I am beginning a series of posts on coaching, specifically as it applies to missional communities. Primarily, I will be discussing:
Philosophy of Coaching
In order to understand our philosophy of coaching at The Austin Stone, I need to zoom out and provide some understanding of our view on equipping and discipleship. In order to equip the whole person, we believe that you must instruct with knowledge, shepherd the heart, and provide tangible direction regarding application and skills.
We typically frame this idea around “head, heart, hands” – to faithfully equip someone for ministry you must teach the head, connect with the heart, and provide tangible steps for the hands.
I summarize how these different aspects of equipping play out in the chart below:
| Head | Heart | Hands | |
| Faculties of Discipleship | Intellect | Emotion/Desire | Will/Action |
| Functions of Discipleship | Teaching | Shepherding | Coaching |
| Content of Discipleship | Doctrine | Character | Skill |
| Systems of Discipleship | Training | Relational Care | Assessment |
As we develop missional communities, our philosophy of coaching is focused primarily on coaching skills or the application of knowledge and desire. We have found that the primary need for many of our leaders is practical and situational advice on leadership and implementation.
We still pastor and shepherd the heart, and are always instructing in proper doctrine, but primarily what we are utilizing the coaching structure for is reinforcing the practices of missional community and skills in leadership.
One critical piece of coaching, however, is understanding how our struggles in applying things practically is real a “gospel” issue. I will work through that conviction in the next post.
In your experience, what is critical in helping people pursue missional communities?
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