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The Christian leader as coach: A model for working with people

Derrick Mueller

Whether you are a pastor, Sunday school leader, youth worker, conference minister, teacher or layman, learning the art of coaching will not only strengthen your ministry but also encourage and empower those under your ministry care. Coaching is the process of caring for people who have been entrusted to you and pointing them to God in everything you do. Coaching is a process that involves two or more people interacting in mutual conversation. It is situational in that each situation demands a different style or approach; it is servant-oriented because the community and mission are the focus, not the leader; and it is transformational in that the coach and follower are changed in the process. In essence, it is a relationship in which one person seeks to influence the thoughts and behaviours and values of another.


What follows is a model I have developed over the last 20 years of working with staff, volunteers and parishioners.

Six functions/roles of coaching

Different functions = different outcomes

Teaming: The goal is unity (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). Every ministry leader needs staff, volunteers and people in the congregation to work together. Teaming involves empowering others, sharing visions and dreams, trusting others and having individuals take ownership of the results. Participants are allowed to fail and learn from their failures. Counselling: The goal is personal caregiving (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). The coach as counsellor gives advice, guidance and insight into behaviour, performance, attitude and goals. The coach thus becomes an instrument of healing, direction and love. While teaming is focused on the group and the task, counselling is focused on the individual. Modelling: The goal is demonstration (Titus 2:7). If pastors exhort others to be involved in outreach or hospitality but refuse to become involved themselves, their example produces doubt or resentment. I remember a farmer coming up to me after a sermon on evangelism and rebuking me: “You young pastors preach a lot about reaching out to people, but no one ever shows us how to do it.” I learned how to pray because an elder in our church took me as a 17-year-old to a prayer seminar where we both learned how to pray effectively. Modelling is something that is often caught by others whether or not we intended it to be. To model is to be oneself for others. Confronting: The goal is resolving (Matthew 18:15-17). Conflict is a byproduct of any leadership situation because as unique individuals we differ in how we approach situations and people. Confrontation is used to resolve, investigate and inquire into specific problems. It holds people accountable for their actions and interactions with others. A good coach knows that if problems are not addressed in the early stages, they become harder to address in the later stages. In confrontation, the coach is concerned with the growth and development of both the individual and the community. Tutoring/teaching: The goal is learning (1 Timothy 4:11-12). The purposes of teaching include increase in knowledge, skill development and personal development. Teaching can be done in a group or individual context, can be long or short-term and can be formal or informal. Here the coach is concerned with performance and success in ministry. Mentoring: The goal is mutual transformation (Proverbs 27:17). Mentoring is the informal part of teaching. Here the coach serves as a confidant and friend, in good and bad times, intentionally developing a relationship with those under his care.

Derrick Mueller, former instructor at Bethany Bible Institute in Hepburn, Sask., as of July 1 is the new president of Emmanuel Bible College in Kitchener, Ont.

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Last modified July 19, 2002.

© 2002 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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