Best!

-Andrew

We’d like to give away three copies of Gospel Coach. Winners will be chosen randomly and announced tomorrow. To enter answer this question below: Who is one of the most positively influential people in your life?

Let’s celebrate the godly coaches the Lord has blessed us with. And now, on to the interview….

EC: Why did you have a passion to write this book? What was the fuel for the fire?

Scott: While I was leading the Acts 29 Network, I was interested in the ongoing viability of our church plants. According to multiple research studies, coaching (sometimes referred in research as “mentoring”) of church planters on a regular basis resulted in larger churches and more measurable fruitfulness.[1] I instituted a coaching system among our church planters by training them to coach one another. I wanted every church planter in Acts 29 to have the opportunity to have a coach. I trained about 80 pastors as coaches but I still did not feel it was enough that their church plants were thriving while their souls were dying one day at a time.  I researched “shepherding” after two church planters took their own lives.

While contemplating the need for shepherding and the simultaneous need for coaching, I sensed the Holy Spirit remind me of Acts 20:28 and used that Scripture to impress on me that it was not shepherding or coaching, but rather, that it was “Shepherd Coaching.” That was the name of the original manuscript, because it incorporated the aspects of shepherding with coaching. It was a hybrid model of coaching that focused on the church leader paying careful attention to their own lives while they paid careful attention to their flock. Research indicates that church leaders lean more toward paying more attention to their flocks than to the health of their own physical, emotional, financial and even spiritual life.[2] The results are massively damaging. I witnessed them first-hand and wanted to do something about it. After I sensed the Spirit’s call to develop a new kind of coaching, I changed the way I coached while I tested this new model (unknowingly) on those men I was coaching. They began to open up in ways that I would never have suspected. I focused on shepherding their personal, spiritual and ministry lives. The result of that research and testing produced the first draft of Gospel Coach.

 EC: What will readers gain from Gospel Coach?

Scott: Gospel Coach is a practical book about how leaders can care for the church of God (Acts 20:28) by discipling people in their faith, by developing leaders for the Kingdom and by mentoring men and women to make healthy disciples that results in healthy churches that are on mission for the glory of God.

One of the central concepts discussed in Gospel Coach is helping the reader to discover his or her Gospel Life Plan and then to help others develop theirs. Church leaders sincerely want to pursue God’s call for their life, but typically fail to have a written plan on how that plan is carried out and protected. As a result, they often resort to answering emails and the person in the congregation with the loudest voice. A Gospel Life Plan forces the leader to articulate what is most important to following God’s calling and most importantly, what is not important. Rather than starting the day with a ‘To Do List,” I think a leader must first address a ‘Not Do List.’ A Gospel Coach helps a disciple to articulate his or her calling, goals, steps of action and stewardship and then holds them accountable in a shepherding manner.

 EC: What has been the response from your church or other audiences as you have presented this material live?

Scott: I trained over 2,000 people in 2011. The participants commonly expressed to me in a surprised tone, “This is not that complicated, is it?” That is my intended goal. In the live training, I teach with interactive methods about one main concept: “coaching is merely having an intentional gospel conversation with a friend focusing on a disciple’s personal, spiritual and missional life.” I then spend 10 hours letting the participants see the principle, practice the principle and process the principle with one another. At the end they get to test-drive it with feedback on their coaching.

Coaching is intentional. It is more effective when two or more people enter into a conversation with the understanding that one is the coach and the other is the disciple. We have a lot of casual conversations about nothing in particular and normalize this by calling it “fellowship.” Coaching, on the other hand, is an intentional conversation focused primarily on the disciple’s personal, spiritual and missional life. The coach is careful to remain focused on the disciple’s needs in a conversational manner incorporating questions, feedback, and advice and listening carefully. Coaching is a gospel conversation by filtering all of the disciple’s issues, dreams, goals, aspirations and problems through the lens of the gospel. Coaching can become a self-centered conversation. The Gospel Coach system doesn’t just give good advice, but Good News to every problem in life. Coaching isn’t learning a new practice, it is just learning how to have an intentional conversation focused on the other person and filtered through the gospel.

[Editor's note: Learn more about Scott's coaching and when and where you might hear him speak on the Gospel Coach Facebook Page.]

EC: Who are some “coaches” in your life that have influenced you in the most powerful ways? What made their leadership so influential?

