This book is a set up for a sequel and I’m ready for it
I was somewhat disappointed with Tom Camacho’s book. Perhaps I assumed too much from the title and the foreword. It’s not that the book was poorly written or that the subject matter was irrelevant; it appeared to promise one thing and deliver another.
The title says “Developing Kingdom leaders through coaching”. That is an audacious statement. I was expecting to read about the practics of coaching leaders, focusing on “how to”. My anticipation of reading came in large part because I am planning on developing a coaching course as a result of the doctoral program. While I enjoyed reading the “theory” and “biblical principles” of coaching, I was continually asking the question “so what” throughout. I disagreed with nothing and often said “yes,” but my frustration remained.
The simple analogy of “mining for gold” was compelling. The frequent stories, whether historical or personal to the author, brought practical application to the points made, yet I found myself wanting more.
When I first attended Bible Seminary, I chose between a “practical-based college” or an “academic, theology-based college”. I decided on the Academic College because, as a pastor’s son, I was raised in the know-how of ministry, yet I yearned for deeper theological study. In the case of “Mining for Gold”, I found the situation reversed. In this case, I am familiar with the theology of coaching, but I longed for a shortcut into practical planning and even syllabus-type support mechanisms for coaching.
What is clear from the book is that coaching is about listening to the Holy Spirit and following His guidance. While it is refreshing as a Pentecostal to hear such an emphasis on the Holy Spirit, I am still at an “academic loss” regarding how to put together a coaching program. Again, I reiterate that this is not the author’s responsibility or problem. It is mine. Perhaps the book could have been called “Mining for Gold: The Theology and Theory of Developing Kingdom Leaders through Coaching.” Admittedly, it’s a mouthful and may not grab the attention of potential readers browsing the Christian bookshelves in the Christian bookshop.
The author’s compelling and convincing story entitled ‘Losing Focus’ at the end of the book brought clarity and insight into the coach’s role. While the author’s intention was, as clearly labelled, to stay focused, I applied the story to the importance of self-leadership and self-discipline for the coach. In the book’s foreword, John Wright delivers excellent insight into the difference between a coach and a mentor (p8). A mentor has to be further ahead of the mentee, whereas a coach simply needs to have the skills to help a person reach their own goals. I found this comparison incredibly helpful. In my younger years, I rejected the idea of coaching because the coaches had not “done what I was doing.” I’m sorry if this seems arrogant. It was not my intention to be so, only that I had been taught that you can’t be led by someone who hasn’t walked and led where you are. It isn’t brilliant, I know, and I now have a life coach, which has been very helpful. But the combination of the author’s final story on “focus” with the contrasts of coach and mentor can only be as beneficial as the individual being coached taking charge of themselves. As the ‘losing focus’ story highlights, what’s the point of knowing and having all the skills when you lose sight of the most important aspect, leading your own life? Too many leaders have led others but lost their way. The devastating impact of that is beyond compare.
Camacho’s six principles of mining for Gold/Coaching leadership (p97-98) provide a helpful source outline for a coaching program. Building a syllabus around the principles offers endless opportunities for a dedicated coach to create a coaching program that targets the “sweet spot” of every person.
Initially, I challenged the author’s statement about responsibility in coaching. He says, “In coaching leadership, we don’t bear the weight of someone’s growth. We simply draw out what’s inside them. We don’t own their outcomes or manage their behaviour (p36).” 2 Timothy 2:2 says, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” Further, Jesus connects a leader’s “fruit” to their effectiveness (see Matthew 7:15-20). There is a biblical link between leadership and the discipleship of others, but is fruit something we are responsible for or merely the byproduct of the opportunities we create for others to be discipled / coached? I believe the latter and agree with the author’s freeing statement. Camacho adds, “Coaching leadership feels more like a shepherd leading sheep than a CEO building a corporation.” To this, I wholeheartedly agree.
I’m thankful for the book and enjoyed the opportunity to read it. But my hope is that Tom will write a sequel. He has the penmanship and experience to do so. Now we know the theory and theology of “Mining for God”, how do we put it into practice with others? I would buy the sequel!
