Ken Morgan's 12 tips for coaching church planters

Ken Morgan is a good mate, a former colleague, now with the Church Army and a seasoned coach. Here is his wisdom on coaching church planters:

1. Use a simple coaching model or framework to keep the coaching appointment on track.
2. Listen a lot and be prepared to sit quietly with the planter as they wrestle and process their thoughts and feelings. Keep asking clarifying questions. Only then can you be sure that the planter understands their own reality.
3. Hold the planter accountable for doing the work of a missionary. Don’t let them hide behind organizational busyness and distractions.
4. Know the church planting process and the tasks critical to success in each stage.
5. Have a clear idea of the advantages and pitfalls of the various models of planting so you can know which questions to ask.
6. Ensure the planter has a clear and concrete game plan to take away from each coaching appointment.
7. Keep the planter accountable for executing the plans they’ve committed to.
8. Keep the planter accountable for achieving concrete outcomes here and now, as well as encouraging them to think one development stage ahead.
9. Be prepared to work simultaneously on a number of fronts — the health and progress of the fledgling church, the planter’s professional development and any relational/emotional issues.
10. Regularly check on the health of the planter’s key relationships.
11. Discourage launching a public worship service until there is enough human resource available to maintain missional activity.
12. Conflict in the planting team is inevitable. Encourage the planter to reflect on the conflict, and to appropriately accept responsibility. If mediation is required, let the planter seek it out elsewhere. Better for you to stay in the planter’s corner.

Related:

• The Startup Guide to Coaching Leaders by Steve Addison
• Simply Coaching by Tom Wymore