaking, Focused Ministry, Leader Development, Personal Development |
I like the statement, “First things First” coined by Stephen Covey. The intent is to ensure that the most important things get done first. Why is this important? Because other important, and urgent issues, get in the way.
Imagine if you were to give attention to the things that matter most in 2018. What difference would that make… for you? the people you love? the people you lead? the community you serve? the world?
Too often I get caught up in the business of life and the tasks of work, and lose site of the main thing.
Here is a very common situation around this time of year. The dust is beginning to settle on those resolutions made on January 1. Exercise is a classic. I notice more cars in the parking spaces at the gym in January, more people riding bikes and jogging. When we hit February the numbers begin to drop. By March and April, it is back to the norm. Why is that?
I suggest it is Mission Drift. Mission Drift is that very natural phenomenon that occurs when a new habit is being formed. There is that initial euphoria that exercise provides. After a few weeks, the realization sinks in – “this is hard work!”
How can we as Christian leaders stay focused on the main thing. Three questions to ask yourself to prioritize Disciplemaking:
- What shifts do I need to make in my behavior to line-up with my values?
- Who can I connect with for support?
- Where can I acquire the skills and refine my process?
Here is an opportunity to keep discipelemaking in Quadrant II – Important & NOT Urgent. Learn about the Disciplemaking Collective that begins this April. The Collective will be a great place for you to connect with on on the same journey to stay On Mission. The Disciplemaking Coaching Guide & Storyboard are the resources we will use.
Please send any questions that you have about the Disciplemaking Collective by clicking here.
by Gary Reinecke | Dec 5, 2017 | Church Multiplication, Coach Training, Disciplemaking, Leader Development, Personal Development |
I was coaching a leader recently and asked him what he is learning about himself. He paused, then shared:
I am learning the importance of taking time to slow down, reflect and see the progress I’ve made.
It is interesting, the more we “advance” as a species, the more we seem to need time and space to reflect.
Further, he went on to say:
Our coaching time together is the only time I slow down and reflect.
Why do you think that this is the case?
My hunch is that our fast-paced society is not conducive to slowing down and reflection. I can use all sorts of excuses, but I hold to the truth, the things I value are the things I actually do! One of my goals is to re-think my rythms for 2018.
Here is a helpful resource to learn how to manage the internal urges that we all have, to stay busy and in a non-reflective state. The Emotional Intelligence profile will give you and those you coach a starting point on addressing this important area. I’ve used this assessment on numerous occasions and it oftentimes kick-start a fruitful conversation on ways to be more self-aware to the need to be more reflective.
Check out InFocus Collectives 2018:
Collectives create the time and space for leaders to slow down, reflect – then arrive at new ways of thinking and doing.
10% discount for registrations prior to January 1, 2018
