by Gary Reinecke | Oct 2, 2016 | Church Growth, Church Multiplication, Leader Development |
Last year my home church, Crosspoint Community Church established it’s first “site” or campus in a local winery. The venue is intimate, DVDs of the sermon are played to convey the message and a large percentage of the people who now call Crosspoint in the Vines their home were not in a church 18 months ago. In a few months, Access Church will go public representing the first church plant that Crosspoint has launched. This affirms one of the two primary missions of the local church – “to care for the poor and plant churches” according to Lead Pastor, Steve Redden.
In the book “Becoming a Level FIVE Multiplying Church Field Guide” (by Todd Wilson and Dave Ferguson with Alan Hirsch) the authors identify five levels of multiplying churches as follows:
- The primary characterization of Level 1 churches are “subtraction, scarcity, and survival.”
- The primary characterization of Level 2 churches are “tension, scarcity, survival, and growth.”
- The primary characterization of Level 3 churches are “addition, growth and accumulation.”
- The primary characterization of Level 4 churches are “discontent, new scorecards and reproducing at all levels.”
- The primary characterization of Level 5 churches are “multiplying, releasing and sending.”
I found the book with the self-assessment helpful to determine where congregations are on the multiplication continuum. Read “Becoming a Level FIVE Multiplying Church Field Guide” and administer the self-assessment to determine where you are on the multiplication continuum. Here are a few questions to help you reflect and move forward based on your assessment:
- Where are we today?
- Where can we grow?
- What level do we want to become?
- What steps can we take to get there?
- What will we do?
In the upcoming blogs I will take a closer look at each of the 5 Levels of Multiplication to illustrate the characteristics above with questions to coach your team to the next level.
by Gary Reinecke | Sep 25, 2016 | Uncategorized |
Over the tenure of my ministry I can think of a number of church planters who struggled financially. That is the nature of the work. I also know of many church planters that struggle connecting with people who are not currently attending a church because there is a clear disconnect with people who work 9-5 vs. the life of a self-supporting worker. It sometimes surfaces in a question like: “what’s your real job?”
The challenge of bi-vocational ministry is the demand to balance both well.
With respect to all missiologists everywhere, I think business-oriented missionaries have it wrong. BAM stands for Business as Mission. An example is a church planter or missionary running a small business (micro-enterprise) as a means of engaging culture, financially supplementing or fully supporting the ministry and creating job opportunities in certain places around the world where unemployement is high. In conversation with missionaires while traveling to a number of countries where BAM is utilized the comments I hear range from: BAM is often distracting at best, to all consuming (to the neglect of the primary work).
Biblically there are arguments for both support-based ministry and BAM. Paul was a tentmaker, Jesus was a carpenter. Both also experienced seasons when they received financial gifts, food and shelter in exchange for the ministry they provided. Both models are valid. Both have pros and cons.
A challenge with Bam is where the emphasis is placed. Sometimes out of necessity, Business (capital “B”) may take over as the primary concern of the mission (lower case “m”). What if the emphasis changed to MAB, or “Mission as Business”.
- What if the mission were structured to do business in a robust manner – where missionaries flourished?
- What if the business was strategically integrated into the mission to make more and better disciples and shared a synergistic relationshiup?
- What if the fruit of the business were churches being planted.
Sounds too good to be true, right?
Wrong, MAB is happening in the US through dozens of independent health coaches. My wife Gina Reinecke has been a health coach for the last 7 years. While she is not personally engaged in church planting she IS doing ministry. What I’ve observed with Gina’s health coaching is that most of her clients want something more out of life, desire greater balance and significance. Health coaching can open the door to spiritual conversations. Dozens of pastors and church planters have caught this vision and are ministering using health coaching as an avenue to connect with people AND supplement their income.
I’ve observed that health coaching is a vocation, uniquely positioning people on mission to: accomplish the task of making disciples by intersecting with pre-Christians, providing practical skills to help them become healthy AND follow Jesus.
Who do you know that might want to test if this strategy? Someone who is “all in”. Someone who is seeking to bridge the gap between life and ministry.
