Over the long journey of starting an enduring form of missional ecclesia planters come up against many challenges as we surely know. But there are a host of early startup challenges that are particularly important for us coaches to have on our radar because of their potential to severely cripple a project at the outset.…
Read More“The traditional church makes it quite difficult for people to negotiate its maze of cultural, theological, and social barriers in order to get “in.”.. and by the time newcomers have scaled the fences built around the church, they are so socialized as churchgoers that they are not likely to be able to maintain their…
Read MoreI recently had a good exchange with Alan Hirsch on Facebook about what I perceive as the waning usefulness of the word “missional” (not suggesting the movement attached to it is waning at all). Here’s that conversation. I’d be curious to hear what others think. Alan Hirsch: I have been recently asked to do a…
Read MoreOver the past 25 years I’ve had the privilege of diving deep into church planting on an experiential level leading teams; as an advocate offering practical resources/training; as a mentor-coach for hundreds of church startups, both here and abroad; and, as a networker who dialogues regularly with a good number of leaders of church planting…
Read MoreAs one who coaches professionally, I’ve observed how my interactions with clients, most of them pioneering leaders or church starters, have been changing due to COVID-19. Here’s some of what I’ve been noticing that’s proving helpful in many of these coaching relationships, and I’d welcome hearing the thoughts of others who also regularly coach pioneering…
Read MoreCoaching, as defined by ICF, involves partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. In other words, it has little to do with a coach intentionally imparting skills, perspectives, insights, etc. – that’s consulting and/or mentoring. It’s much more about drawing out the potential…
Read MoreThese past few years I’ve been privileged to work with a new and upcoming church starting network called Cyclical, which was founded by a friend (and serial planter), Nick Warnes. Nick and his creative content team assessed the kind of starters (church planters) Cyclical is encountering across North America and Canada, and devised a helpful…
Read MoreI spoke recently at a conference using Pauls letter to Titus. Using the language of the apostle Paul in Titus 2:10, the message was about “adorning the gospel.” In that letter we see Paul urging the church in Crete to learn to care, speak and act in ways that don’t give occasion for people to…
Read More“I suspect that there are different questions for every age in life, perhaps every decade. Knowing them helps us to deal with people sensitively, and it gives us a better understanding of how to build a larger view of our own lives. . . And here’s the kicker. As the questions change, so does the…
Read MoreIn recent years I worked closely with the leaders of two local planting initiatives. One was an excellent teacher and a strong advocate for justice and compassion initiatives. With those gifts he was able to rally his team to engage various needs in several neighborhoods. The other had a strong relational WOO strength. With warm…
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