The Coach Approach Ministries Podcast

Welcome to the Coach Approach Ministries Podcast! Coaching is a skillset and a mindset that helps people find focus, discover options and take action. At CAM, we train the very best Christian coaches in the world, and over the last decade, we've trained well over a thousand. Through this podcast, we want to share insights from the Coaching Community and help you to develop a broader understanding of coaching. You can find out more about us at www.coachapproachministries.org and sign up for our proven coach training.

The Coach Approach Ministries Podcast is a business podcast hosted by Coach Approach Ministries, with 533 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Coach Approach Ministries hosts The Coach Approach Ministries Podcast, a business show with 533 episodes published.

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  Episode #537

  Why Church Meetings Go Nowhere—and How to Help

  Oct 1, 202617 min

  Episode Overview Church meetings can leave people frustrated, exhausted, and wondering whether anything was accomplished. In this solo episode, Brian Miller, president of Coach Approach Ministries, explores how taking a coach approach can help ministry teams address what matters, build ownership, and leave with clear next steps. Drawing on his experience as a coach and interim pastor, Brian walks through a process for moving from scattered discussion to purposeful conversation. He also explains how participants can help a meeting stay productive while respecting the person leading it. Key Ideas & Takeaways Prioritize the issues that deserve discussion. Keep reports and updates brief, and identify what actually needs the group's attention. Before diving into the first subject someone raises, rank the issues and agree on the most important ones. Find the real problem. The issue initially named may be a symptom of something deeper. Using an illustration from Moneyball , Brian encourages teams to widen the conversation long enough to understand what they truly need to address. Define a useful outcome. Ask what the group needs to decide or figure out before the meeting ends. A clear desired outcome gives the conversation direction and helps prevent endless discussion. Draw out ideas before settling on a solution. A leader's quick answer can leave everyone else silent and uninvested. Invite multiple perspectives and possibilities so the team helps shape the next steps and has a reason to support them. Keep the conversation focused. Other important issues will surface, but they do not all belong in the current discussion. Acknowledge them, set them aside for another time, and bring the group back to the problem or options it has agreed to explore. Make responsibility and accountability clear. Before leaving, identify who will do what, when it needs to happen, and when the team will hear back. In a ministry setting, asking who will be let down if the work remains undone can connect follow-through to the people the team serves. Use judgment about when to step in. You do not have to lead a meeting to help facilitate it, but timing and respect matter. Brian describes a situation where supporting the leader through a later conversation was more appropriate than immediately intervening. Memorable Quotes & Ideas "What I really want to know out of your report is what do we as a group need to talk about?" "You don't have to know what the real problem is, but you can help the room, kind of think through and figure out what is the real problem here." "If it's their idea, they're a lot more likely to do it than if it's your idea." A supportive-sounding "good luck" can reveal that people see a plan as the leader's project rather than something they own together.

