Our lifeGroups use lifeLines in their weekly gatherings to navigate their way through the Four W's of lifeGroup, which are Welcome, Worship, Word and Witness.  Click on the lifeLines logo above and check it out. Let us connect you, we can connect you to a lifeGroup with similar life experiences as your own. Contact our lifeGroup Director Amy Meyer or 271-2811 x 11.

What is a lifeGroup?
At the Church we live life together in lifeGroup. We meet weekly in each others’ homes to share a meal and share our lives as we grow in Jesus. We worship, grow in the Word, pray and care for each other, and serve those in our community and the world.

Authentic biblical community requires deep connections. Our connection to other people is at the heart of our Christian experience. Though we often experience worship in a large setting with many other people, authentic connections happen most effectively in smaller groups where there is opportunity for dialog and relationships.

Our primary place for these authentic connections is in lifeGroup. If you are not actively involved in a lifeGroup, you may not be getting the whole picture of what a church experience is supposed to be. Take the time to live life together in a lifeGroup and discover how the Church can help you connect with people of all ages and walks of life.

What do you do in lifeGroups?
We welcome one another by spending time getting to know each other as we share a meal. Some people love to prepare a meal for their friends. Others enjoy the abundance of the good ol’ pot-luck or ordering a pizza. It’s not so much what’s put on the table as it is what happens around the table—conversation!

We experience and explore worship together. Some people draw as they listen to music. Others sing worship songs or read scripture. It’s not so much a matter of how we worship, but who we worship—Jesus!

We grow deeper in the Word together. Our focus is primarily on application of the Word and on encouraging one another as we allow God’s Word to affect life change.

We live as a witness to the freeing love of Jesus. We are always seeking to invite our neighbors and friends to join us. As a result, our lifeGroups are always multiplying as new leaders are raised up. We also find creative ways to use our gifts, time and talent to serve others in our community…we call it lifeServe.

How do I connect to a lifeGroup?
Check out our group finder, if any of the groups interest you, contact the leader directly and try it out.

Let us connect you, we can connect you to a lifeGroup with similar life experiences as your own. Contact our lifeGroup Director Amy Meyer, 271-2811 x 11.
 
When do they start?
You can join a lifeGroup at any time.

 

 

Coaching

Coaching is a purposeful and extended conversation about what you want and how to realize it. Based on a relationship of truth and trust, coaching is powered by a process and skill set that helps you to clarify your preferred future, identify the best path forward, and effectively navigate obstacles that impede your progress. 

The etymology of the word “coach” can be traced back to the 1500’s. That Old English definition still resonates today: “to transport a desired person from where they are to where they want to be.” Coaches do not determine your destination or your driving directions—they work to help you uncover your own best goals, strengths and strategies. They are change agents, committed to your change agenda.


How does coaching fit into the mission and vision of the Church?

 The mission of connecting people to life in Jesus is facilitated when people are living in alignment with their values, in right relationship to the key people in their lives, and leaning into the purpose that God created for them. Passion and energy is abundant and readily available for living the mission. Unexpected changes or challenges can complicate, even derail a person’s focus, balance and momentum, diverting attention and draining energy. Coaching accelerates the process of getting unstuck, on track, and renewed.

 
What does the Bible say about coaching?

The Bible does not say anything directly about coaching. However, Jesus was the master at asking people questions that led them to transformation. He definitely had a coaching approach to his earthly ministry. Think about these questions he asked: “Do you want to be healed?”  “Who do you say that I am?”  “Philip, how shall we feed these people?”  “Will you wait with me?” Jesus often engaged people in dialogue, and the questions that he asked led them to deep discoveries.   

 What are the benefits of coaching?

 

Coaching

 

• Narrows the gap between where you are and where you want to be
• Draws out and develops your untapped potential
• Surfaces and works with resistance to your own goals
• Uses unexpected, even unwanted change as a resource to craft a more engaging life
• Provides space for creative thinking, in which you are honored, challenged, and held accountable
• Improves your relationship with yourself and others
• Offers the opportunity to enjoy an authentic, high-trust relationship with a skilled and committed individual, who shares your interest in you

 

Who can be coached?  

