According to the Barna Research Group (The State of Pastors), Pastors report 
many areas of responsibility for which they feel unprepared to effectively serve. Being fully qualified to preach, teach, and research, many Pastors say they are ill equipped to: handle administrative burdens, deal with conflict, equipping/training/delegating, deal with Church politics, struggles with high (unrealistic) expectations, time management and many other day-to-day professional activities.
Before burnout occurs, decide to meet the challenge head-on. You are smart, you know how to study (that’s how you got through college or seminary); together let’s map out a plan to shore-up administrative deficits and normalize effective administrative techniques.
As just stated, all you may need is to learn and practice a few new skills. Some Professional Church Workers, however, experience an even greater challenge. Some have worked hard and feel that no matter what (or how hard) they have tried, there is this nagging sensation that their leadership has taken a wrong turn.
If your best intentions are not getting the results you intend. . . or, if you are experiencing more and more criticism no matter what you do (or don’t do), perhaps a Coach can help you discern the source and validity of the dissatisfaction. Be warned: it might be “them” but it could also be “you.” No one wants to look into the “mirror of honest feedback.” But it’s only when we face what IS that we can move toward “what can be.” Your Coach can help!
- Objectives:
- Create clarity on the real issue(s)
- Uncover any hidden pressures or concerns
- Discover personal strengths, skills, attitudes, perspectives
- Uncover your patterns of high performance
- Utilize evaluation tools as necessary. If there has been a pattern of ministry frustration, there are some tools we can use to help uncover the core issues. Some of those tools might be used with congregational/school leadership (by agreement with the client)
- Prioritize toward most effective approach toward solution(s). With skills development, there will likely be books or articles that will help augment learning.
- Put change into action, evaluate/discuss, reflect and modify plan, repeat
- How to Begin Working with Your Coach:
- After initial contact (via phone, email, in person), we meet for half-an-hour to discern whether our coaching relationship would be mutually beneficial.
- If for whatever reason I’m not a good match, I will provide you with a name of someone who might better serve your need or situation.
- Initial consultation is without charge or obligation.
- If we continue, I will send you our Coaching Agreement and some other tools to help you get started, including this link called “How to Maximize Your Coaching Experience.”
- We set up a tentative schedule:
- Meetings are done by telephone or Skype (or similar platform).
- Advantages to Skype or telephone include greatly reduced costs and time for travel and allows both parties to fit Coaching into an already busy schedule. Most Coaches will agree that utilizing this medium of communication increases focus on the agenda and helps to integrate Coaching experience with day-to-day life.
- Meeting frequency can range from weekly to monthly. Under normal circumstances, monthly is the longest useful time between Coaching appointments.
- After initial contact (via phone, email, in person), we meet for half-an-hour to discern whether our coaching relationship would be mutually beneficial.
- Notes on Coaching:
- If desired, we can outline a workshop course that could be delivered on-line or on-site that might help the Professional Church Worker and Congregation (or school or other ministry) work together toward common objectives.
- The Higher Calling Coach follows two basic principles:
- The Vegas Principle: What’s discussed with your Coach, stays with your Coach. The only exception is the legally mandated reporting — just as it is with Pastors, Counselors, Doctors, Teachers, etc.
- If you are a Supervisor (or Congregational Board) that pays for Coaching and you want regular updates, I will provide the Client with a feedback form he/she can give you that will share information the Client needs or wants to share. It is of the highest priority that confidentiality is maintained between the Coach and Client.
- The Client is highly encouraged to discuss appropriate insights and approaches with Supervisors and ministry partners. Accountability is the hallmark of any successful professional endeavor. It is highly likely that insights and ideas will be joyfully shared with others with whom there is an existing trust relationship.
- The Star Trek Principle: We will seek to go where you have never gone before. Coaching is about getting “unstuck” and joyfully focusing on a new path of your own choosing. To do that, your Coach will help you go where you may have never gone before (which is a good thing!).
- The Vegas Principle: What’s discussed with your Coach, stays with your Coach. The only exception is the legally mandated reporting — just as it is with Pastors, Counselors, Doctors, Teachers, etc.
- Read other parts of this website to get a clear picture of who The Higher Calling Coach is; I have broad ministry experience, a lot of formal education, and what I hope to be an entertaining and engaging Coaching approach.
- Coaching and Consulting constitute my full-time work. This is not an avocation, it is not something I do merely part-time. I am completely committed to your success as an individual or ministry.
- I am committed to your success: If you like the idea of Coaching but I am not the right person, PLEASE contact me and I will help you find the right Coach for you. (No pressure sales here! Your spiritual, emotional, and professional health are my highest priority.)