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  Episode #536

  Insight from 12,000 Hours with LC Etheridge

  Sep 24, 202631 min

  Episode Overview What changes when we view human development through a biblical lens rather than through the individualism that shapes much of modern coaching and personal development? Brian Miller talks with MCC coach Laura-Catherine Etheridge about insights she has gained through more than 12,000 hours of coaching. LC explains how years of working with clients, assessment tools, and leadership development led her back to Scripture with a specific question: What does God teach us about human beings and how they actually grow? Their conversation challenges the assumption that maturity means becoming increasingly self-sufficient. Instead, biblical development points toward greater dependence on God, healthy interdependence with others, and the humility to recognize that we were never intended to possess every strength ourselves. Brian and LC also explore how coaches can use assessment tools without allowing the underlying assumptions of those tools to define their understanding of people. Key Ideas & Takeaways Experience matters in coaching. There is no substitute for actually coaching people. Practice develops skill, judgment, and the ability to recognize patterns that cannot be learned from information alone. Coaching itself can be powerful marketing. Especially for newer coaches, getting in front of people and giving them an experience of coaching simultaneously develops the coach and exposes others to the value of coaching. Knowing what to do does not mean we will do it. After thousands of coaching conversations, LC became increasingly interested in why intelligent, motivated people can understand what needs to change and still struggle to move forward. Biblical development is not independence. Much of Western personal development assumes that the mature person becomes increasingly self-sufficient. Scripture presents a different trajectory: increasing dependence on God and healthy interdependence with others. We were not designed to become complete by ourselves. Marriage, family, the Body of Christ, and other biblical pictures of human flourishing consistently emphasize relationship and community. Growth requires more than our own internal resources. From a Christian perspective, development involves Jesus Christ, Scripture, God's work in us, and the perspective and contribution of other people. Assessment tools are useful—but incomplete. LC does not divide assessments simply into "good" and "bad." Almost every assessment can provide useful information, but coaches should recognize the assumptions behind the tool and interpret the results through a broader biblical framework. Assessment results should produce humility rather than entitlement. Knowing your personality or strengths should not become an excuse to say, "This is who I am, so everyone else needs to adapt to me." Greater awareness should help us understand how our strengths can serve others. Working Genius illustrates interdependence well. Brian points out that the model assumes the work requires six different geniuses while an individual typically has only two. Awareness of your strengths therefore also creates awareness of what you need from others. You don't need every skill—but you need enough awareness to recognize what is needed. Mature leaders can identify when someone else's strengths are better suited to the situation and create space for that person to contribute. Completeness comes through relationship. LC connects Jesus' call to "be perfect" or complete with dependence upon a complete God and healthy relationships with people whose gifts differ from our own. Christian coaches need to examine the assumptions behind their training. Coaching models, leadership frameworks, and assessment tools can quietly shape our view of people. Scripture should ultimately provide the framework through which those ideas are evaluated. Memorable Quotes & Ideas "The only way to get experience is to get experience." "Just coach as much as you possibly can." "You can be amazing, but you're supposed to be amazing in an interdependent way, not an independent way." "Is my dependence upon God growing? Is my healthy interdependence with people growing?" "I don't have all the skills, but I should have all the awareness." A different definition of maturity: Growth is not becoming someone who needs nobody. It is becoming increasingly dependent upon God while becoming increasingly capable of healthy interdependence with others. A better way to use assessments: Instead of asking, "What does this assessment say everyone needs to know about me?" ask, "How can what I now know about myself help me better serve and work with others?" The humility of strengths: Knowing what you do well should also make you more aware of what you do not do well—and more appreciative of the people who bring those strengths. Upcoming Webinar: LC Etheridge will expand on lessons from more than 12,000 hours of coaching in an October 8 webinar, including an insight she wishes she had understood much earlier in her coaching career.

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  Episode #535

  Coaching a Small Group Movement with Jim Jansen

  Sep 17, 202625 min

  Episode Overview Churches often know they need small groups, but creating a small group movement requires more than good curriculum or a one-time training session. Brian Miller talks with Jim Jansen about why coaching may be the missing piece. Rather than trying to teach new facilitators everything they could possibly need to know before they begin, churches can give them enough to get started and then surround them with ongoing encouragement, questions, listening, and support as real challenges arise. Jim introduces a simple structure for sustainable small group movements and explains why the often-missing role—the coach or mentor who comes alongside group facilitators—can make the difference between having a collection of groups and developing a movement that changes a church's culture. Key Ideas & Takeaways Content usually isn't the problem. Churches already have an enormous amount of small group content available. More information alone won't create a healthy movement. Too much upfront training can actually become a barrier. Jim describes the mistake of trying to give new facilitators everything he had learned over decades in a two-hour training. Instead of preparing people, it overwhelmed them. Give leaders enough to begin, then support them as they learn. A coaching environment allows facilitators to deal with challenges when those challenges are actually being experienced. Not everyone needs the same training. One leader may need help with a participant who dominates the conversation, while another needs to learn how to draw quieter people into the discussion. Coaching allows development to become individualized. There are probably more potential small group leaders than current small group leaders. The gap may not be a lack of capable people. It may be a lack of ongoing encouragement and support. Jim's small group movement structure includes several levels: Participants who belong to the group. Facilitators who lead the groups. Coaches or mentors who support the facilitators. Movement leaders who coordinate the overall ministry. In some settings, the pastor may provide another level of leadership. The coach or mentor is often the missing role. This person comes alongside facilitators, helps them reflect on what is happening in their groups, and helps them work through ordinary leadership challenges. As a movement grows, coaching needs to multiply. A movement leader may initially coach three or four facilitators personally. Once that grows to seven, ten, or more leaders, additional coaches are needed. The coaches may require more intentional development than the facilitators. A mentor who becomes overly prescriptive can unintentionally create dependence rather than develop the facilitator. A coach doesn't assume they know the answer. Coaching helps facilitators develop their own ability to think, discern, solve problems, and make decisions. A coaching approach begins with humility. Jim describes foundational assumptions that the Spirit of God is already at work, people are intelligent, and the coach does not know everything about the situation. Confidence in people is contagious. Facilitators can sense when someone believes they are capable and trusts that God is working in and through them. Powerful questions can redirect a facilitator's attention. Asking, "What is the Lord doing in this group?" can move a leader beyond logistical frustrations and help them recognize what is actually happening in people's lives. Look beneath difficult behavior. When a participant is disagreeable or disruptive, Brian suggests asking, "What does that person need?" rather than immediately focusing on how to stop the behavior. Intentional listening is a core coaching skill. Effective leaders listen beyond words to facial expressions, body language, emotions, and what God may be doing beneath the surface. Observations can create awareness without becoming prescriptive advice. Simple statements such as "You seem frustrated" or "You might need to start on time" give the facilitator something to wrestle with without taking ownership of the decision away from them. Don't assume everyone dislikes the things you dislike. Facilitators can unnecessarily carry responsibilities because they assume nobody else would want them. Inviting others to contribute can develop new leaders and give people meaningful ways to serve. Encouragement matters. Small group facilitators regularly need someone reminding them that they are doing better than they think and that ordinary struggles do not mean they are failing. Memorable Quotes & Ideas "If content were the problem, we would have had that fixed a long time ago, because we are swimming in content." "There are probably more people who are capable of leading a small group than are currently leading a small group." "Sometimes mentors become prescriptive." "The Spirit of God is working through this facilitator." "People can feel the confidence you have in them." "What is the Lord doing in this group?" "What does that person need?" "People have to own that decision for themselves." "You cannot over-encourage these small group facilitators." From groups to a movement: The key difference isn't simply starting more groups. It is creating an internal support structure that continually develops the people leading those groups. Train for reality rather than every possibility: Instead of anticipating every problem in advance, equip facilitators with the basics and give them access to someone who can help them think when actual problems arise. Coaching develops leaders instead of creating dependence: A prescriptive mentor becomes the person with all the answers. A coach helps the facilitator become increasingly capable of navigating challenges themselves. A simple coaching toolkit: Powerful questions, intentional listening, concise observations, and encouragement can dramatically improve the experience of a small group facilitator without requiring the coach to be an expert in every situation.

