One of the hardest adjustments I have had to make in life as a pastor is the sheer aloneness that goes with the job. When I say "aloneness", I'm not meaning the lack of human interaction. What I'm referring to is the lack of coaching.
When I was in business, I worked with/for someone who as part of their job description had to develop me in my skill set and improve me in my effectiveness. Ah those days with Procter and Gamble where my manager and I would sit at a table somewhere, usually a Shoney's, and haggle over where I fell this year in the measurable job performance categories. Did I "need improvement"? Or was that area one of "Significant Strength"?
Whatever the result of the interaction, we always left with some idea of a development plan that would leverage my strengths and improve my weaknesses. The goals we set had to meet a high standard. They had to be specific, measurable, achievable, and compatible with the goals of my team.
In this role, there are times when I badly need a coach. Decisions need to be made in order to see the church move forward on its mission. Sometimes that action is one I have never considered before and the church has never before taken. Complex interactions are most always part of the mix and Murphy's Law, the Law of Unintended Consequences, and always the law of "We Never Did It That Way Before" all combine to almost paralyze you.
On an ongoing basis, just as in sales, I need to grow in my abilities and skills. My aim is to constantly improve, and toward that end I'm working on two Masters degrees and have an ultimate Doctorate in Education as a prized goal. I read everything I can on preaching, on small groups, on men's ministry, on discipleship - until I have more facts than I know what to do with.
If only there was a system within the SBC to help the single staff guys like me evaluate their context, their effectiveness, and their stated goals and work through a plan to grow.
Personally, I'm very grateful for the Internet and the availability of places like the
Pastors.com pastors forum which I was a part of for years, and most recently for the guys I share the Ultimate Pastors Forum with. Having the insight and counsel of men who are actively engaged in pastoral work is so valuable to me. But I know that if they could walk with me through Valparaiso, meet the people here at New Hope, and hear our vision to be more effective in reaching the unchurched, their counsel would be so much better.
Is this an area in SBC life where the association should be, but isn't? Our association is heavy on the big churches, and the smaller ones are all traditional. I would think if a coaching network was to be built, it would almost certainly have to be "affinity" based, with members gathering with like philosophies of church.
If anyone has any ideas along this line, I am all ears. Knowing the challenges of pastoral leadership aren't going to get any easier means I keep working hard to grow. But having a coach or coaches to help that process would be a blessing.
