[The articles I post on ChurchCentral are drawn from recent issues of Christian Coaching Magazine and represent a wide array of leaders and coaches as the authors. Thanks for reading! -Jerome]

Impact Your Small Group with Coaching, from ChristianCoachingMag.com
by Eddie Hammett, PCC

“Without my small group, I would not be who I am today.”
“I connect with God as I connect more deeply with my small group.”
“When tough times or great times come, I always want my small group involved. My group always shows up for me and represents the presence of God in my life.”

These are comments I often hear from people in small groups. I too have benefited deeply from many small groups over the years. Small groups differ from typical Sunday School classes in that small groups are facilitated—not taught. Where classes begin with information and move (hopefully) to life application, small groups most often begin with life issues and then draw from content in the Bible or another resource. 

Since becoming a Christian coach, I have found my coaching skills to be a powerful force in small groups. Let’s talk about the distinctive of coaching in small groups. How do coaching skills impact this setting?

Distinctives of Coaching in Small Groups
Coaches bring a unique skill-set to small groups. Coaches are more about…

 asking powerful questions than simply generating dialogue
 helping people move forward than untangling past issues
 connecting the dots of discovery than dictating direction
 facilitating the agenda of others than their own agenda
 listening than talking, seeking to discern how and where God is at work

How Coaching Impacts Small Groups
Coaching is about action, whereas small group leaders are often content with dialogue…and small groups need both sets of skills for maximum impact. Without coaching, facilitation can leave a group “circling the field” over and over again without ever “landing the plane.” Coaching is about landing the plane!

Top Ten Ways You Can Coach Your Small Group:

1. Be “fully present” and acutely attentive to what people say.
2. Invite the group to stretch and grow rather than be content with comfortable.
3. Create a confidential environment that establishes trust.
4. Use powerful, open-ended questions that elicit discovery.
5. Listen, not only for what is said, but what is not said—body language, vocal energy, etc.
6. Ask permission to challenge a speaker; don’t assume.
7. Affirm people’s hearts, acknowledge their obstacles, and celebrate their successes.
8. Invite individuals to envision what is possible, explore options, and forecast the consequences of their decisions.
9. Ask for commitment to action: “What are you willing to do now?”
10. Pray for and look for the Holy Spirit’s leadership in the coaching context.

Coaching will strengthen your small group by the discerning presence of the coach, the power of the questions, and the intentionality and commitment to forward movement, not just dialogue.

Eddie Hammett, PCC is a coach trainer and the author of Reframing Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Leadership in a Secular Age. www.transformingsolutions.org; www.ca-ministries.com

©2009 ChristianCoachingMag.com, Used by permission.