References:
Camacho, Tom. Mining for Gold: Developing Kingdom Leaders through Coaching.
London: IVP, 2019.
The New International Version Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011.
About the Author
Glyn Barrett
I am the founding, Lead Pastor of !Audacious Church in Manchester, England. I was born in Manchester, but moved to Australia at the age of two. My wife and I were married in Australia and began married and ministry life in England 28 years ago. After serving as youth pastors for 12 years, we moved to Manchester to pioneer !Audacious Church. As a church we now have 7 locations. 3 in Manchester, Chester, Cardiff (Wales), Sheffield, and Geneva (Switzerland). In 2019 I became the National Leader of Assemblies of God in Great Britain. We have over 600 churches in our movement and have planted 88 new churches since May 2022 with a goal of planting 400 new churches between May 2022 and May 2028. I am the European Lead for MM33, which is the church planting ministry for Assemblies of God Global and also chair Empowered21 Europe. I'm happily married to Sophia, with two children, one dog and two motorbikes. I love Golf, coffee and spending time with friends. I love to laugh, make friends and create memories!16 responses to “This book is a set up for a sequel and I’m ready for it”
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Glyn,
I appreciate your perspective especially from your position in leadership. I am not in the role of developing a coach program for a variety of leaders so your insight does bring something new for me. The book left me wondering how to find a coach myself. I see you have addressed that a bit on my post. Do you currently coach your leadership? From the outside looking in I would presume that you coach others and allow them the freedom to follow the direction of the Holy Spirit and lead in their own unique roles. (I think back to when your band made a lake on the stage.) If you are already coaching, how will this book change some of the ways you are doing it?
Hi Adam, I use a mentoring approach with my team, especially my immediate, senior team within the church and within the church movement. If we define mentoring as the foreword suggests, by someone who has walked the journey and brings leadership insight from that perspective, then that is the approach to the development of leaders I bring. One of the reasons I hoped for more, practically speaking, from the book is because I have been asked to coach leaders from outside my immediate sphere, but lack of margin and a potential shortcut to the know-how of a syllabus and structure is missing. Hence my desire for a sequel.
Glyn, thank you for your honest reflection. I’m a little confused though because first you say you don’t see how to use the book to develop a coaching program. Then you say “Camacho’s six principles of mining for Gold/Coaching leadership (p97-98) provide a helpful source outline for a coaching program. Building a syllabus around the principles offers endless opportunities for a dedicated coach to create a coaching program that targets the “sweet spot” of every person.” So, I’m curious: as you wrote the post, did you come to a place where you could see a way forward?
I’m a coach, and I’m looking forward to incorporating many of the author’s insights, especially his coaching questions, into my own framework. It will be fun for us to compare notes as we go through this process – on our own, and in tandem – over the next couple of years!
Hi Debbie, thanks for your comment. As every book has takeaways, the six principles are certainly helpful, broadly speaking, for a general route forward. Almost as though you are lost on a journey, and after asking for directions, the person you are asking merely points in the general direction of travel as opposed to giving specificity of the how and where.
Again, I was hoping for a shortcut in my thinking process, and due to limited margin and space to strategise for it at present, my hope for the book was not met.
Great stuff Glyn. Thanks for your critical engagement with the text and I appreciate you drawing out the difference between coaching and mentoring.
It seems like coaching is on the rise in churches across the western world. Why do you think that is? Is coaching better than mentoring?
The idea of self-focus and self-awareness is also helpful to think about. Any tips or suggestions about how to practice that in our lives?
Hi Ryan, I wonder if coaching as opposed to mentoring is on the rise because (I) Some of our long-standing heroes in ministry have become critical, even dismissive of next-generational ideas and therefore not engaging with next-gen or (II) the wide diversity of ministry styles today, through technology and the wide diaspora of sociological issues, eliminate potential candidates for mentoring. If coaching is simply those who have the skills to help a person reach their own goals, then it would seem easier to such developers.
