For over 30 years, I’ve witnessed countless approaches to discipleship. The beauty of that? It’s not a one-size-fits-all game; new methods are constantly emerging, fueled by imagination and the ever-changing world.
But what if you’re facing a unique challenge? What if the people you are coming alongside, or those you are leading, are not seeing the results they want to see? Things are taking much longer than expected; they are experiencing setbacks. Deep down, their commitment is wavering, and they are asking if it is time to quit!
The answer lies in a powerful secret weapon: Strategic Partnerships.
Think of it as a three-legged stool. Each leg represents an essential partnership:
Leg 1: Your unwavering connection with God. This is your source of strength, wisdom, and spiritual fortitude.
Leg 2: The bond with your disciples. You walk alongside them, a trusted companion on their path of self-discovery.
Leg 3: The guidance of experienced apprentices of Jesus. Their experiences keep you focused, and provide invaluable insights as you navigate challenges.
Each leg is crucial. Try becoming and making disciples with just one or two, and things get wobbly. But when you leverage all three? That’s where the magic happens.
Imagine a community of fellow apprentices of Jesus encouraging each other. They celebrate the victories, big or small – a first-time prayer, an act of service, a deepening faith. This supportive network becomes the wind beneath your wings, amplifying your impact.
You are not doing this alone! It goes back to the principle of synergy: 1+1=3! You are part of a community that is pulling in the same direction.
But what about reaching those outside the faith, especially in a secular world? Creativity is key. I found the use of 3 Thirds Groups to be a helpful format to introduce newer disciples to, and a tool that allows everyone to engage regardless of where they are in their spiritual journey.
A 3 Thirds Group is a group format that’s structured into three segments.
Looking Back: this first segment gives group members the opportunity to provide care and support for one another based on what’s happening in their individual lives. It also provides accountability for the goals each person sets for themselves.
Looking Up: this second segment directs the group to “look up” to the Holy Spirit for direction, guidance, and revelation for the group’s journey through a passage of Scripture. What is the Spirit saying? What can we learn from this about God? About ourselves?
Looking Forward: this last segment offers the opportunity to look ahead and explore how each person can apply what they have learned or discovered.
Discipleship and disciple-making is a collaborative effort. By cultivating strategic partnerships with God, your newest disciples, and mentors, you unlock a community of support. It’s about walking hand-in-hand, celebrating victories, and weathering challenges together. Unleash the power of partnerships and watch your disciple-making journey take flight!
Curious about your unique strengths as an apprentice of Jesus?
Ignite Your Disciple-Making Engine: Start with the Big Why
Ever feel like you’re spinning your wheels when it comes to disciple-making? It’s easy to get lost in tactics without a clear vision. That’s why, before you build your strategy, you need to answer the fundamental question: What am I trying to achieve?
1. Mission Trumps Religion: When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Discipling
A shocking statistic: 1 in 3 churchgoers stopped attending church during the pandemic. This revealed a crucial truth: true faith goes beyond religious routine. Church leaders who were already making disciples saw this as an opportunity to double down on their mission. Others, forced to re-evaluate, discovered the power of a clear purpose.
2. The Gospel Thrives in Adversity: Crisis Breeds Innovation
“Thriving” might not be the first word you associate with a pandemic, but in this case, it describes the spirit of those who embraced the challenge. Some churches chose fear and isolation, while others chose to be open, curious, and explore new ways to connect. The results speak for themselves: churches with disciple-making communities or strong small groups thrived, while those without scrambled to catch up.
3. Disciple-Making Needs a Playbook: Keep It Simple, Keep It Shareable
We challenged a group of leaders we were training in our Leadership Collective to a fun competition: explain your disciple-making process using only a napkin and a 3-minute video. This forced them to distill their approach into its core essence. The result? Reproducible systems. Leaders with clear, transferable processes invested their energy in multiplying disciples who could then multiply themselves. Others refined their existing methods, making them easier to share and implement.
