Coaching 101 Training set for September
Coaching 101, basic coach training for ministry leaders, will be presented at St. Stephen’s Church, Sewickley, Pennsylvania, Thursday evening and all day Friday, September 11–12, 2008. The third annual training is part of a cooperative effort between the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh and the coach certification arm of the Titus Institute for Church Planting (TICP).
The cost of the course is $45 for clergy, church staff, lay leaders and seminarians; a discounted $30–per-person rate is available for groups of three or more. The registration fee covers materials and snacks; a variety of eating establishments are within walking distance of St. Stephen’s.
Participation in Coaching 101 is not limited to those pursuing Coach Certification, although a maximum of 15 applicants will be accepted into the TICP’s Coach Certification program for an added cost. The Coach Certification process is licensed by CoachNet International Ministries, and encompasses additional study, field-work, assessment and engagement in a coach-mentor relationship. Coaching 101 is a pre-requisite for the certification program.
“Ministry coaching has recently found its way into the life of many denominations, although it is a popular leadership tool which has been used by executives in the secular world for many years,” notes Jenni Bartling, trainer. “Coaching helps leaders to accelerate the progress toward their goals, as well as be intentional and effective in their development of other Christian leaders.”
TICP Executive Director Tom Herrick adds, “The most current research shows that church planters with coaches have a significantly better success rate in their work and the longevity of the church plant when they have someone to help guide them in the initial phase of development.
“Coaching makes a powerful impact in all avenues of ministry. Our experience has been that coaching effectively creates a deeper sense of community, allowing leaders to learn from others, while creating a culture that fosters team work. I have found that coaching helps to combat the isolation leaders often feel.”
Bartling hopes parishes will take advantage of the group rate and send several staff members and leaders to the training. “The principles of coaching allow people to think outside the box and ponder solutions they’d never considered before. With the help of the Holy Spirit, coaching can help us to discover what God wants us to do, and then do it!”
Bartling directs the Coach Certification Process for the Titus Institute for Church Planting, a resource for the Common Cause Partners, and is the congregational developer for church plants in the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh. She is a certified ministry coach who has trained nearly 300 others to empower their ministry leaders, and provides coaching to a number of priests, church planters and other ministry leaders in and outside the Pittsburgh diocese. In 2005, she left the staff of CoachNet International Ministries to focus more of her energies on her diocesan and national roles, having worked with Dr. Bob Logan for several years. She is also the founder of Your Silent Partner Coaching, “Asking the right questions, so you discover the right answers.”
You can download a registration form from the Diocese of Pittsburgh’s website (PDF).To learn more, email bartling@pitanglican.org.