Scott: I participated in sports my whole life as an athlete and as a coach. At my brother’s funeral last year, one former coach after another came to my side to comfort me. It became clear to me that these men were not just my one-time coaches, but lifelong, close friends: Warren Carere, Dave Robb, Bob Graham and Fred Trujillo. Coaching is not a program and the other person is not a project. These men invested their life into me as a person and as an athlete, student and leader. They believed in me and inspired me to achieve things that I did not know was possible. But they had influence on me because they cared about me personally. Jesus, the Good Shepherd said, “I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep… My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:14-14, 27 ESV). We seek to shepherd coach others toward the Good Shepherd through relationship and through sacrifice for the good of the other person.

EC: Was there any interesting story that you would like to share from writing this book?

I did not set out to produce a published book. I merely wrote to explain the gospel foundations necessary to produce disciples and leaders in the local church context.  A book merely emerged from the practical explanation of coaching in this new way. When the seminal material started going viral, we received a scathing email from someone who, in essence, said he didn’t like it that we removed the humanistic principles of coaching and replaced them with the gospel. It was that email that convinced me that we needed to pursue publishing this for those outside of our own tribe to read and get equally frustrated! “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate’” (1 Cor. 1:18-19, NIV).

They have also really taken to a curriculum series Zondervan recently published called, The Nature of God.  Ideally, both of the 9 lesson curriculum DVDs (one based in Hawaii, the other in Michigan) are for children’s church, Sunday school, or even a home school curriculum and for ages 6-9.  However, both my boys not only love watching the lessons, but learn a lot from them as well.

Peter Schriemer hosts each lesson and takes children on a journey through creation that is applicable to their day-to-day, spiritual life.  Kids learn about humpback whales and why it’s important to obey; forest floor creatures and whether God will take care of them or not; and Great lakes dunes and God’s forgiveness.

Children watch the 10-12 minute video and then teachers or parents can print off the activities and lessons from the DVD-ROM.  Each DVD-ROM has unique lessons for grades 2-4 for church or school.  Watch the full first lesson from Great Lakes Discoveries below and the full first lesson from Hawaiian Adventures at this link: http://zndr.vn/L0nL0G

Also be sure also to visit the Small Group Bible Study playlist on YouTube.  Watch full-length small group Bible study sessions free from authors and pastors like Timothy Keller, Andy Stanley, Craig Groeschel, and Mark Batterson.

[image courtesy of Abraham Piper]

One of the books that shaped my understanding of small group ministry was “Leading Life-Changing Small Groups” by Bill Donahue. When it was originally published in the mid 90s, it quickly became the most important tool in my leader-training efforts. With the third edition (published in May 2012), it’s even better!

One of the things I’ve always appreciated about “Leading Life-Changing Small Groups” is the fact that it begins at the beginning — literally. The introduction develops a very understandable theology of community. As you begin to build a small group ministry, this is an essential ingredient.

Another aspect that makes this book so valuable is that Bill Donahue is truly a practitioner. Don’t miss this key! He wrestled with developing small group leaders for years in one of the most interesting group-life laboratories anywhere, Willow Creek Community Church. The practices and principles included in this book aren’t theoretical but practical and proven.

You can read the whole post here.

But Leading Life-Changing Small Groups isn’t the only new resource from Bill Donahue. Bill, and his co-authors Russ Robinson and Greg Bowman have also significantly revised:

• Coaching Life-Changing Small Group Leaders (Donahue & Bowman)
• Building a Life-Changing Small Group Ministry (Donahue & Robinson)
• Equipping Life-Changing Leaders DVD (Donahue, Bowman, & Robinson)

The DVD is a new product that supports all three of the books.

The Zondervan blog has another Buchanan excerpt posted today. Click here for the full post. Here’s the first part…

The primary gift God gives to those who trust in him is reconciliation with him. But the primary gift the people of God give to those who are reconciled to God is a community of reconciled people. We give them the gift of our own wholeness and oneness. We give the gift of community. We invite them to be part of a people where everyone makes “every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” [Ephesians 4:3].

Each video download is available for purchase for only $2.99 and you get both mp4 and .mov formats (depending if you would like to play it on your mobile device or need high-definition, respectively).  If you would like the corresponding participant’s guide session in PDF, that is bundled with many for $4.99 a session.

So head on over ChristianBook.com and see what’s available.  Let us know which sessions you pick out and what you think of the experience!

Also be sure also to visit and subscribe to the Small Group Bible Study playlist on YouTube.  There are nearly 100 full-length sessions available for free to view from authors and pastors like Bill Hybels, Andy Stanley, Craig Groeschel, and Timothy Keller.