Ready to ignite your own disciple-making engine? Start with the big “why.” What are you trying to accomplish? Once you have clarity, you can build a strategy that gets you there. To help you understand your “why” – begin with the question: “What is the fruit of a disciple?” The answer will propel you into your disciple-making cycle.
“In order to develop a framework, it is necessary to be clear about what you are trying to accomplish; what are the identifiable traits of loving God, loving others and making disciples. You need to start with the big picture.”As You Go… Make Disciples by Colin Noyes
Here are a couple of coaching resources to help you assess, refine, or create your disciple-making cycle.
Resources to cultivate disciples that make disciples!
Humans aren’t designed to be islands; we’re wired for connection. It’s in our DNA, dating back to our hunter-gatherer days when survival depended on strong social bonds. Science now backs this up, showing that isolation can be as detrimental to our health as smoking. Strong relationships boost our immune system, lower stress hormones, and even help us live longer.
Beyond Survival: The Power of Shared Experiences
Connection isn’t just about survival; it’s about the richness life offers. Sharing laughter with friends, offering a shoulder to cry on, celebrating victories together – these moments weave the tapestry of our lives. They bring joy, provide comfort, and give our experiences meaning.
Building Bridges, Not Walls: Connection and Growth
Think about a time you learned something new or grew as a person. Often, it wasn’t in a vacuum. Maybe a friend challenged your perspective, or a mentor offered guidance. Connection exposes us to different ideas and experiences, helping us grow and evolve. It also allows us to share our own gifts and make a positive impact on others.
The Ripple Effect: Connection Creates Community
The connections we build don’t exist in isolation. They form a web that strengthens our communities. When we connect with our neighbors, support local businesses, or volunteer our time, we create a ripple effect of positivity. This sense of belonging fosters a more vibrant and supportive environment for everyone.
Connection Fuels Disciple Making
In the context of faith, connection takes on an even deeper meaning. Jesus himself modeled the power of relationships. He wasn’t just preaching to crowds; he was building a community of disciples. It’s through genuine connection that we can share our faith authentically, answer questions, and walk alongside others on their spiritual journeys.
Have you ever felt like your prayers are getting lost in the heavenly hum? We all know prayer’s importance—it’s echoed in scripture and preached from pulpits. But sometimes, it becomes a rote recitation, a to-do list on the divine grocery run. But what if prayer felt like less of a duty and more like a direct line to the heart of Christ?
Imagine prayer as a hidden chamber within your soul, a chamber where the flame of Christ flickers, waiting to be fanned into a roaring fire. Within lies a direct line to the source of salvation, a force capable of shaping reality and igniting transformation through the power of His love. This isn’t about checking boxes; it’s about forging a heart connection with Jesus, a connection that ripples outward, reflecting His light in the world.
But how do we fan this flame into a beacon? How do we transform our prayer lives from a dusty attic to a vibrant, Jesus-centered dialogue? The key lies in active prayer. It’s about ditching the autopilot and stepping into a dynamic, intentional conversation with our Savior.
1. Rekindle the Flame of Jesus: Pray for Yourself. This isn’t about begging for earthly treasures. It’s about deep soul-searching. Ask Jesus to chisel away the layers of self-interest and reveal your authentic purpose in His grand plan. Pray for a heart overflowing with Jesus-like compassion, a heart that aches for those who haven’t yet experienced the transformative power of His love. Imagine yourself as an extension of Jesus’s ministry, channeling His love outward, drawing others towards His light.
2. Become a Bridge to Jesus. The people you encounter daily – the barista, the stranger on the bus – they’re not random bumps in your life’s journey. They’re divinely orchestrated opportunities to share the love of Jesus. Actively pray for them! Ask the Holy Spirit to open their hearts to Jesus’s voice, to make them receptive to the whispers of His grace within. Pray for the wisdom to speak words that resonate with Jesus’s teachings and the courage to act with His love, even when it feels awkward or uncomfortable.
