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![]() Coaching Life-Changing Small Group Leaders Bill Donahue delivers another great resource for everyone who loves small groups. |
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Now anyone can afford to host a Double Your Class Conference! I have recently change my policy on how to host a Double Your Class (or other) Conference. The new policy calls for charging outside churches $20 an individual or $100 a church to attend. This money will go toward advertising the event and will be split between the host church and myself. My plan is to use my part of the money to advertise events. At about 23 churches, the event becomes free for the host church. For details, see www.joshhunt.com/conference.htm FREE!
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These lessons are written in a question and answer format and
stimulate group discussion. They consist of 20 - 30 questions per
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the current lessons. When promoted, use this username and password: It is case sensitive. If you decide you would like to purchase a subscription to the VAULT, you can do so at www.joshhunt.com/vault.htm Individual, as well as church plans, are available. Lessons include the current Lifeway series:
Plus, hundreds and hundreds of lessons from years past are also available. Three new lessons are added each week. Feel free to pass this along to teachers in your church who could use 20 - 30 ready to use questions to go along with their lesson each week.
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I love Lifeway's slogan about Sunday School: Sunday School, the original small group. It reminds us that everything written on small groups will be useful for Sunday School. There is no essential difference. A small group is just a Sunday School class that meets in the home. Seen in this light, it is easy to see why I would recommend Bill Donahue's books to lovers of small groups and lovers of Sunday School. He is Willowcreek's small group guy and one of the key national leaders on small groups. He, along with Greg Bowman have written a great new resource: Coaching Life-Changing Small Group Leaders. Everyone who loves small groups will love this new resource. This article will summarize the book in the form of an interview. The answers below are quotes or near quotes from the book. Josh: What is coaching? Bill and Greg: It is an often misunderstood role, mistaken by some to mean "boss" or "fault-finder." But, that is not coaching, at least, not when the spiritual growth of leaders and church members is at stake. It is different from mere supervision or oversight. Coaching is personal, developmental, and supportive. Coaches bring out the best in leaders. Josh: Why is coaching important and necessary? Bill and Greg: It takes a coach--a shepherd-leader--to build into the lives of small group leaders. The power of the Holy Spirit is released when someone speaks life and hope and truth into the heart of another person. This is especially true of those who carry the burden and weight of ministry. They need words of life. Larry Crabb writes in Soul Talk, "Visionaries call us to religious action. Entrepreneurs figure out how to get action going. Marketing geniuses brand the item until everyone is talking about it. Gifted performers speak or sing us into action. All good things with an important place. But, more important is that each leader be known by someone, not by a crowd or a committee, but by an individual, a close friend, an intimate companion. And, not merely held accountable, but genuinely known in an intimate, vulnerable, painful, real, long-term relationship. Josh: What does it take to have a strong coaching ministry in a church? Bill and Greg: There are four foundational truths that we must embrace to have a strong coaching ministry:
Josh: That story leads me to the key question--what do coaches actually do? Bill and Greg: Four key skills can define a coach's effectiveness. These four skills are:
Josh: Let's take these one at a time, starting with modeling. What is the biblical basis for modeling and how have you seen in work in the real world? Bill and Greg: Jesus taught that when modeling is working as it should, the disciple will ultimately become like his teacher. (Luke 6.40) Leadership studies have shown this to be true. They confirm that in about thirty-six months, the people you lead will closely reflect who you are. A loving teacher will produce loving disciples. A joyful teacher will produce joyful disciples. The sobering aspect of this is that it also works the other way. It works whether the practices you model are good or bad. Grumpy teachers= grumpy disciples. Josh: Step two is shepherd intentionally. What are some common mistakes you have seen in this step? Bill and Greg: Coaches can easily miss the need to build community with and among their leaders. They move too quickly to envisioning and equipping. When this happens, leaders can be left feeling like a manager or a guide, not a shepherd. Jesus placed a high value on relationships in ministry and so should we. Josh: What about step three, vision casting, what are some common mistakes you see there? Bill and Greg: Most churches have a vision for the role of small groups in their church. The vision often breaks down when it gets translated from a larger vision of the whole church to the role each group leader plays in helping the church reach that vision. Coaches can easily fall into the trap of simply parroting the official vision of the church. If this happens, the vision will not capture the hearts of the group leaders and there will be little connection to day-to-day activities of the group leaders. Coaches need to create space to think about and dream about what the larger vision would look like if it were fully lived out in their group. Coaches work with leaders to develop a clear and compelling vision for their group. Josh: The last key practice is skill development. Is it fair to say that many churches jump into this too quickly? Bill and Greg: Yes. That is a central message of our book. Josh: What is the opposite error? Bill and Greg: Getting stuck in the relationship phase. This is not just a feel-good session. Skill building is also important. Josh: Well, that takes us through roughly the first half of the book. Next week, we will discuss the second half and get into the nitty-gritty of how to develop a coaching structure for small group leaders in your church. |
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