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  Episode #534

  From First Conversation to Disciple-Maker: The Four Moves Every Church Needs

  Sep 10, 202632 min

  Episode Overview What does it actually look like for a church to make disciples—not just attract people or teach them more information? Brian Miller talks with Jim Jansen about building a clear discipleship pathway that moves people from initial relationships to mature faith and eventually equips them to help others do the same. Jim outlines four essential movements—relational outreach, a conversion moment, faith formation, and evangelization formation—and explains how a coaching approach helps churches discover what each of those should look like in their own context. Key Ideas & Takeaways 1. Start with Relational Outreach Churches have to answer a basic question: Where and how are we connecting with people outside the church? Evangelism doesn't have to look like door-knocking or street preaching. Coaching helps individuals identify their existing relationships, interests, communities, and natural spheres of influence. Churches can ask the same question collectively: Where has God already given us relationships and influence? 2. Evangelism Should Fit the Person People often resist evangelism because they have one particular model in mind that doesn't fit who they are. A coaching approach asks how someone naturally connects with people rather than imposing a predetermined method. The early church demonstrates that relational outreach doesn't depend on buildings, budgets, institutional credibility, or cultural influence. 3. Create a Conversion Moment Relationships alone aren't the entire discipleship process. Churches need intentional opportunities for people to encounter the gospel and decide whether they will follow Jesus. Jim points to Alpha as one example, but the specific ministry isn't the point. The better question is: What would an authentic conversion opportunity look like for our church and our community? 4. Don't Copy Someone Else's Method Brian describes discovering that traditional altar calls didn't fit him particularly well, while Communion provided a meaningful, tangible opportunity to invite people to respond to Jesus. What works in one church or for one pastor may not work somewhere else. Coaching helps churches discern the right tool rather than simply importing someone else's successful program. 5. Faith Formation Is More Than Information Once someone decides to follow Jesus, they need to learn how to live as a disciple. Churches tend to be strongest in this area, but often default to classrooms, Sunday school, or other information-heavy approaches. Formation is relational and experiential as well as intellectual. A critical coaching question is: How do we want people to live differently as a result of this experience? 6. Start with the Outcome, Not the Curriculum Instead of immediately asking what should be taught or when a class should meet, Jim encourages churches to ask: What do we want people to do? How do we want them to live? Who already lives this way? What experiences helped form them? Those questions often produce a very different discipleship strategy. 7. Evangelization Formation Creates Multiplication The fourth movement may be the most frequently overlooked: helping disciples become people who make disciples. People need to recognize that sharing their faith is part of their calling. They also need to discover how their unique gifts shape the way they participate. Basic skills—sharing your story, starting spiritual conversations, facilitating groups, and explaining the gospel—can be developed. People also need community and encouragement because evangelization works best as a team sport . 8. A Discipleship Pathway Connects All Four Movements Jim shares the story of St. Francis Cabrini Parish in Omaha, which had experienced decades of decline. The church intentionally developed each stage: Building relationships in the surrounding community. Using Alpha to introduce people to Jesus. Developing home-based small groups for formation. Equipping people to understand their gifts and become disciple-makers. The result was a dramatic turnaround in attendance, giving, engagement, and the overall vitality of the church. Memorable Quotes & Ideas "Where do you naturally have influence and connection?" "We have a responsibility. We have a mission field." "What does it look like for us to preach the gospel?" "What do you want them to do? How do you want them to live?" "The person talking is the person learning." "Evangelization, at its best, is a team sport." "There is a call on my life to share my faith, but the Lord has made me to do that in a very unique way." A healthy discipleship pathway answers four questions: Where do we connect with people? Where do we introduce them to Jesus? How do we mature them as disciples? How do we send them out to make disciples?

