On Monday night I had quite the evening. It was both the first night of my son’s tee ball season as well as a night of leadership development for Captivate Church. We scheduled the leadership development meeting prior to receiving a schedule for the tee ball. While I felt rushed in between, both activities turned out wonderfully.
As I was driving from the tee ball fields to the location of our meeting a few thoughts came to mind.
1. Everyone needs a ‘coach’. I hope you have at least one.
2. A Pastors role is like a spiritual coach. We can’t play the game for people but we can cheer them on, help them adjust and console them after a bad play.
3. The team deserves my best. To the tee ball field I wore athletic clothing. As I drove to the leadership meeting I thought for a second that I could just teach my church team in sweats to save some of their time. Our people would have been fine with this. As that thought came to mind however, I immediately dismissed it. Our people deserve as best presentation as I can give. They deserve me to be organized and clear. They deserve me to be composed and ready to go. They deserve my best if I’m going to call out the best in their lives. I went into the restroom and gave it my best “Superman” impersonation by how quickly I changed clothes. The team deserves my best.
4. Coaches need assistants. I’m fortunate to have two fathers who also came ready to help however they could. With nine kids under six years old, you NEED help. If you’re a Pastor doing everything on your own, you’re likely prideful or afraid to lead. It is so important that you give yourself permission to empower others to help. In fact, it’s your responsibility – (see Ephesians 4).
5. Know the way, Go the way, Show the way- My friend John once passed along this nugget of leadership he learned from a former pastor. As I coached the tee ball team and then again with our church leadership team I was again reminded that the two weren’t terribly different. If I am to lead both groups of people I have to know where we’re going (cast vision), go where I’m asking them to go (lead by example and only teach what I am able/willing to do myself) and show the way through teaching and instruction. One of the worst things to do as a leader is to just point and explain without taking time to walk along with someone to show them the way.
If you’re a leader to any degree I want to encourage you to consider yourself a coach. Are you willing to build a team and improve on the strengths and weaknesses of the people God brings across your path? Are you willing to challenge, instruct and encourage? Are you willing to hand over the reigns to some assistants who can live out their calling and help you achieve yours?
Everyone needs a coach. Who is your coach and who are you coaching?
