We love to celebrate the success of our coaches many of whom are doing great work within fascinating niches.
Today we are looking at Coaching Clergy and Church Leaders with Steve Tash
One of my niches is coaching clergy and church leaders. This is the area in which I have most experience. I now work as a part-time chaplain with a hospital Trust. You hear information suggesting that being a clergyman or clergywoman is among the most fulfilling of vocations. For me that is certainly true. But naturally it comes at a cost and I feel my coaching can support where that cost bites. Church leaders can be outstanding people but they are human. They may be dealing with considerable suffering. There are deep joys but also pain. I know so very many who are such loving and impressive people. Many have had a huge impact upon me and I love the thought of giving something back to this unique way of life.
Imagine having a job spec that was something like: 'life, anything and everything that comes.......celebration, communication, brokenness, teaching about Jesus, listening, leading, making leaders, schools, councils, visiting bereaved, preparing people for marriage, connecting with people's spiritual hunger or experience and balancing 400 years of tradition with new and contemporary ways of being church.............and the rest.' That, alongside often working alone, marshalling a large team of volunteers, unable to measure what most presume as productivity and sensing the need to cope with so many expectations, internal and external. They might have only one day a week off and even that might be interrupted. They may well live on the job. Imagine the excitement and challenge of living at the interface between heaven and earth.
Who would want that responsibility and for so little remuneration? They are people who feel called by God to live faithfully rather than successfully. So I want to coach around all of those challenges as well as encouraging a fabulous work/ life balance. I want their children to thrive and love having a vicar parent. Recently a coachee completed a project fully which is dear to his heart but was unfinished. This project may well benefit a large number of people across a whole county. I love the positive contribution coaching can make........"How will you benefit.............who else will benefit?"
I am just at the beginning and haven't got a large marketing budget, so rely very much on what feels like the very best way of getting customers; being recommended personally. And this is working for me. That may be slow and isn't accompanied by smart web pages (that may come), but it is very cost effective and is based on relationships. So it is trusted. There are on line clergy networks. However, it seems to me that coaching is new to the British church. We are pretty fine on education, training, spiritual direction, counselling and reviews. But I have not bumped into a pure GROW model, with its associated benefits. It may take some time for trainers within the church to be convinced. I am at present in discussion with senior personnel about how coaching can benefit.
If I had to find just one word to summarise my rationale for coaching church leaders, I think it would be encouragement. I want to encourage these special servants who give so much of themselves. Do you think the BBC's Rev. might have liked some genuine encouragement?
Reading about the encouragement and support Steve provides when coaching clergy and church leaders shows the great benefits you receive when working in an area you feel passionate about.
What are you passionate about? Could this be your coaching niche? Join the discussion on our Facebook page to let us know.
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