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  Episode #533

  How Regional Leaders Can Become the People Pastors Want to Call

  Sep 3, 202628 min

  Episode Overview Regional church leaders occupy a unique position: they carry a larger vision while serving local churches with vastly different needs, cultures, and challenges. In this conversation, Brian Miller talks with Jim Jansen, founder of Anchor Consulting, about why coaching may be one of the most valuable tools a regional leader can develop. Drawing from Jim's years of working with local churches, they explore how coaching can turn denominational leadership from something local pastors resist into a relationship they welcome. Key Ideas & Takeaways 1. Regional Leaders Have an Advantage Outsiders Don't Outside consultants can bring valuable expertise, but regional leaders already understand the denomination's culture, language, priorities, relationships, and history. They can see patterns across churches and connect leaders with resources and people they already know. Jim describes them as potential "inside coaches." 2. Organizational Authority Can Be an Asset—or a Liability A visit from a denominational leader can trigger the question: "What do they want?" Local leaders may expect another request for money, another program, or the latest organizational initiative. Coaching changes the posture from "Here's what we need from you" to "How can I help you?" 3. People Don't Necessarily Want Coaching—They Want Breakthroughs Jim's team began simply giving coaching away. As pastors experienced progress, encouragement, and helpful conversations, coaching began to "sell itself." The relationship changed because regional leaders were increasingly experienced as helpful rather than intrusive. 4. A Shared Vision Doesn't Require a Uniform Plan Regional leadership still has an important role in establishing vision and priorities. Jim's organization had a clear emphasis on evangelism and mission. Coaching allowed each local church to answer the question: What does that vision look like here? 5. Local Leaders Need to Own the Plan A regional leader can cast a compelling vision, but the local church ultimately has to make it its own. The pastor and congregation understand their particular people, community, opportunities, and limitations. Coaching helps them develop a plan that fits their context instead of merely implementing someone else's strategy. 6. Coaching Demonstrates Trust in Local Leadership Jim argues that regional leaders should trust that the Spirit of God is at work in local pastors and leaders. The regional leader doesn't have to determine exactly how the larger vision will be implemented everywhere. Coaching creates space for local leaders to discern how that vision should come alive in their particular setting. 7. Coaching Can Produce Organizational Fruit Jim describes having roughly one-third of ministry leaders engaged in some cadence of coaching. Over six or seven years, what felt ordinary day-to-day produced significant results. He credits the coach approach as an important foundation for the fruit and goodwill they experienced. 8. Coaching May Be the Missing Tool for Regional Leadership Regional leaders often have vision, relationships, and access but lack a reliable way to help local leaders translate vision into action. Equipping trusted regional staff with coaching skills can extend the ministry of senior denominational leaders across many churches. Coaching connects big-picture vision with local ownership, action, and accountability. Memorable Quotes & Ideas "People don't want coaching. They want the breakthroughs." "How else can I be of help to this local church?" "You could have a vision, but it's the local pastor, it's the local church, that has to not only make the vision their own, but they have to make the plan." "Have a little bit of respect for the Spirit of God at work in local leadership." "Coaching is probably the missing tool to help you extend your ministry to all the local churches." "We saw so much fruit and so much goodwill built when we began to approach things with a coaching mindset."

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