Coaching--Getting There Faster

I am going to have the privilege this week of spending some time with leaders at Purdue University who will gathering to develop their coaching skills. It's always a joy to be around people who are passionate about helping other people reach their potential and make progress in the pursuit of their dreams. That's what coaching is all about--coming alongside someone and helping them move forward in their journey where ever they may be heading. Coaching helps people define the destination and then helps them to map out an individualized plan to get to their articulated destination.

Andy Stanley said "you will get farther faster" when you have have someone coaching you. I whole heartedly agree with his assessment. Progress is accelerated when you have a partner assisting you in creating a plan, providing a level of accountability to following the plan and cheering you on and celebrating your progress.

In my own life I have made significant forward progress as a result of the assistance of a couple of coaches who came alongside of me. I probably would have gotten where I wanted to be without them but I am convinced that I got there faster and acutally further than I anticipated with their partnership. I'll be forever grateful for their input and partnership in my development.

It has been a great privilege of mine to provide the same service to many others over the past decade. Watching people have those "aha" moments when the revelation of the next critical step unfolds for them is energizing to me. What a joy it is to celebrate the progress they make as they take steps from their own self discovery. I love coaching others. Helping other people struggle to succeed is energizing for me.

Helping others--that's what I'm about and that's what coaching is about.

So I have two questions for you--who is helping you and who are you helping?

Roger Stacy

The Importance of Relationships--Social Networks

This past week I had the wonderful privilege of attending Dave Williams' Church Planting School in St. Pete Beach, Florida. It was an informative and fun week. It was also a joy to develop some new strategic relationships. Participants from six states and Jamaica joined together for a time of inspiration, preparation and impartation. It was also a great time of connected with some existing friends and creating some new friendships.

I was again reminded how important relationships are to the advancement of the kingdom. In fact relationships are all that the kingdom of God is about. Jesus said everything of importance is summed up in a relational context. He said right relationship with God and with others is what everything thing else of importance hinges upon. Relationships are vital to life and ministry. Our relationship with God, our relationship with the people of God and our partners in ministry as well as our relationship with our pre-Chrisitan contacts is what's ultimately important.

"If you want to have friends, show yourself friendly." Friendship with God and others--that's what I am tyring to stay focused on.


Successful church planting is about developing friendships and helping people build a relationship with the friend of all friends who will "stick closer than a brother." So the questions I want to ask are: Who are the new people who have recently been added to your friend list? Which of them have you facilitated becoming a part of your friend's friends list? Who have you had the privilege of introducing to your most important friend--Jesus?



Roger Stacy

Funding Church Plants

I had an interesting conversation yesterday with a friend regarding the relationship between the amount of funding for new church plants and the success rates of those new church plants. There seems to be a balance point at which a church plant can be overfunded as well as underfunded. Where do you think the balance point is? What are your thoughts?