Coaching For Pastors – Seven Important Topics

Coaching for pastors is a nice concept, but without content the usefulness of the time and money spent will be limited. A coach and can speak truth into another person’s life and help them work through some issues in their church, but without significant content the productivity will come to a grinding halt. I’ve come to realize that there are basically seven major areas of effective churches, and those seven topics are highly important to focus on in a coaching relationship in order to stimulate both growth and health in the pastor’s church.The first, and arguably the single most important, area of focus is strategic planning. Individuals attend seminary and spend thousands of dollars learning the Bible in great detail and how to interpret Greek and Hebrew, but they never learn simple strategic planning concepts.The second area churches need to be excellent in is having leaders on staff that can facilitate change. Change is always occurring, so members of a church staff need to be prepared to communicate the need for specific changes in all areas of their church.Another topic that churches and pastors alike need to address is organization and delegation. Many times this ability is very weak in churches. Miscommunication, lack of communication, and lack of personal understanding all contribute to a church’s inability to prosper. Without accurate and intelligent delegation, pastors often feel responsible for far too much and carry a heavy burden that is unnecessary.In conjunction with delegation, a church staff must assess their present and future ministry leadership needs. Developing and implementing ministry position descriptions that establish clear expectations and guidelines for effectiveness will do wonders for church leaders and the church as a whole.Another great topic to discuss with a pastor that is being coached is outreach and assimilation. How are you reaching out into the community your church is located in? How are you, your church staff, and the leading members of your church helping to disciple those that are new to your church or new to the Christian faith?One of the other most important subjects that can be reviewed, taught, and discussed is maturing a church financially. Gathering, managing, and protecting God’s resources, which have been allocated to your church, is a major responsibility and is not to be taken lightly. Although it may seem obvious, complying with laws concerning church finances must be taken seriously. Some churches never even put thought into these issues.Lastly, identifying leadership strengths and weaknesses so that pastors can maximize the leadership potential within themselves and others in their church is crucial. Some of the greatest leaders are never invested in and miss opportunities to serve in their church. Spending time to develop this potential is completely worthwhile.These seven areas of focus have changed my church after investing time in them. All of these subjects are an absolute must when involved in coaching for pastors because of the value inherent to each one.