God is not your co-pilot. He never has been and He never will be. He is LORD of your life, if you are a Christ follower, and He is the source of everything you need. This is especially true if you are a church planter. You will not crack the culture if God does not show up in a big way at your new church. Are we clear about how I feel about this?
So if God and I are planting this church, why do I need anyone else to help me? If I have the Holy Spirit at work in my life, shouldn’t that be enough? Won’t I be demonstrating that I don’t have enough faith in God if I have to ask someone else, like a coach, what to do? I know these questions about using a coach represent extreme views but some part of this has to have crossed your mind when you considered what you must have to plant a church and what you can get by without.
I believe it takes a lot more faith for us really to want to know God’s will for us. It is easy for me to make up my mind using the limited facts I am comfortable with and then go for it. It is much harder to seek another’s perspective when I know they will be truly independent. A coach is not the only source for God honoring input but my experience is a good coach’s input over a long period of time can be very useful to a church planter.
Because a good coach has invested significant time in understanding you, they know your blind spots (we all have them) and they are obligated to not let you overlook them. Because a good coaching relationship will cover many years, the consistent input and current understanding of who you are and where you are going that you get from a coach can be an excellent way for God to speak to you.
Finally because your coach has hopefully guided you through a process of establishing your life’s priorities, the coach is uniquely positioned for strategic input and to help hold you accountable. When your coach has worked with you through a process where you spent significant time reading the Bible and searching for God’s purpose for your life, they have a critical role to play that few others are positioned to play.
The real act of faith is saying I want that kind of influence in my life that God can use in addition to my spouse, my elders, and my staff. It takes a lot of faith to say I am willing to give someone the right to ask the hard questions that can only be asked by someone who knows me and my life’s goals.
Your coach is not your co-pilot either. If your coaching is done well, the coach will be an essential instrument for your flight through this life.
