Gold Mine
“We are called as leaders to mine for the gold in others, cooperate with God as he refines that gold and then help them invest that gold in the kingdom.” (Camacho 2019, 4) God has prepared a gold mine, the treasure of His image in every human being. It is incredibly humbling to consider that the God of the universe crafted me and every person in the Milky Way galaxy in His image and has equipped them with gifts and abilities, gold, to be mined and refined. As Camacho describes the process of refining, we are reminded that the Holy Spirit does the work of refining and that as we cooperate with our God-given design, we thrive. In a culture that seeks autonomy, it is impossible for autonomous individuals to function without connection to a larger whole. We are interdependent on one another and in that interdependence, we are refined. So refining takes place in community, in relationship with God, ourselves (awareness of self as image bearers) and others.
As I serve as an Instructional Coach, my role is to support people’s journeys. There are so many similarities in the content, from the training I have received as a coach and the “Mining for Gold Process” that Tom Camacho writes. (Camacho 2019, 59) (I am a little geeked out at the overlap of the content, my apologies). The four primary parts in the Mining for Gold process include: 1) deep listening 2) asking great questions 3) cooperating with the Holy Spirit and 4) determining the right next steps. When I am in a coaching cycle with a person, the steps are very similar. The process involves 1) listening 2) asking questions 3) collaborating with the individual to clarify goals and specify success indicators (reflecting on what has worked in the past) and 4) developing next steps. It is a cognitive coaching process for mediating thinking. The missing step, from the cognitive coaching model, is “cooperating with the Holy Spirit”. As I consider the similarities and the process by which God is using my training as an Instructional Coach with a call to ministry, I am humbled by His gold mining and refining process in me. God has prepared a gold mine in every human being and we have the immense privilege (responsibility by invitation) to be a part of Holy Spirit’s refining process in each one.
About the Author
Cathy Glei
Cathy Glei serves as an instructional leader and pastor with over 27 years in education and ministry. She is dedicated to discipling others as they grow in their relationship with God, others and the world. Cathy has facilitated numerous professional development sessions, trainings, and workshops in both education and ministry. Passionate about supporting others in uncovering the Creator's design within them, Cathy lives in Michigan with her husband, Steve, and their eight-year-old Springer Spaniel, Otis. Cathy is a mother of three daughters and "Gooma" (grandma) to two adorable grandsons (emphasis on adorable 😊). She enjoys listening and exchanging laughter and stories with others, hanging out with friends, both old and new, as well as being outdoors, enjoying activities such as cycling, camping, hiking, and kayaking.10 responses to “Gold Mine”
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I, too, am humbled to see how God’s refining process continues to shape and mold me. Age brings many things we don’t desire, but one beautiful aspect is the convergence of ministry, calling, and life’s work that evolves the longer you the journey with Him. Your statement of God having “prepared a gold mine in every human being and we have the immense privilege (responsibility by invitation) to be a part of Holy Spirit’s refining process in each one” challenges us all to take notice of those He places in our path. Camacho makes the simple but powerful statement “Gold is everywhere” (p. 5), we just often overlook it. So I ask myself (and all), “How am I partnering with the Holy Spirit to draw out the gold in others?”
The question “How am I partnering with the Holy Spirit to draw out the gold in others?” is such a great question.
I appreciate your emphasis on the refining that happens in Christian community. As I was reading Camacho’s book this week, I was thinking of refining more as life’s inevitable trials and difficulties. But it’s true that God definitely uses our life in community to refine us (and that can often be one and the same as “life’s trials and difficulties” but not necessarily). I’ve experienced this over the years of working on a multicultural team through the various conflicts and joys we’ve known. God has used those difficulties and hurts and especially the instances where teammates have confronted me because I’ve caused hurt to convict and refine me. It reminds of Camacho’s warnings against selfish leadership and specifically the desire to remain undisturbed. Those moments are not fun but so necessary for our growth.
You mentioned how the Holy Spirit is missing from the cognitive model but there were still some similarities between the different approaches (the process you use and Camacho’s principles). I appreciated Camacho’s approach, but I agree — I do think there are many similarities between his work, the cognitive process you highlighted, Whitmore’s GROW model, and other coaching processes. This is probably why I wondered what “new” information could be included in another book on coaching. The overlap across models in this subject are interesting. I do wonder what new or pioneering work may be underway in this field. Perhaps there may be greater specialization that requires both nuance and the best of what does appear to be “best practices” in the field. At any rate, your reminder of the Spirit’s work in both the coach (even the most “experienced” of coaches!) and coachee is vital.
Hi Cathy. We have a lot of coaches in our cohort! I am not one of them! I am curious if you would incorporate or explore people’s ‘inner life’ with the cognitive coaching model? So much of what we ‘do’ flows out of (or gets tripped up by) our inner life and the perceptions, trauma, wounds, beliefs, etc.. that we hold. It seems like Camacho speaks a bit more to this aspect as he address the importance of our ‘identity’…but that starts to sound a lot more like counselling than coaching? Most of my posts (and ponderings) this week have been in this general area of trying to differentiate coaching from counselling or spiritual direction or pastoring or mentoring or discipleship or ????
Scott,
Such great questions. . . I think that whether it is coaching, counseling, spiritual direction, discipling, mentoring, there are skills and methods that are similar in each relationship. I think a part of the differentiation of each is in the relationship of the individuals and the purpose of the relationship. Maybe that added more to your pondering?
I love the overlap you see in your work and in Comacho’s leading in his book. I see how Holy Spirit is a key component to how we address coaching from a Christian perspective. I’m almost opposite of your work, you are an instructional coach in the educational system and finding ways and connections, via the Holy Spirit, in your NPO of finding ways to bring young people back to the church. While I’m a ministry person trying to figure out how to translate all of these questions into words that are blatantly Christian in a non-Christian environment! I wonder if a way to understand the Holy Spirit’s work in us is understood as Gut intuition? A deep knowing within our selves that is God given intuition?
On another note as you are looking into your NPO I am wondering if you’ve encountered Rachel Held Evans work? She wrote a book called “Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving and Finding the Church”? Just curious.
COME ON, LADY! Brilliant words, “We are interdependent on one another and in that interdependence, we are refined. So refining takes place in community,” you made it sound so simple yet it is soooo profound! In fact, I asked myself, what community do I intentionally have that is refining me and I am helping to refine? Oh, I have deeply close friends I share with and they share with me but could it be happening more often and even on a much deeper level. I will keep in mind…interdependence means refining. 😊
I agree with your views regarding the role of the Holy Spirit in the process of refinement in one’s growth. I try to relate it to what Camacho wrote that we must first begin in and with God. In your opinion, instead of prioritizing personal interests and popularity, starting with and in God is still an important thing that church leaders pay attention to nowadays?
Yes, absolutely. As I think about coaching, God through Holy Spirit is the primary refiner of a person. The Holy Spirit speaks and moves, pinging hearts through the scriptures, prayer, worship, and community.