Anyone who is ready for change, with a desire to get unstuck or move faster toward a goal, is a potential candidate for coaching. Unlike a casual conversation, coaching travels the terrain of thoughts and feelings with a powerful intention: to move you in the direction of living your deepest values and cherished dreams. Coaching will help you sort out and organize issues and options, understand yourself better, and move beyond your fear of change. It is future-focused, task-oriented, and depends upon your commitment to your own agenda and the coaching process. 

What are some examples of goals or challenges that are “coachable”? 

 Following is a sampling of concerns that are coachable: 

• I am unclear about how to discover or live my purpose  
• A difficult relationship is in a stuck place and draining my energy
• I feel insecure about my lifeGroup Leadership skills
• My life is out of balance and I am out of gas
• I am in a transition and need support and a plan

 

Do I have to be a member of the Church to qualify for coaching?

No. If a coach is available, we are happy to support you.

 

Is there a cost?

There is no monetary cost to you. You and your coach are both making an investment of time and effort, with the expectation that the return on investment will be the realization of your goals. Depending upon the availability of our coaches when you call, there may be a waiting period for coaching support

 

How does coaching work?

 Our coaches work within a five-step process, which unfolds during the course of the coaching engagement. Below is a high-level description of each ste

 What’s Up?

            define the goal, issue, situation

 What’s So?”

            understand current state, discuss facts, beliefs, and feelings

 What’s Possible?

            create a detailed vision of the preferred future state

 Ready to Go?

            build a plan, implement, course correct as necessary 

 Did we Grow?

            evaluate progress, learn from setbacks, share feedback

 Each coach is empowered to use their coaching skills, tools, and unique gifts to customize this process for best results.  

 

What is a typical coaching session like?

Coaching sessions range in length from 30 – 60 minutes, can be in person or over the phone, and may be supplemented with occasional e-mail check-ins between sessions

The first session is what we call a contracting meeting, where you share your goals and learn more about the coaching process. During this session, mutual expectations and meeting logistics are discussed.

A typical coaching session will be a conversation focused on your goals, plans, actions, barriers, breakthroughs, and learnings.

 

How long is the average coaching engagement?

 

 Sometimes a goal can be moved forward in just a few coaching sessions; other goals and coachable issues take more time. Meeting with a coach once or twice a month over a six to nine month period is typical. Depending on the level of urgency you have, and the availability of your coach, you may want to meet every week, or supplement your twice-monthly meetings with 20-minute phone check-ins. If you can only meet once a month, your coach may encourage you to report successes or setbacks via e-mail between sessions. You and your coach decide what works best for both of your schedules. 

 
 If I do my part, what can I expect from the coaching experience?

 

 Individuals who engage in effective coaching report renewed hope and belief in their abilities to dream and do. Through the coaching process, you take concrete steps toward critical goals, explore new ways of thinking and being, and develop new levels of self-awareness and self-appreciation. You will connect your dreams to real-world opportunities, road-test ideas and new behaviors, and collaborate with your coach to tweak your strategy. Resistance to change will be recognized, appreciated, and progressively diminished, losing power over time to derail or further delay your most meaningful goals.

Are coaches like accountability partners?  

Coaches do not operate like traditional accountability partners, unless you make that request of them, and they agree to the responsibility. Making decisions and taking action remains your exclusive responsibility during the coaching relationship. However, a coach may challenge your thinking, make an observation about the lack of alignment between your intentions and actions, or help you explore how you could be more accountable to your plan and goals

How is coaching different from Stephen Ministry?

Stephen Ministers are organized around Christ-centered caregiving, especially during periods of crisis, profound loss, and deep disappointment. Coaches are experts in the change process, and provide focused, action-oriented support for both small shifts and life-altering initiatives. Both coaching and Stephen Ministry share skill sets, like active listening and maintaining a focus on feelings. Both share an approach to supporting people in a non-judgmental, accepting, and confidential way.

 A key difference is that Stephen Ministers have a process orientation, and focus on the present moment through the frame of reference of the Care Receiver. In contrast, coaches focus on process and results, and support movement from current state to preferred future. A coach will, if appropriate, challenge the beliefs and assumptions underlying your frame of reference, to uncover the resistance you may unknowingly have to your own goals.