3. See Jesus in All. Every face you see is a reflection of God’s creation, a soul for whom Jesus died. Start your day by actively praying for two random people. Ask for Jesus’ wisdom and understanding to flow through them. Pray for the opportunity to be a tangible expression of Jesus’ love, even in a small way. A simple smile, a listening ear, or a helping hand – these seemingly insignificant acts can be the spark that ignites a fire of faith within another soul.
Passive prayer keeps you on the sidelines, a silent observer in the grand drama of salvation. Active prayer throws you into the heart of the story, empowering you to be a co-laborer with Jesus, a difference-maker who reflects His light in the world. Don’t settle for the flickering ember of a rote prayer life. Step into the hidden chamber within, fan the flame of Jesus into a blazing fire, and watch as incredible possibilities unfold in His name!
I’ve been pondering this question for some time now: “What essential support, resources or training does a disciple need to make disciples that make disciples?”
Back in the fall of 2020 I began a conversation with one of my friends who was asking the same question. Glenn worked in an industry his entire career and has a pretty good pulse on how to make disciples in places the local church is having little success. In fact, one of the catalysts for Glenn has been his frustration with participating in local churches but seeing little impact made beyond the walls of the church building. Simultaneously, I’ve informally asked people what they really need. I’ve blogged about some of those ideas. Glenn and I are working at refining the list.
In my last blog I presented the habit: Active Prayer. We identified two areas of focus that a disciple could benefit from in his/her prayer life.
Prayer for self
Prayer for people God has placed in their life to coach on their spiritual journey
Now I want to circle back around to the second habit on the list: Missional Values. What do I mean by missional values? Let’s start by defining both “missional” and “values”.
Missional = disciples making disciples into the 3rd & 4th generation
Values = principles that drive missional behaviors
Simply put, Missional Values guide people who are making disciples into the 3rd & 4th generation.
In our conversations with people, the three missional values we see in Scripture and are verified in ministry with other leaders include:
Loving God
Loving your neighbor
Making disciples
It is like a three-legged stool.
One leg without the other two is worthless. Two without the one is broken. All three legs must be solid.
This is the reason this habit made its way into the list. Without missional values the motivation will always be lacking. A person may make disciples for other reason like:
obligation
guilt
legalistic teaching
When a person embraces these it is hard to NOT make disciples: Loving God, loving your neighbor and making disciples.
How important are these three values to you?
Ready to take action?
Find your starting point: Take the FREE Discipleship Quiz and discover your strengths and weaknesses as a disciplemaker.
Want vibrant faith journeys, not just pew-fillers? Ditch the “join the club” mentality. Begin with the end: are you raising disciples, or filling seats? Distinguish: assimilation welcomes, discipleship equips. Monitor progress – are hearts growing, lives changing? Spice it up! Make it fun, adventurous, messy. Keep it simple, focused, real. Less is more, quality over quantity. And finally, make it reproducible: empower others to disciple, creating a chain reaction of faith. Remember, it’s not about numbers, it’s about igniting souls!
7 Nuances to Transform Your Discipleship Culture: From Assimilation to Thriving Growth
Discipleship. It’s a word that gets thrown around a lot, but how often do we truly understand its depth and power? Building a thriving culture of discipleship isn’t about simply checking boxes or churning out cookie-cutter followers. It’s about cultivating a space where individuals grow into their full potential, empowered by faith and equipped to make a difference in the world.
Here are 7 nuances to guide you in transforming your discipleship culture from assimilation to a dynamic, life-changing journey:
1. Begin with the End in Mind:
Before building, you need blueprints. Define what a “disciple” looks like. Are they individuals who embody specific values? Do they actively engage in their communities? Having a clear vision of your destination helps you navigate the path and tailor your approach.
Key Question: How do you measure the fruitfulness of a disciple of Jesus?