If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time then you’ve probably picked up on the fact that I love this book. We did a blog tour for it, we interviewed Mark about his other Z project (here and here) and I’ve posted some random thoughts on it before. Excessive? Maybe. Is the book worthy of such attention? Definitely.

For today’s giveaway tell us what one of your favorite all-time books is, and tell us how you’ve told others about it. (We’ll give away two copies. The winners will be chosen randomly and announced tomorrow. The more you comment, the more chances you have to win.)

Do you have a quote from the book in your email signature? Did you review it online? Have you named one of your children or your dog after the main character or the author?

Book nerds, it’s time to come clean.

And now, you can get all 24 NOOMA films for $69.99.  Not only is this over 80% off buying them at list price, also included is the Drop Like Stars Tour Film and hardcover book.  To take advantage of this offer, just go to Zondervan ChurchSource here: http://zndr.vn/JeUpwE and add the pack to your cart.  You will be promoted to enter your promo/source code, and just enter this code:  ZC3CAA142.  Boom, it’s in your cart at $69.99.

Hope you take advantage of and enjoy this deal.  Also, in honor of mother’s day this coming Sunday, here is a clip from NOOMA 021 | She:

Be sure also to visit and subscribe to the Small Group Bible Study playlist on YouTube.  There are nearly 100 full-length sessions available for free to view from authors and pastors like Bill Hybels, Andy Stanley, Craig Groeschel, and Rick Warren.

The concept of My One Word is simple. Lose the long list of resolutions—all your sweeping promises to change—and do something about one thing this year instead of nothing about everything. Choose just one word that represents what you most hope God will do in you, and focus on it for an entire year. This single act will force clarity and concentrate your efforts. As you focus on your word over an extended period of time, you position yourself for God to form your character at a deep, sustainable level. Growth and change will result.

Author Mike Ashcraft, who has led his church through this My One Word project for more than five years, and Proverbs 31 Ministries author and speaker Rachel Olsen, who has lived it, are encouraging, insightful, good-humored, yet realistic in this enjoyable read. Their stories of growth and change through My One Word will keep you motivated. Throughout the book you’ll also find words and stories of people just like you who have joined the My One Word movement and discovered the power of just one word. Includes discussion questions for use with the corresponding small group video curriculum, My One Word: A DVD Study.

We need your help in selecting a cover design.  Below are two different options, and we would like your opinions on them.  You can refer to them as the “boggle concept” and the “funnel concept”.  Thanks!

I’ll be talking more about Love Without Walls in future weeks here on the blog. It’s the newest book in the Leadership Network Innovation Series. You can look for it in stores in early June.

Following is an excerpt from the introduction, entitled “Going Boldly”. And although “going boldly” is a Star Trek reference, because of the new Avengers movie I couldn’t help but think of Hulk, Thor, and Iron Man as I read this passage. Take a look and you’ll see what I mean….

We all love stories of heroes. Of great battles fought and won. The “Cinderella story” of coming from behind and claiming victory. Whether fictional or true to life, these stories capture our attention, emotions, and hearts. They inspire us to do great things. They give us hope and faith in our world and humankind.

No one is inspired by no-win scenarios. The lost cause makes us drop our hands to our sides and walk away.

Looking objectively at the world around us, we can put much of what we see in the second, less desirable category. I’ve spent the past twenty-five years confronting situations many would consider no-win. The challenges in our society are great and seemingly hopeless. We see generational cycles of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, inadequate health care, child abuse, elder abandonment – the list goes on. These issues seem insurmountable, and we sometimes want to turn our heads and hope the problems go away. What difference can we make?

And yet.

When it comes to serving the poor and the marginalized, I don’t believe in no-win scenarios. I believe that as followers of Christ, we have been called to a mission. We have been created for a purpose beyond ourselves. And while we have no promise of total success here on earth, we are equipped with unique passions and gifts that provide supercharged power for this mission. Through our efforts – and sometimes despite them – God uses us to accomplish his mission to redeem, restore, and rebuild his creation as he intended it to be: in harmony with him and itself. 

And in this process of redemption, he changes us too. Healing us. Filling us with his love not just for the poor and those in need but for all broken and hurting people – which we soon come to realize includes us. We are also broken people.

That is one big win-win.

Love Without Walls is available for pre-order at Amazon, CBD, B&N, and wherever books are sold. Ebooks are also available for pre-order.