God has given us many ways to help one another grow as followers of Jesus and become more effective at leading churches or ministries whether large or small. 
But, I want the remainder of this book to focus on coaching ministry leaders. Let's wrap up this chapter by looking at the uniqueness of coaching in a ministry leader context.
Unlike mentoring, coaching puts the one being coached first. The skillful coach asks questions of the one being coached and then spends 60% - 80% of the time listening intently. It's not about the knowledge or wisdom of the coach – it's about the ideas, hopes, dreams and plans generated by the one being coached, all in the context of a helping and encouraging relationship.
Here is the key difference between mentoring and coaching. In mentoring, either the mentor or the one being mentored sets the agenda and the mentor provides wisdom, knowledge and skill training for the one being mentored where needed. In coaching, the person being coached sets the agenda, expectations, goals and actions, not the coach.
Ministry leadership coaching can take place in a variety of settings. The most commonly used setting is in one-to-one meetings. Ministry coaching can also be used effectively in small groups or ministry teams. Examples include Transition Teams, Church Boards, Pastor Search Teams, Ministry Team Leaders, to name a few.
Ministry coaching can also occur among peer groups where the participants coach one another, provided those participating receive some training or basic orientation in coaching skills. To be most effective, it is recommended that peer groups who meet for coaching be limited to two or three people.
Ministry coaching focuses primarily on skill development and planning. Coaching is uniquely designed to help the one being coached develop, sharpen and use leadership skills while setting and achieving goals. Accountability is built into effective ministry coaching.
The coach in a ministry relationship focuses on the primary skills of intercessory prayer, asking effective coaching questions, listening intently and helping the person being coached to formulate and apply a plan of action to accomplish his or her vision.
Finally, ministry coaching is short term while mentoring is long term, even for a lifetime. Generally speaking, a coaching relationship is based on a contract with a focus determined by the person being coached. Because of the specific focus, coaching may last for only one session or it may go on for up to about two years. The coaching relationship, focus and effectiveness need to be evaluated by the client in collaboration with the coach at an agreed-upon time.
(This blog is an excerpt from a book in progress on coaching ministry leaders.)
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