2. Distinguish Between Assimilation & Discipleship:
Assimilation is about making people fit into a mold, while discipleship is about helping them discover and develop their unique gifts and calling. Don’t focus on conformity; nurture authenticity and encourage personal growth within the context of shared values.
Key Question: Are your people simply being assimilated into the congregation or are they growing closer to Jesus, cultivating their character and reproducing other disciples?
3. Monitor Progress:
Growth doesn’t happen by accident. Implement systems to track progress and provide personalized feedback. This could involve goal setting, mentorship, or even simple check-ins to see how individuals are applying their learnings. Coaching keeps motivation high and identifies areas where support is needed.
Key Question: How does your ministry monitor progress in the disciples you are making?
4. Make Discipleship Fun and Adventurous:
Let’s face it, traditional Bible study can feel stale at times. Inject a sense of excitement into your discipleship journey. Organize mission trips, retreats, or even service projects that allow people to put their faith into action in engaging ways. Remember, learning is best when it’s also fun!
Key Question: How dynamic is your discipleship pathway?
5. Keep it Simple:
Don’t overwhelm people with complex theological jargon or a never-ending list of requirements. Break down complex concepts into digestible chunks and focus on the core principles of your faith. Remember, less is often more when it comes to laying a strong foundation.
Key Question: Can you draw your discipleship process on a napkin and explain to a brand new disciple in 3-5 minutes?
6. Less is More:
Quality trumps quantity. Is it better to have a small group of deeply committed disciples than a large group of passive participants? Foster meaningful relationships within your group, providing opportunities for genuine connection and support.
Key Question: What are the essential components to foster a culture of discipleship in your congregations, gatherings, and groups?
7. Make it Reproducible:
A strong discipleship culture isn’t sustainable if it relies solely on charismatic leaders or specific programs. Design systems and frameworks that anyone can pick up and run with. Train and empower individuals to become mentors and guides themselves, ensuring your culture thrives even beyond the initial spark.
Key Question: If you step out of the discipleship “system” will it continue on it’s own?
Remember, building a thriving discipleship culture is a journey, not a destination. By incorporating these nuances, you can create an environment where individuals are challenged, inspired, and empowered to grow into their full potential as Jesus followers. So, let’s ditch the assimilation assembly line and embark on a journey of genuine transformation, together.
Resources to cultivate disciples, that make disciples:
Make Obedient Disciples (of already disciples)
Make Disciples (of new-yet disciples)
Ready to take action?
Find your starting point: Take the FREE Discipleship Quiz and discover your strengths and weaknesses as a disciplemaker.
Imagine you are preparing to go fishing. What are the things you need in order to be prepared?
Gear
Tackle
Bait
Now consider you are fishing for not-yet followers of Jesus. What do you need to be aware of (think attitudes to adopt and contextual factors to consider)?
Spiritual readiness
Posture of curiosity
Mindfulness
Authenticity
Compassion
As I’ve shared in the past, Gina and I are serving and participating in a new church plant (The Refinery Church) that has a vision to reproduce churches so that people far from God can discover Jesus in non-judgemental, safe environments. Here is a quick guide for preparing and being ready to connect with not-yet followers of Jesus.
Spiritual readiness
Let the Holy Spirit guide you: Ultimately, it’s not your job to convert people. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts and open them up to the message of Jesus.
Posture of curiosity
Respect their beliefs (or lack thereof): People have a wide range of beliefs, and some may not be interested in religion at all. Approach conversations with an open mind and a willingness to listen to their perspective.
Mindfulness
Focus on common ground: Look for areas of shared values, like compassion, kindness, or a desire for a better world. This can build a foundation for further conversation.
Avoid being pushy: People are more likely to be turned off if they feel pressured to accept your beliefs. Focus on sharing your faith in a loving and respectful way.