If you know someone who lives at the intersection of business and mission, I invite you to connect them with my wife, Gina. She would be more than willing to share this opportunity in greater depth and answer any questions they have.
I wonder if this might be a vehicle that God would use to create a viable path, alongside the more established ways to support church planters and missionaries – here in the US and beyond. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a fully integrated approach to do MAB? A new way of doing mission that legitimizes the task of the church planter and missionary, without compromising the primary task of making more and better disciples through the planting of reproducing churches.
If you have other models that have the kind of potential the health coaching has – please share below.
by Gary Reinecke | Sep 19, 2016 | Church Growth, Church Multiplication, Coach Training, Disciplemaking, Focused Ministry, Leader Development, Personal Development, Uncategorized |
“The Coaching 101 Handbook” was published so that church planters, pastors and church multiplication network leaders would be equipped to empower missional leaders (2003). Since then, the handbook has been translated into a couple of languages, hundreds of leaders have been trained and are coaching using the process known as the Five R’s. The purpose Bob Logan and I co-authored this resource was to offer a comprehensive coaching process that is spiritually anchored in Christ.
I’ve done a bit of reflection on the basic skills of coaching since then. As a result, I’ve altered the language slightly under the third area, from giving feedback to “Timely Advice”. It focuses on the the “timeliness” of the feedback Of course, advice-giving is discouraged in coaching and only encouraged when the person being coached has exhausted her/his ideas.
Why is that? I like to put it like this:
You have a 50-50 chance that anyone will do anything you suggest; but when people discover something for themselves, the ratios change drastically (like to 95%) that they will act!
- Listening: “…it is best to listen much, speak little, and not become angry;” James 1:19
- Asking: “Then he asked, ‘Who do you think I am?’ Peter replied, ‘You are the Messiah.'” Mark 8:29
- Advising: “Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket.” Proverbs 25:11
I have also re-discovered that the most important discipline is at the hub of the illustration. Apart from Him, we can’t accomplish anything of value. The ability to discern the voice of the Holy Spirit and help leaders align themselves with God’s agenda sets world-class coaches apart from good coaches. This reminder gives us confidence in a Helper to accomplish the task.
- Abiding: “When you obey me you are living in my love, just as I obey my Father and live in his love.” John 15:10
Abiding in Christ is the glue that makes the three skills above “sticky” – it is a game-changer for leaders. How many times have you had people you coach come back days, weeks, months or even years later telling you that what you helped them take action on – confirmed the very thing the Lord had been prompting them to do? This is the gift that you give to people and sometimes, you receive a gift in return and experience the impact.
If you have a story of how you have helped people take action in obedience to Christ or make shifts in their leadership, please share your insights below. Until next week – keep on empowering leaders!
by Gary Reinecke | Sep 11, 2016 | Uncategorized |
Not too long ago a friend commented that leadership development is a “gooey” science. By that, he meant that it is difficult to quantify the skills of a leader. We see the fruit of good leadership and the effects of bad leadership. But how can leadership effectiveness be measured and developed?
A leader I met wanted his team to raise their leadership game and do it in a way that would sustain their development. He went further to describe a relational process with a competency-based assessment to evaluate whether people were moving forward, or backward in their leadership skills. As he described what it was he was looking for, I was thinking to myself about the system I have used over the last 7 years to train leadership coaches within teams, churches and organizations.
After we discussed this further I pointed him to the flyer entitled “Developing Effective Leaders” which is a helpful summary of the process I described to him. After a few more conversations with his senior leadership team, they decided to invest a year in the process and then evaluate how their people responded. At the end of the first year the team gathered to report – the feedback was stellar! Based on those results, the team decided to expand the circle and continue the effort with some of the original participants. Now they are two years in, and the proof of concept suggests that more and more the coaching, combined with a competency-based leadership development resources are meeting and surpassing expectations. Leaders are being developed, a coaching culture is being created and disciples are being made.
