Everyone Needs A Coach

Love them or hate them, coaches have a purpose and they will do whatever it takes to get the best out of their players. They work hard, stay up late and are always coming up with new strategies to put the check mark in the W column. One week the fans love the coach and the next week they are calling for his head on a platter. If you think being a church planter is hard, you should try coaching a church planter.

I am the kind of person that sticks out his neck away too often and I am going to do it here. If you do not have a relationship with someone who is coaching you one on one, then discouragement, loneliness and doom will set in. You cannot be so cocky to believe that you do not need a coach. If you feel that a coach is a waste of time, do yourself a favor and go sell insurance (no disparagement meant to insurance salesmen). Having a coach is essential for your spiritual and emotional health and the success of whatever it is you are trying to accomplish.

In the process of planting churches, I actually had a team of coaches. I would classify them as a head coach and several assistants who were training me for the Big Game of launching a new church. You might be thinking that you don't have any coaches to help you through the process, but you are dead wrong. I do believe that your head coach has to be someone who has done what you are seeking to do. Someone who acts as your head coach will not have all the answers, but he will have experience and that is what you are looking for.

Call me what you may, but I want someone who knows how to go about being successful at what I am trying to accomplish. I want the coach who knows what step to take and when to take it in the correct order. Coaches are not there to make you feel good and to always be patting you on the back. They are they to use their experience to kick your backside when needed. The old adage, "Been there, done that", is the experience you are looking for and when you find it, you have found a friend who has the tools to help you succeed for the kingdom.

Throughout the process, your coach will need to be there to encourage you, to give you pointers, and to share his playbook with you. One of the things that will make you appreciate a good coach is that he will intentionally make you figure out things on your own. He will give you enough information to get you started, but will never make the decision for you. That is what it you need - a coach who will coach you and not do the job for you. When finding a coach, don't recruit one that wants to hold your hand every step of the way. If you want one that does hold your hand every step of the way, find a nice established place to live and leave the hard work for others.

A coach is there to help you secure the win. He will be on your side cheering you along the way and he will be one of your worst critics. Take it in stride and understand that a coach does have your best interest at heart. As a coach to church planters, I look forward to coaching new church planters. I look forward to being coached by others as I continue to hone my skills in the area of writing.

If you do not have a coach, stop the presses! You need to make this a top priority before you go any further. If you do not know where to look, start calling people. Contact people who are getting it done. You probably have already met some people in your area that can be a great resource to get you plugged in. There are coaching networks that you can join where you have to pay a fee for the services, not the best scenario, but there are some great men out there providing this service who have been very successful. The onus is on you! You have to be the one who pursues a coach and you keep looking until you find one. If you go forward without a coach, it will be one of the biggest mistakes you make.