Authenticity
Live your faith: Your actions and the way you treat others are often the most powerful testimony of your faith. People are more likely to be receptive to your message if they see the positive impact your faith has on your life.
Be articulate but avoid jargon: Explain your faith in a way that is easy to understand, avoiding complex theological terms or church slang.
Answer questions honestly: Be prepared to answer questions about your faith in a clear and truthful way. If you don’t know the answer, it’s okay to say so.
Compassion
Empathy vs. being right: I was reminded of this recently when I was discussing faith issues with a person from another belief system. It was difficult, but I tried my best to practice empathy when discussing her beliefs rather than argue my theology. I have a long way to go, but I am continuing to learn to put myself in the other person’s shoes when viewing issues of faith.
Who do you know that you could invite into a conversation about faith? Or, who do you know that is connecting with not-yet believers of Jesus?
Ready to take action?
Find your starting point: Take the FREE Discipleship Quiz and discover your strengths and weaknesses as a disciplemaker.
It is incredible to see coaching championed as a vital component to church planting, church revitalization, and leadership networks. But for coaches—and those they coach—to thrive they need more than initial coach training…
One of the most strategic tools a pastor can learn to empower other leaders is coaching.
When your need for more coaches outgrows your capacity, going from one to many coaches, the common step is for a standardized coach training process to be instituted so that all the leaders who use a coach approach, regardless of their previous training and experience, now use a uniform process and practice the skills to standardize the coaching the congregation or network provides. This fills a felt-need of quality control for the network and for the “clients” (pastors, church planters, leaders) they serve.
But standardizing coaching practices is only the first step. To see your coach network flourish, you need quality control and ongoing investment in the development of your coaches.
Common Coach Qualifications
Early in the network the qualifications might be a church planter who had a reasonable level of success, or a pastor who seemed to have good people skills, or a formally trained Christian counselor. These experiences are certainly helpful but do not predict coaching success.
What is predictable is that the leader, coached by leaders with a wide range of competency, will have varying levels of success, all other things being equal (similar assessments, resources, mentoring, and training).
Competent and consistent coaching is the “x” factor that will have the greatest level of without reliable and valid assessment and development.
When you lack a reliable pathway to assess a leader’s coach competency it is very difficult to know where to focus on the coach’s development.
Five challenges networks face who do not assess and develop their coaches:
Mixed Results – a pastor, church planter, or ministry leaders coached by a coach that has never been formally assessed have a 50-50 chance that the coach will maximize the leader’s potential.
Intuition can be misleading – most coaches with a compulsory level of coach training rely on intuition to determine how they need to grow.
Unreliable feedback – it is important to ask clients for feedback but if that is the primary means for assessment, it is limited.
Developmental pathway – a repeatable development pathway is super important so coaches in the network have a predictable process they follow so that they are always striving to get better and better.
Guide to walk alongside – coaches need guides or mentors to help them sharpen their skill.
Even if you are a solo pastor who is launching or about to launch a leadership training process in your congregation – you will face these same issues. But in a team or network, the problem increases in complexity proportionate to the number of coaches involved. So what are some ways to address the problem?
Five ways to assess and develop leaders beyond initial coach training:
Familiarize yourself with the 5 most common ways leaders develop their coaching – CLICK HERE.
Observation and feedback from a competent coach (live or recorded).
Create a development path – if you are interested in learning more about a 7-step process called the Journey of Ongoing Growth, read Christian Coaching Excellence (Part 1).
A quick start to upgrade from average coaching is to implement three extremely important tools. The first is a Coach Agreement (think contract or covenant). The second is a Coaching Log (think journal for note taking). The third is a Coaching Journal to record your own observations and actions you will take to grow your coaching process (think work-out booklet). These three things are very practical, and simple things you can do now. It will benefit the church planters or pastors or business leaders you are coaching.
