This article is from GCI Pastor David Howe, an experienced life coach.
[caption id="attachment_1397" align="alignright" width="150"] David Howe[/caption]
What do you do when you come face-to-face with an obstacle you can’t get around? I don’t mean a rock in the road or something like that. What do you do when you’ve encountered something that causes you to keep falling or no solutions seem to work? It was because of this struggle that is common to all of us that life coaching was birthed. Yes, there are counselors, mentors and consultants, but having a life coach is different in some very powerful ways.
Let’s briefly examine some of the differences.
Mentors have successfully arrived where you are trying to go. They come... Read the article
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This month we're providing a series of sermons with the overall title, Celebrate the Grip. The series was written by Jeff McSwain, national coordinator for GCI's Intern Program. Though written as a curriculum to be used in GenMin camps, the series can easily be adapted for use as a preaching series in a congregation or a series of discussions in a small group.
To download the Celebrate the Grip curriculum click here. To download a related children's church curriculum, click here. And here is a video in which Jeff explains the basic concepts in the series:
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By Susi Albrecht and Nancy Akers
[caption id="attachment_340" align="alignright" width="214"] Teach children how they should live, and they will remember it all their lives. (Proverbs 22:6)[/caption]
Originally, Sunday School had a different purpose than in our day. In the 19th century, many children from poor families worked six days a week, leaving only Sunday for any sort of education. Churches witnessed the devastating cycle that lack of education had on these families; children were often illiterate. Responding to this desperate need, churches around the nation started Sunday School to combat poverty that was perpetuated by lack of education.
Though times have changed, there is still a desperate need that churches must not... Read the article
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Dear pastors and ministry leaders,
[caption id="attachment_21" align="alignright" width="150"] Greg and Susan Williams[/caption]
I'm an old athlete! In high school I participated in football, basketball, baseball, wrestling and track. I wish I'd played on the golf team because golf is my chosen sport in the current phase of my life.
Throughout the years I've been trained and supervised by multiple coaches with quite different levels of expertise and coaching styles. Many of them emphasized conditioning and discipline, believing if you get in shape and know your plays to the point you run them efficiently and consistently, you will win ball games. Quoting the great Vince Lombardi, my football coach often told us that Fatigue makes... Read the article
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Below are the five articles in the August Equipper. The focus this issue is on coaching---a vital tool for ministry development. Enjoy! --- Ted Johnston, editor
From Greg: Coaching matters
Greg Williams highlights the great benefits of being coached.
Coaching testimonies
Three of GCI's ministry interns share their experiences as coachees.
Thoughts from an experienced coach
David Howe explores the nature of ministry coaching.
Sermon summary: Celebrate the Grip
Jeff McSwain offers a series of sermons about our life in union with Christ.
Kid's Korner: Preparing for Children's Church
Susi Albrecht and Nancy Akers discuss preparing for the next season of your congregation's ministry to children. Read the article
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GCI provides its interns with a ministry coach. We asked three of them to comment on what they've experienced. If you have a testimony of your own about coaching, please share it using the "leave a reply" feature below.
Jillian Caranto
During the 2014 intern orientation, Anthony Mullins eagerly asked me to tell him my story. Though I was hesitant at first, looking back I’m grateful because after sharing a bit of my story, Anthony went out of his way to ask my permission to be my coach for the next two years. After seeing his humility and authenticity in listening to my story, I knew that God wanted this coaching relationship for me.
This was the first coaching relationship I had ever had so I wasn’t sure what to expect. But what I... Read the article
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