See if “Developing Effective Leaders” addresses some of the questions you have about developing leaders. If you have other systems that you use and wouldn’t mind sharing with others, please enter the name with a brief description below. Thank you for your suggestions…
by Gary Reinecke | Sep 5, 2016 | Uncategorized |
Many years ago I was working with a group of pastors and church planters from a culture different than the one I was accustomed. The first time we met, the majority of the participants showed-up several minutes late. Each had a legitimate reason. I thought that was unfortunate, but moved on. However, as time passed I observed a pattern emerging – the leaders were showing up later and later. Eventually I realized I was not doing my part to communicate expectations in a way that registered that our meeting needed to be a priority.
This created a sense of urgency with the various participants for a few months, altering their behavior; but over time, they defaulted back to their original behavior. I tried everything I knew to keep the meetings as punctual as promised but struggled with this same issue the entire year. What I failed to understand was how different cultures view time. More importantly, I had not learned how to adapt and navigate the cultural map when our values clashed.
I’m reading a book entitled The Culture Map by Erin Meyers. In it she describes the difference between the way people communicate in Low and High Context cultures. I’m discovering the nuances that differentiate cultures and the implications for coaching across cultures.
Low Context: Good communication is precise, simple, and clear. Messages are expressed and understood at face value. Repetition is appreciated if it helps clarify the communication.
High-Context: Good communication is sophisticated, nuanced, and layered. Messages are both spoken and read between the lines. Messages are often implied but not plainly expressed. (p.39)
Communication is one of eight areas the author addresses to help navigate cultural gaps. Here is an article to illustrate the challenge when working across cultures – see Cultural Coaching. Whether you are coaching in the same culture or across cultures, is it helpful to assess your cultural profile using the Self Assessment Questionnaire. There is also an Interactive Cultural Map Exhibit to identify and compare the contexts in which you coach.
The Culture Map is an informative resource to assist in your coaching relationships as well as training leaders ministering across cultures.
by Gary Reinecke | Aug 26, 2016 | Coach Training, Leader Development, Personal Development |
Several years ago my family traveled from Phoenix, AZ to camp at “Big Basin”, which is in the Redwoods of Northern Cal. To take advantage of the time in the van my wife and I decided to listen to Daniel Goleman’s book Emotional Intelligence on CD. We discussed the case studies with our then 8 and 10-year old, who were very curious about the topic.
The thing I remember from that research and others since, is that EQ is flexible and can be developed, in contrast to IQ. In fact, I’ve witnessed how EQ can be developed personally, with my kids and leaders I coach – over and over again.
Recently, I came across a simple framework for EQ that I want to pass-on. In their book entitled, Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves (p.24), they discovered four skills that comprise EQ, as illustrated above:
The top two skills, self-awareness and self-management, are more about you. The two bottom skills, social awareness and relationship management, are more about how you are with other people.
EQ is a powerful force. EQ can be developed, like a muscle – over time. Here are three questions to help you harness your EQ:
- Identify one skill from the illustration above that you will work on this week?
- What will you do to develop that skill and when?
- How will you assess your progress?
With intention, action and review, EQ can be developed. If you would like more information, click on Emotional Intelligence. Then scroll down the page and expand the menu of resources.
by Gary Reinecke | Aug 22, 2016 | Church Multiplication, Coach Training, Leader Development |
A couple of weeks ago I was speaking to a church planting leader.
He asked my opinion on the best way to develop a church planter. I suggested that he first take a look at the essential skills a planter needs to plant a church. Then I asked him what that training process would look like. His response did not surprise me…
- Just-in-time training is the best way to equip a church planter because the learning loop is short.
- The ideal context he told me, would be the church where the planter is already engaged.
- And finally, although some classroom instruction would be helpful, having a coach was paramount.
I affirmed his insights and then asked him if he would be interested in seeing a pathway to apprentice a church planter, highlighting best practices others have gleaned from their experience. His eyes lit up, suggesting that he would be very interested. That’s when I told him about the Church Planter Pathway Storyboard.