Coach Agreement
A Coach Agreement helps to clarify expectations for the relationship. This will increase your effectiveness to coach your clients by as much as 80%. When you begin with the end in mind, you are more likely to reach and surpass your client’s goals. To get you started, we have a free downloadable version HERE.
Coaching Log
A Coaching Log serves two purposes. It gives you and your client a way to look back and forward. You can capture notes during a session AND log actions to move into the future. For a free downloadable version, click HERE. There are also many web-based tools that you can find on the internet with the added feature of having a shared space to send clients preparation questions to respond to in advance of appointments. I’ve seen coaches adapt MyRevCoach, Notion, Todoist, and Trello to work as a Coaching Log.
Coaching Journal
A Coaching Journal allows you to record your observations, reflections, resources, actions, and powerful questions to grow your coaching skills. Taking a few minutes between coaching sessions or at the end of the day to reflect on what worked well and what can work better raises your self-awareness and gives you the ability to find patterns that need to be changed. You can download a simple Coaching Journal format for free HERE. One thing I am doing currently is going through a self-led coaching supervision course that will equip me to provide more targeted feedback for coaches. A bi-product is that I am becoming more aware of the nuances that I need to pay attention to in my coaching.
The greatest asset to ministry teams is volunteers – and the greatest weakness is a church that doesn’t have a pulse on their volunteer teams. Proactively assessing volunteer teams and individual volunteers can build and maintain healthy relationships, prevent burnout, and create synergy for the mission.
Assess – 80% of the problem starts here:
When you take the time to determine what your real needs are in a ministry it will provide clarity and confidence when you begin the recruiting process. Assessment is an important exercise before your recruitment begins. Assessment answers the question, “Why do I need this particular role filled?”
Clarify for yourself why it is important to fill the role before asking anyone to join.
If your “why” is unclear your “what” lacks sharpness
Identify the Key Result Areas you want this role to fulfill
Best Practice:
Consult with others who have already done what you aspire to do.
Who do you know that has already filled a role like you are attempting to fill?
What did they do?
What else can you learn from their experience?
Recruit – personalize the invitation to serve:
A general announcement from the stage will generate a certain level of interest from the crowd. Contrast that with a conversation over a cup of coffee to learn the person’s vision for their life, goals, and passions. In that context, share what you see in the person and what they would bring to the role. Explain the responsibilities, the support that you or someone else will provide, and then ask them what you want them to consider. Give them a week to pray about the opportunity and then follow up.
Know what you are looking for in the person you are engaging
Understand the type of person that will be a good fit
Personally invite people into the role
Best Practice:
Use assessments to assess various aspects of a person’s attributes, such as:
Spiritual Gift
Behavioral Style
Strengths
Interests
Team Values
One of my go-to assessments for this information is the GripBirkman. You can assess the 5 areas above individually or combined (in one assessment).
CLICK HERE if you would like to take the assessment along with a 1-hour debrief.
Support – be intentional about providing support.
The challenge for recruiting and retaining volunteers is to find ways to support them so that they do not become weary. A regular rhythm of meeting as a team, individual check-ins, and fun team-building activities is so, so important to building a healthy team culture.
Keep a pulse on the level of engagement and fulfillment they are experiencing in their role about every 6-12 months to avoid burn-out!
Informally ask team members how they are doing. Use these conversations to get a sense of how they are engaging in the role you’ve asked them to fill. If you are not their direct supervisor, ask their team lead to check-in periodically. This will help to avoid team members from stagnating in their role.
This is the biggest reason volunteers claim, “I am too busy.”
Best Practice:
Team Huddles are a great environment to reinforce team culture by reviewing your ministry values. For instance, Gina and I are part of a new church plant and every Sunday about 30 volunteers help make the experience warm, inviting and fun. After setup and before the first service preparation gets going, we meet together for about 15-20 minutes to gather all the volunteers together for Leadership Community to remind people of our “why”. The Huddle is sort of the head of the spear for all of our Sunday morning volunteers. We lead the Welcome Team and hold a more personal, scaled down version with our team to share the following:
What’s on your mind this morning?
