In a conference I made a statement that if a church or other organization wanted to turn itself around from a declining position, the greater possibility lies with bringing someone in from the outside – an experienced coach.

One pastor, sitting in the middle of the room raised his hand and asked, “Why can’t I do that with the men in my church?” His inquiry was genuine. He was polite, and courteous, and sincere in wanting to know why. He trusted the men of his church. No outsider could possibility know his church better than the men who had been in the church for years, overseeing the day to day and week to week ministry. Certainly, these were the men he needed to make the right decisions.

My response might not have been so courteous had I not delivered it with a smile. My reply to his inquiry was, “How’s that working for you so far?” Now, I admit, I might not have said it that bluntly, but I did get around to asking that very question. Think about it. If this pastor’s church was in decline, who had been making the decisions? It was the pastor and his leadership team. They needed outside assistance.

Everyone in your church has a bias, even the pastor. We all look at our ministry from a normally narrow viewpoint. The nursery workers look at the ministry of the church from their nursery experience perspective. The senior adults from their own history in the church. Each and every person in the church will view the ministry of the church from his/her ministry experience with the church. The pastor must look at the bigger picture, which should take in all the ministries of the church evenly. However, pastors are human. Therefore, even pastors look upon the ministry of the church with a bias. A bias will never allow you to see your church or ministry with total objectivity.

It is imperative that church and ministry leaders make an objective evaluation of the true reality of all aspects and facts of the ministry. I suggest that the best way to conduct a truly objective evaluation of all the facts is to bring in a neutral observer from outside the ministry or church. This should be someone such as a seasoned coach or strategist, trained and experienced in asking probing questions that the church leaders and members might not think of or want to bring to the table on their own.

There is a growing ministry today of Christian coaching, and this can be very valuable to churches and individuals in sustaining health and growth. A coach is one who is trained in bringing out of the players (church leaders and members) what is otherwise hidden and covered up. A coach is not a mentor, though mentoring might become part of the coaching process. A coach is not a consultant, though some consulting may be part of the process. A coach is a person who has the ability to see the big picture of your ministry from a vantage point you do not have. Upon seeing from this vantage point, a coach is equipped to formulate questions that allow you to explore the unknown or unused wisdom, experience, and discernment of your ministry and the members of your church or organization.

You should be very careful when choosing a coach. Seek out a Christian coach who has experience in a similar church setting. You want to find one who has experience in growing and maintaining healthy ministry and one who knows how to properly formulate the needed questions while facilitating a healthy forward-moving process. You are not looking for someone who only wants to give suggestions but an experienced coach who is willing to walk with you through the process and who knows and relates to your doctrinal positions.

There are many people available today who want to coach you and give you suggestions. Unfortunately, there are few who are true practitioners of what you need. Many have read the books and even taken courses in “church revitalization.” Yet, they have never actually led, by serving on staff at any church that has actually made the turn around. Be certain to find a true practitioner, one who has done it, helped lead at least one church in a turn-around process. There are coaches and strategists available who are practitioners. Contact your denominational offices or George Yates at SonC.A.R.E. Ministries for assistance finding the right coach for you and your church.