 

click here to more information about the situations and issues suitable for Stephen Ministry*

 How is coaching different from counseling or therapy?

A coach works in the here and now, and focuses on the future. A counselor or therapist works to bring a person out of his or her past to a productive present. It is not uncommon for a person to be in a longer-term relationship with a counselor or therapist, and seek out the short-term help of a coach for a specific goal.

If I am depressed, is coaching appropriate?

That depends. Periods of sadness and uncertainty are normal for any human being. We move through chapters and transitions during our lifetimes, and between the letting go of the old and the taking on of the new, it is normal to feel adrift, without direction, energy, or enthusiasm. Coaches are familiar with the territory we call “the nowhere between two somewheres,” and can help you find meaning in your loss of momentum.

 When you feel stuck, it can often be easier to describe what isn’t working and what you don’t want. During the course of a coaching engagement, you gain clarity about what you do want. As you articulate your thoughts and feelings in response to coaching questions, you discover what keeps you stuck.

If you are experiencing debilitating depression, anxiety, or any emotional instability that seems unrelated to a reasonable and customary life transition, please consult a mental health professional for diagnosis and potential treatment.

Does a coach work like a consultant?

 Consulting is typically about providing answers, solutions, action steps, and training for a particular problem. Coaching is about assisting a person to identify and build their own solutions and action steps. A consultant has knowledge and experience building solutions for situations similar to a client’s specific problem, and offers advice based on that history. A coach draws out solutions to problems from the client’s own expertise, values, and desires, and works through resistance they may have to change.

What is the difference between a mentor and a coach?

A mentor is typically seasoned in the role or situation of concern to the novice, and shares learnings and offers guidance harvested from their own past experiences. A coach brings value not by having lived through a similar scenario to yours, but by using a process and skills to help you tap into your inherent strengths, values, and creativity, generating an abundance of new possibilities that are right for you.

 Mentoring relationships can last for years; coaching relationships are contracted for specific periods of time. Many people access both a mentor and a coach for support in challenging times.

 

How is a coaching session different from talking with a friend, family member, or colleague?

 A  coach works from the premise that you are the expert, and invites the wisdom of your inner sage. However trusted, sincere, and well-intentioned they may be, family members and friends may want to rescue you, cheerlead you, or tough-love you into the course of action they see as best. They are connected to you, and because your decisions can have consequences for them, they may understandably have their own agenda for you. A coach comes to the relationship without an agenda, other than a commitment to your goals, and with the skills to help you see what’s in your way. 

Why doesn’t a coach just tell me what to do?

OK, let’s say your goal is to lose 25 pounds. Here’s the action plan: Eat less, move more. When a weight loss consultant tells you exactly what to do, or a helpful friend or mentor tells you exactly how they ate less and moved more, you applaud them outwardly but reject their plan internally. You may implement a few tips, but you know in your bones that their advice is applicable only to them. You are different, your history is different, your habits are different, your hardwiring is different. The problem is not what to do…it’s discovering and working with the resistance you have to what you say you want. Coaches help people discover the answers that lie within, make the best possible choices, and succeed on their own terms.

What qualifies a coach to give me advice? Shouldn’t people be able to solve their own problems?

With coaching, you do solve your own problems. A coaching relationship provides focused support, a way to think and speak about those problems with a person trained to ask and listen for your best answers. Together, you map and travel a path forward that comes from your own wisdom.

How do I know if coaching is the right approach for me? How do I know if my issue is “coachable”?

Coaching is the right approach for the achievement of small improvements, as well as significant, longer-term life goals. It facilitates life-enhancing attitudes, habits, and thinking, uncovering resistance that may be keeping you stuck. In general, if you want focused, relatively short-term support to achieve a goal, develop a new vision for your life, create a strategy for a difficult situation, or to simply get out of your own way, coaching can help.

If you are faced with the ongoing management of a chronic situation, outside of your influence to change, or are in survival mode—coping, grieving, hurting—a Stephen Minister is the right choice. If you need to heal emotional wounds, discover answers to your “why” questions, or suspect that you may have a diagnosable mental illness, a counselor or therapist is the right choice. If you need specific training or advice, seek a consultant, mentor, or an expert in that arena.