The beauty of the Church Planter Pathway Storyboard is that a coach can use this to apprentice a prospective planter using a one page format (called the One Page Coach) but is not bound to a particular model. Four developmental phases illustrate the ongoing process a church planter must visit and revisit, again and again, until a high degree of confidence has been demonstrated in the various skills needed. Because this is a competency-based process the planter-in-training does not “graduate” until competency has been achieved vs. completing a course or working through a set curriculum.
See if the Church Planter Pathway Storyboard touches on the most critical areas of developing a church planter based on your experience.
by Gary Reinecke | Aug 13, 2016 | Church Growth, Church Multiplication, Disciplemaking, Focused Ministry, Leader Development |
The question goes something like this: “Is there a difference between discipleship and leadership?” In your experience I wonder if you have found that discipleship and leadership bleed into each other. I actually had a leader ask the question and it caused me to reflect – my initial response was “Yes, there a difference.”
One simple distinction is that discipleship focuses on following and leadership, on influencing. This to is too simplistic of course; because a leader, the best leaders, follow Jesus. At the same time though, a disciple does shift their behavior when they lead and intentionally influence others.
I’ve spent a lot of time over the last 25+ years focusing on these two dimensions. If you would like to read more, check-out the free downloadable article entitled the Leadership Multiplication Pathway (go to the bottom of the page). In the article, I focus on the distinctions between being a disciple and a leader, using the Leadership Multiplication Pathway storyboard to illustrate a path leaders can use to coach people on their journey.
by Gary Reinecke | Aug 8, 2016 | Church Growth, Church Multiplication, Disciplemaking |
The organic vs. linear conversation about making disciples continues.
Organic, or highly relational approaches work. Linear, or programmatic approaches work. Church planters and pastors make disciples in a way that is effective in their context. You make disciples in your way.
One approach does not fit all.
When leaders know the process of disciplemaking they realize that, as long as the goal is clear and behavioral milestones are established; they can personalize their approach. By the process, I mean, the essential behaviors of a maturing disciple e.g. broadly defined as loving God, loving your neighbor and making disciples. In practice, they blend the organic with the linear.
For instance, one leader that experienced the tension between an organic and linear approach discovered a happy medium with a very simple strategy that requires a discipleship coach, to guide emerging disciples through the phases of maturity e.g. connecting, growing, serving and reproducing. He has contextualized a strategy so that it incorporates the essentials of disciplemaking using the Making Disciples storyboard (seen above) as the framework. The storyboard describes the process of a maturing disciple.
Here are some ways disciplemaking coaches use the Making Disciples storyboard in a coaching relationship:
- Assessing: Where are you in your journey?
- Clarifying: What’s next on your journey?
- Evaluating: How are you doing in this area of your journey?
- Brainstorming: What can you do to grow in this area to keep moving forward in your journey?
- Confirming: What will you do to continue your journey?
Connecting leaders with tools to make more and better disciples is a passion. Take a closer look at the Disciplemaking tools to see if this helps you refine your process. Please share what has worked for you below so that we can learn from each other.
by Gary Reinecke | Aug 1, 2016 | Uncategorized |
For the last year, I’ve been learning about Disciple Making Movements (DMM). The model comes under a variety of names like Training 4 Trainers (T4T) and Life Transformation Groups (LTG); but the goal is the same = disciples making disciples. Many leaders and mission agencies have applied the approach and adapt it to their context. My contribution has been developing leaders in the strategic skiils of coaching.
Three core practices drive DMM.
Personal Discovery: Discovery (inductive) Bible Study is used to guide the self-discovery process.
Immediate Obedience: Through the discovery Bible study participants are challenged to identify an action step they can take in the following week to apply what they learn.
Consistent Replication: Reproduction is the fruit of the discipleship process, multiplying into the third and fourth generation.
Here are three questions to assist you in creating a similar process in your context:
- What are the bare essentials to make disciples?
- What obstacles are hindering disciples from making disciples?
- How can you simplify the disciple-making process to reproduce into the third and fourth generations?
For more information, view the Discipleship Making Movements video.