How can we pray for you?
Then we close our time in prayer for each other with full participation by each member. One-sentence prayers are an easy and comfortable onramp for our people to exercise that muscle. Then we go off to our various assignments!
Become an InFocus Partner
Invest in leaders who are transforming lives and join the InFocus community. Together, let’s create a ripple effect of faith and love.
The #1 reason why staff suffer unnecessarily – lack clarity about their job.
I learned this early in ministry. When I met with a prospective ministry team leader I needed to be clear on what I was asking them to do. The more clarity I had the easier the conversation. If what I was asking of them was not clear in my own head, then I had a difficult time communicating what I needed.
For instance, in approaching a conversation to engage a prospective ministry team leader, I found that I needed to have the job written out so that I understood what I was asking the person to do and what I would be providing them. With this document in hand, I felt this both respected the person AND forced me to think this through carefully to the degree I felt confident.
Clarify Expectations
Clarify expectations in a job description.
Include Key Result Areas (KRAs)
Make the outcomes measurable
Provide regular coaching
Make course corrections
Most job descriptions read more like “suggestions for employee consideration”, lacking precision and “teeth”.
I have reviewed close to 100 job descriptions over the last 5 years to conduct assessments on pastors and para-church leaders. Out of that pool, I found very few had a job description with the precision necessary to have a productive conversation between employer and employee.
What to do when staff lose focus?
The primary thing lacking in job descriptions is clarity. Enough clarity so that you could, if necessary, record the actual behaviors and outcomes you envision to successfully fulfill the role. Then, write that out. Once you have that out of your brain and in writing, meet with your staff member and unpack your expectations until they are crystal clear on what you want from them.
What do you think it costs you and your ministry for a bad hire?
“It is estimated that it could cost you up to five times a bad hire’s annual salary” (SHRM Study).
This is on you, the employer. There are best practices to vet prospective employees to determine suitability, and there is a difference between eligibility (what most interviewing processes vet) and suitability. If you want to read about the differences between those two – CLICK HERE.
What to do when you are getting mixed results from your hiring process?
There are numerous tools in the ministry marketplace to determine team fit, personality, temperament. spiritual gifting, and behavioral style. But one that assesses suitability, called the Harrison, includes a Reliability Score that determines if the person being assessed is being truthful, self-aware, and paying attention as they take the assessment. You can read more about the Harrison assessment – CLICK HERE.
Principle #3 – SUPPORT
The #3 reason why staff suffer unnecessarily – lack of support.
At some point most staff will hit a wall in their work due to personal or professional reasons. They may be going through strife in their marriage or lack skills affecting their job performance. Realistically, most staff will benefit from a regular rhythm of 1-1 coaching. The rhythm will vary from staff member to staff member, but in my experience, 28 days should not pass before you have a 1-1 scheduled with your team member. Why 28 days?
I borrowed this from Rick Warren, who said that about every 28 days he needed to remind the church community gathered at Saddleback Community Church of the vision. I extracted from that a principle in coaching: about every 28 days, staff members need to be reminded of their vision and have a clarifying conversation about how they are progressing towards the ministry outcomes they were chasing. Your rhythm, given the needs of the staff member, will vary.
Chances are the busyness of ministry trumps team meetings and 1-1s. “Meetings” get a bad reputation: “meeting for the sake of meeting”, “waste of time”, “lack focus and purpose” – are just some of the criticisms shared by many church staff members. Many are justified!
What can you do to break the cycle of poorly executed team meetings and one-to-ones?
Commit
Communicate expectations including:
Purpose
Frequency
Agenda
Do it!
There are platforms that support effective team meetings and 1-1s. Some clients use the LEADR platform with impressive results. Whatever you choose, use it consistently and help your staff engage in the process. Persistence is the key.
Checkout these coaching resources to support your staff members:
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