Refined, the need of a coach.
After the first week of readings and a lot of discussions on readings, taking notes and how to improve oneself in these areas, I try to approach this week’s readings in light of those lessons. As we are reading this week assignment, “Minning For Gold: Developing Kingdom Leaders through Coaching,” by Tom Camacho, I ask myself these two questions: (1.) what am learning from this book? and (2.) how can it benefit anyone, especially me?
If I may, I would like to share a quote from the book that I believe is the purpose of this book. “The world needs more godly, thriving leaders. This book is written to help in this vital process of identifying, moulding, and shaping thriving leaders. 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.”[1] To restate it, I would say that the Mr. Camacho is telling the reader that a leader also has the responsibility of working along, or as he put it, ‘assists’ the ‘master refiner’ in the process of raising ‘thriving leaders.’ When I think of myself in light of this reading, I wonder what my part in this process would be. Should I be called to this role, or this is the responsibility of everyone that study or major in leadership? I hope I get the answer as I journey through this program.
One lesson that I learned from this book that is very important to me is that there are principles in God’s refining process that leads to thriving [2] (Camacho, 2019). Among these principles are (a.) in God’s process of refining thriving leaders, we are His assistants, (b.) in one is in the refining process that is because HE (God) knows him/her before birth, (c.) the greatest tool of the refining process is the Cross of Jesus, and (d.) the coaching process will help leaders discovers their ‘sweetspot.’ Based on this, If I have to be an assistant in the Kingdom’s process of refining thriving leaders, I myself must be refined first. Then I could be able to participate in assisting in this process of refining thriving leaders.
I was having a conversation with a Micronesian pastor that is pastoring a church in Susanville, CA. He has been a pastor for several years; him and his family moved from their church in Guam, to pastor this particular church in Susanville because of the Micronesian members. He shared the need of more prayer for the leadership within our Micronesian churches in the mainland United States. In Micronesia, our churches are organized and belong to particular organizations, or group of churches. But out here in the U.S., each of the churches are independently on their own. Each pastors has their own way of running the church they pastor they way they see fit. Most of the time, there is no groups of board to be accountable to except, the LORD Himself. Without further description, I believe you can imagine what this is like. I am only mentioning this for two specific reasons: (1.) our Micronesian church leadership needs a lot of prayers, and (2.) after reading this book, I am thinking that this is probably what our leadership in our churches need: coaching or refining church leaders to be thriving leaders.
I never heard of this phrase or idea of ‘coaching leaders,’ especially leadership in the church; I mostly associated coaching to sports and others like chess-game players, or solo-singers; but never thought that coaching could also be use in church ministry settings. I am curious of what would it be like, a coaching ministry. Tomorrow in the afternoon, I will have my initial meeting with a coach, I am hoping to learn more about this.
[1] Tom Camacho, Minning for Gold: Developing Kingdom Leaders through Coaching (London: Inter-Varsity Press, 2019), introduction, kindle.
[2] Camacho, Mining for Gold: Developing Kingdom Leaders through Coaching, part 2, kindle.
About the Author
Noel Liemam
8 responses to “Refined, the need of a coach.”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Hi Noel, You are asking good questions. Thanks for sharing the need for prayer for the Micronesian churches. Praying for them will be a gift. Your question about where your study is leading you is likely something many, if not all, of us in the program consider.
Thank you, Diane, for taking the time to read and especially to join in lifting up the Micronesian churches in prayer.
Noel,
It’s so great that you started off asking yourself some questions. I especially like the question of whether you’re called to this role of coaching, especially as a leader.
I’m guessing since you went straight from there to Camacho’s lesson of refining that you understanding coaching to be one avenue of refinement for the leader?
As you begin your coaching process, what areas do you hope to have refinement of with regards to your leadership skills and style?
Hi, Nancy, thank you for the comment. I am not sure about the specific areas; however, I believe I need to be showing good examples to follow in walk with our Lord. And if coaching is to walk along the coachee (I’m not sure if this is an English word), I believe patient and listening skills is very important for me to learn and to practice. Thank you.
Noel,
How did the first coaching session go? Did if meet your expectations and what advice would you give to others regarding entering into the coaching process? I do wonder what your thoughts are on the idea of coaching leaders from a Micronesian perspective? From that cultural perspective would coaching be seen as good leadership? Or potentially weak leadership as one who really doesn’t know the answers.
Also, I spend a year working in a small town fire department just south of Susanville decades ago. It is a beautiful little town.
Hi, Mr. Cheney, I just finished my first coaching session with a coach from the panel list, and I had a 15min. session. I went to this meeting just to (a.) fulfill the requirement for this course, and (b.) to learn more general concepts about this coaching. So, I was there to obtain listen and learn; I was not really prepared to ask questions.
That is a very interesting question you ask about coaching Micronesian leaders. From my years of growing up and serving in the Micronesian churches, I have never seen (should I say) hear leaders being coached. Maybe mentoring, but not really in a way we called a mentor and a mentee? But coaching a Micronesian church leader, I have never seen or heard of it; it would be interesting to try. And culturally, I think it is ok. Sometimes, pride gets in the way, and we pulled that excuse – culturally, it is kind of frown upon. Thank you, Cheney for the discussion, I enjoyed it. It made me think.
Noel, I greatly appreciated your thoughts and commend your courage in asking yourself, “What is my part?” I have been asking myself the same question.
The Camacho quote you referenced in your post had equal impact on me as I read through his book. The world does need more godly, thriving leaders. I agree with Camacho that as Christian leaders we are called to play a part in this, but we must be refined first. You spoke to this in your post. It truly is a work of the Holy Spirit.
It is encouraging to see your love for the Micronesian church. I grew up in an Independent Baptist Church, so I am fully aware of the one-man show tendencies in some churches. The lack of accountability still makes me cringe. However, it sounds like the Lord has given you a unique platform within the Micronesian community in the United States. I will be praying God keeps opening doors for you in this arena.
Noel, you mentioned in you reply to Adam that you just experienced your coaching session. Based on this recent coaching experience and what we read this week in “Mining for Gold,” do you see yourself utilizing coaching moving forward? If so, how can you see that implemented?