“Christian coaching is a way of taking your life from where it is now to where it could be as you live into the fullness of what God wants for your life,” Rev. Alexis Coleman, PIP coach and Associate pastor of Missions and Membership, Davidson UMC

“Christian coaching is an opportunity to explore a particular issue, challenge, or opportunity in the context of a safe, freeing conversation with someone who is not inside the ministry situation or context.” Dr. Christine Harman, PIP Coach and Christian Formation Coordinator, NCCUMC

“Coaching is a sacred experience where people are invited to be themselves, to be appreciated for who they are, to celebrate the ministry they are currently in, and to be able to discuss what is happening freely and safely,” Dr. Laura Early, PIP Coach and lead pastor of All God’s Children and Union Campus

Appreciative Inquiry is a model or process for analysis, good decision making, and creating strategic change.

Strengths-based focus means building your life and your work around what you do best rather than focusing on weaknesses and putting much of your time and energy into improving them.  In our work, we use the Gallup Clifton StrengthsFinder tool.

“In the open space of the coaching dialogue we believe God is at work in the conversation to help encourage, equip, and strengthen ministries,” Peg Aldridge, Co-Founder Passion in Partnership

When people are working together, they often focus solely on problems and what is not working.  In doing so, conversations get entrenched in information that they are already painfully aware of making it very difficult to be positive and creative as they negoitate their way toward something better. This produces a sense of hopelessness and leads to narrow minded either/or thinking and even conflict as people begin to “side” with this solution verses that solution.

Outcome-based dialogue is based on what we hope for and what we want our life together to look like when we reach that goal. Outcome-based dialogue has the power to build unity even when circumstances are difficult, because it does not pit one person (group) or idea against the other. Coaches facilitate healthy conversations with questions that often reveal wisdom and a way forward that has been masked by narrow thinking, lack of imagination and most importantly theological depth and reflection. When people truly think together about what God wants to see more of and the ways in which they have been equipped to move into those spaces, new possibilities, new ideas, and creativity spring forth into ministry that produces fruit.

“Fruitful ministry brings glory to God as it builds up God’s Kingdom.  It is a blessing to the world and to the work of the Church,”  Rev. Beth Hood, Co-Founder of Passion in Partnership.

Fruitful ministry makes a transformational impact inside and outside the local church context. Fruitfulness happens when the strengths and the needs of the community intersect with the strengths and passion of a congregation. Because every context is different, there is no such thing as a one size fits all definition of how it happens. How will you know when it is happening? Galatians 5:22-23 paints a beautiful picture of what to look for.

All of our coaches are trained in the same methodology and they also come with lots of different ministry experience. After you have determined that coaching is something you want to pursue, we will conduct a coach matching call. This is a time for us to understand more about you, the context where you are serving and some of the hopes and goals you have in mind so we may match you with the coach that is ideal for your context.  A coach matching call often happens during an initial contact call once we are able to answer your questions about coaching in general. If you would like to explore receiving a coach further, please contact us.

Individual coaching happens mostly by phone. You talk one to two times per month for 50 minutes to an hour.  Depending on context, group coaching happens most often in person, online, and occasionally by phone.

We coach in different settings.  Please contact us so we may answer this question specific to your context.

We currently have 39 coaches trained and certified through PIP. They have been equipped for pastoral, congregational, and church staff coaching through more than 83 contact learning hours and a supervised practicum. Our coaches continue to be supervised and have access to their own monthly coaching, as well as 2-3 yearly continuing education opportunities.