coaching: what is it?
Parakaleo’s Gospel Coaching is an on-going, intentional conversation that empowers a person or group to take the hope of the gospel to their own hearts in order to creatively, freely, and fully live out God’s calling.
- Group coaching happens in the local network meetings thru table consults. As women bring their real life problems to the group, questions are asked drawing out the underlying nuances with input given only when sought.
- Personal coaching happens when a church planting spouse engages the help of a trained parakaleo coach for a contracted time and dollar amount. Bartering is a creative alternative used by several coaches in place of monetary reimbursement.
Even the apostle Paul, that great model of a church planter, needed friends to walk with him. They helped him strategize, endure hardship, and persevere in his call.
Specifically, Parakaleo Gospel Coaches:
- come alongside a church planting spouse to encourage personal gospel transformation, provide assistance and accountability in skill development of support competencies (Church Leader Spouse Inventory), and help her navigate her role on the church planting team. Roles range from an official planting position to un-involvement in the mechanics of planting. Still, planting will impact the spouse.
- help the client build an arsenal of truth and beauty. This is a collection of words, songs, scripture, film, poetry, art, nature, etc. that point her to Christ, mend her heart, and move to love.
- help the client to build her community of support (co-workers, mentors, and counselors to whom she can look for physical, emotional, or spiritual care).
- invite the client to faith and action or faith and waiting. As we understand the client’s natural posture toward the world and conflict (is she a doer or a withdrawer?), coaches woo and invite her to deeper faith in Christ. This results in demonstrable change as she takes steps of faith and actions of trust, hope, love, and learning.
Parakaleo coaching is born out of research among church planting spouses. This statistically-verifiable profile inventory reveals needed character and competencies of a church planting spouse in 21st century North America.
Contact tami@parakaleo.us to find a Parakaleo Gospel Coach.
I Thessalonians 2:7-8 “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.”
Ephesians 3:16-18 “I pray that our of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”
I've got great friends, why would I need a coach?
That might be all you need; but many have found the benefit of having an experienced and trained woman alongside them in this journey. Women in church planting express a need for someone other than their husband and peers who can take them through the roof to Jesus when they are emotionally and spiritually lame.
What are some of the roles a Parakaleo Coach might have in my life?
Gospel Coach, Life Coach, Mentor, little “c” counselor, Soul Friend, Trainer, Mirror, Cheerleader, Catalyst, and all around partner in celebrating God's work in, through, and around you!
I am not even being paid in this role, why should I invest in a coach?
Because every aspect of your life is intertwined and affected by the church plant. Because you won't know, until you are in it, the enemy’s scheming to convince you that your worth and value are directly related to the church plant's success; to people's opinions of you, your husband, your family; or to how well you live out your roles.
What exactly would I be coached in?
- the character and competencies for spouses of church leaders as found in the Church Leader Spouse Inventory
- your personal gospel transformation journey
- unpacking your story
- identifying your relating styles, idolatries
- the varied issues you face in life and ministry