 Amy Meyer and Lynn Schoener can help you determine, in a confidential conversation, whether coaching is the right approach for you at this time.

How do I know if I am ready for coaching?

If you can answer “Yes” to these questions, you are ready for coaching:

o   Are you seeking personal growth or progress toward an important goal?

o   Are you motivated to change, rather than defend “the way things are”?

o   Are you willing to be honest with yourself and transparent with your coach?

o   Will you commit to regular coaching sessions?

o   Will you show up prepared?

 

I could use the support of a coach to help me manage my time better, but shouldn’t I wait until things aren’t so busy?

Hmmm…when might that be? 

 

What if I begin coaching and want to quit? 

Be respectful of your coach by communicating that you want to wrap up. Don’t stay in the coaching engagement to protect your coach’s feelings. They value authenticity, and will release you with love. There is a right time for change, and the time may not be right for you. 

 

I am not comfortable sharing private information. Is coaching confidential?

Yes. Rest assured that the content of your coaching conversations are held in confidence by your coach. You are encouraged to share that you are being coached, and by whom. You are encouraged to give permission to your coach to share, when asked, that they are working with you. But the content of your discussions stays between the two of you.

If I want to be coached, what do I do?

Your first option is to reach out to Amy Meyer, lifeGroup Director, for a referral to the right coach for you. You may also connect with a coach directly—their profiles and contact info are on the website. Call or e-mail them to discuss their current availability and to schedule an initial meeting.

How do I choose the right coach for me?

The “click factor” in a coaching relationship is an essential success factor. You may want to interview several coaches to determine the right fit—someone with whom you can be transparent, open, and honest. Amy Meyer can suggest a coach or guide you in making a selection. The Coaching Profiles [click here] on the website may assist you in narrowing your options.

I am friends with several of the coaches…should I work with someone else so we don’t muddy the friendship waters?

Coaching is a skill set and a role, not an identity. Ideally, everyone would be able to put the coaching hat on at a moment’s notice to help another get unstuck and move forward. If you can be authentic and open with your friend in a coach role, and work together within the coaching process on your goal, your friend could be a good choice.

If you are concerned that your friend will exit the friendship and assume a coach persona for the remainder of your relationship, don’t be. Coaches know how to navigate the coach/friend boundary. Depending on the goal or challenge and your history, a friend may not be the best coach for you. If you prefer to work with someone you know less well, that is completely understandable and easily arranged. 

What if I begin with one coach and decide I want a different coach?

If the fit is not feeling right for you, it is likely not feeling right for your coach either. Amy can support the transition to a different coach. It is helpful if you share your concerns with your coach early on, so that they can make changes to better support you. But if the “click factor” is missing, everybody benefits when the change is made. No hard feelings or awkward explanations necessary, we promise.

How are coaches selected?

Coaches are invited from the pool of leaders at the Church.

 

How are coaches trained?

Our coaches participate in a foundational coaching skills training program, and receive individualized coaching during their first year, which is focused on both personal goals and the application of coaching skills. Continuing education is provided through a twelve-month series of skill-building tele-classes, quarterly peer support conference calls, interviews and author calls with accomplished coaches in specialty areas, and annual coach retreats. Coaches have on-demand access to Amy Meyer and Lynn Schoener for questions and support.

Who coaches the coaches?

 Lynn Schoener serves as coach for the coaches. The coaches also provide support to one another informally and in Coach to Coach sessions. 

Can I become a coach?

 If you wish to be considered, please contact Amy Meyer.

 

  *Situations and issues suitable for Stephen Ministry

• Caring for the emotional needs of a sick/dying person
• Caring for the family of a sick/dying Person
• Supporting the providers or receivers of long-term care
• Offering caring/accessing resources for a depressed, possibly suicidal person
• Caring for those people grieving significant loss of job, marriage, friendship, home, faith
• Supporting a mother (or spouse/family member of the mother) experiencing a crisis in pregnancy or childbirth
• Helping people cope with the “new normal”—adjusting to life during/after significant life change (birth of baby, separation or divorce, empty nest)