The role of coaching in church - can the two concepts live beside each other?
Happy Easter to all of you! On the first day of the biggest holiday of Christianity I have brought a current topic to you: what is the relation between coaching and church? Can the two concepts live beside each other, do they strengthen one another or does one of them completely exclude the other? Why do church leaders also need coaches? Come with me today, you can gain answers to all these questions!
With the help of the coach, the client can reach his set objective during the coaching process, the potential within can come to the surface. Coaching can be also useful for the church, but on no occasion can it replace the presence of God. It can offer new ways, new opportunities, new aspects on the way leading to Christ and his world.
What are the bases of coaching and the various religions? Fundamentally they are really different. The most useful tool of most church leaders is the knowledge they possess and its transfer to the practitioners, while coaches help their clients bring their most important resources to the surface, so that they would find out themselves, which the most favourable decision, the best next step is.
Coaching can produce positive results if the coachee is physically and mentally relatively healthy, would like to solve a challenge currently present in his life and is motivated to take the next step, but most likely does not know what to do. Pastoral care provides important help primarily to people suffering from pain, being in a critical situation or standing before a significant change - however if the church leader also has positive coach characteristics, there is a greater chance of achieving mental relief. If the right questions are asked, together it can be figured out where the practitioner is heading to in his life, what is working correctly and what is not, which changes might be needed.
Among the clients of coaches we can find both non-religious and religious people, since anyone can need a helping hand, some support to set objectives and implement them. Church leaders themselves can also profit from coaching. Why? Kendal Drinkwine, researcher of Vandebloemen Academy summarized in 11 points, why religious leaders might also need coaches:
- they can get an external perspective
- work-life balance can be achieved
- they can navigate tough situations more easily
- they can gain the guidance necessary in their given stage of development
- together with the coach objectives can be set
- church leaders can get ready solutions for handling human problems
- they can learn from the experience of others
- they can gain encouragement and support
- with the help of the coach, they can face
challenges
- there is an opportunity for learning
- burnout can be prevented.
All in all: coaching can have a really great influence on church, its power must not be neglected. The coaches of the future and church leaders should find strengthening ways of cooperation to support coachees, practitioners to make their lives better, reach their happiness. Because the objective is common: a happy, balanced life, filled with mental assets.
Károly Vizdák
business and life coach
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