Regarding self-evaluation, 360-degree review processes are certainly helpful. They are brutal, but illuminating for the leader seeking to increase their self-awareness.
Glyn, I appreciate your perspective and appreciate the tension between mentoring and coaching. As well as the need to be directive in some instances and more coach-like in others.
What are the situations you find yourself in as you develop leaders where a coach approach might be beneficial? What situations are appropriate for mentoring? What sort of situations are appropriate for a directive approach?
Hi Graham, that’s a great series of questions. I wonder if the level of care and devotion to a learner/follower may play a part, or maybe it is merely my temperament. For example, I have worked with the team within my local church and movement for many years. I deeply love them and know of their private battles, both wins and losses. Perhaps mentoring in that sense demands more time, heart and energy from the mentor, and it’s easier to give to the mentee because of your sense and depth of love and devotion for them. Coaching, however, may mean that you can offer your professional support and skill-set to the follower, but due to varying factors, including longevity of relationship and intimacy within the relationship, it may mean that you can stand more distant from them as a coach. Therefore, it’s easier in some senses to be a coach and less demanding than the mentoring role, which demands more time, energy, and attention. In many senses, I’m thinking out loud in writing these comments.
Glyn,
I appreciate your honest response and reflections of the book. I’m wondering if IVP actually choose the subtitle of the book or if Camacho choose it. It’s amazing hear from authors over the years how they had completely different titles picked out for their books. I too appreciated John Wright’s comments in the Foreword. The difference between a coach and a mentor was good to read and something I need to consider as I continue on with my research. I really haven’t given the concept of coaching much thought until picking up this book. I’ll be interested in what a session or two with a coach can do for me.
Hi, Mr. Glyn, I appreciate the boldness of your engagement with the book. This is my first time (when reading this book) to learn about coaching within the church ministry. I am looking forward to learning more from what your NPO which you mentioned it is about coaching within the church. Thanks
Glyn, I really appreciate your comments on the book. While it was a different take than mine I liked the idea of what’s next. I saw the book as an encouragement for leaders to be coached and then sharing the value and theological grounding of it. I am wondering what other resources might be out there that can take you to the direction you are being led.
Hi Diane. Yes, I too am keen to see what other resources are available in regard to the practical aspects of coaching. Perhaps that’s a question for the Author in our zoom with him on Monday? Glyn
Hey Glynn,
Yeah … I can see how you might be disappointed, especially with an expectation of wanting more how-to skills. For that, I would recommend Steve Ogne’s book, TransforMissional Coaching: Empowering Leaders in a Changing Ministry World. I went through a coaching program as a lead-in to my position as a missionary and had the amazing opportunity to have a phone coaching session with a small group of people and Steve Ogne. Within a 5-minute conversation, he pinpointed one specific area, asked a very direct question, and then asked what I would be willing to do within the next 48 hours to move in that direction?
You point out such an important piece of leadership — mining your own gold while also helping others mine for their own gold. Don’t you think Camacho alludes to that, though? He does seem to point to the fact that as you multiply, you also need to be mindful of who you’re investing in and why. That’s what I took away from it. Thoughts?
Thanks so much for the book recommendation Nancy, I have added it to my resource list for reading.
Yes, I agree, the author definitely alludes to what you say, and it definitely inspired my takeaway from the book. Self-leadership is so crucial in the age within which we live. There were 23 graduates from by bible college seminary 28 years ago. We were all pursuing the call of God into full-time ministry. Sadly, only two of us are left in ministry. Many (not all) have struggled due to the issue we have highlighted form the book.
Hi Glyn. Nice work articulating your opinion of the book. You are already sold on the reason for coaching (the why) because you perform that function now. But you were hoping to arm yourself with more “how” tools, which is a fair statement. Perhaps the scheduled chat with the author on Monday will offer some new nuggets of inspiration.
Agreed Jennifer. I will be interested to know what books he will be able to recommend regarding the practical aspects of coaching in our call on Monday.