From Steve Shaffer, Director of Coaching and Discipleship
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…” In God’s loving generosity, he created humanity with free will and then pours himself out to show his love in hopes that love frees us to change and align our will with His. God’s example teaches us that respecting free will and loving others are fundamental to the mission of God. Mission Alive invests in coaching because we believe that the coaching paradigm of walking alongside others, empowering their growth, and respecting their autonomy embodies God’s love for his creation.
Paradoxically, when we refrain from giving advice and instead come alongside others we find that change happens, growth multiplies, and our influence increases. That’s why we call Catalyze Coaching, “Kenotic conversations for growth and change.” The power of coaching comes from a willingness to empty ourselves of the need to benefit in any way from the conversation. Free from the distraction of self-benefit, coaches become a sanctifying presence that frees others to grow authentically. This attitude combined with unique conversational skills provide a powerful environment for God to work. Knowing that coaching involves denying self,
listening deeply, and asking powerful questions is one thing… actually doing it is another. That’s why we offer different levels of training.
Leadership (2.5 days) – an in-depth understanding about coaching.
Certification (6 months) – a deep understanding of coaching combined with coaching
skills development and practice.
One recent participant said, “The Catalyze Coach Training provided the right combination of theory, practice, and individual feedback that I needed to get started in coaching. The training was hands-on and practical, focusing on skills I needed for my current coaching role.”
Even if you don’t anticipate coaching others in a formal way, we invite you to see coaching as a core skill in the pursuit of God’s mission.