- A good coach will help you be the best you can be.
- Find a coach that leads a church at least twice your size. You need to talk to someone who's a few steps ahead of you.
- Every Timothy needs a Paul. Every Paul needs a Timothy.
- While there are many good coaching networks out there - you would be surprised at how many pastors are willing to give you their time and invest in you for nothing in return.
- The ministry can be very discouraging. You need a coach and a friend who will strengthen your hand in God when the going gets touch.
- Some coaching relationships I've had have been very informal. It would consist of a call once a month on the phone and email communication.
- Other coaching relationships have been very structured and formal.
- Some leaders I consider my coaches but I've never met them. I read their books, blogs, watch them preach online, follow them on Twitter, purchase conference DVDs, etc.
- You can learn a lot from afar.
8. Start and/or strengthen your small groups system.
- Small groups are critical to breaking growth barriers.
- You need to become an expert in small groups or hire an expert.
- Pastors need to lead or participate in a small group.
- They are a great place to provide pastoral care in a growing church, more intense Bible study and spiritual growth.
- Small groups are a great vehicle to cast vision and raise up new leaders, as well.
9. Think twice your size.
- You need to get through your next growth barrier in your head and heart until you will have the skills in your hand.
- I recall learning this when our church was 350. I specifically remember saying to my coach when he told me this: "I can never lead a church of 700 or 1500." He said, "You're right, if you keep thinking like that."
- Begin to ask: "What kind of leader would I need to be to lead a church twice my current size?"
- "What kind of staff would we need?" "What kind of budget would we need to resource that?" "How many volunteers would it take?" "How many services would we need?" "How big of a facility would we need?"
- If you can dream it, you can do it!
10. Go after lost people.
- It's all about people who need Jesus.
- Yes, we need programs, processes but it's all about lost people.
- In Matthew 28:19 Jesus says, "Go and make disciples." He didn't say build big buildings. He commanded us to build big people.
- In Luke 14 Jesus tells us to "go out into the hedges and highways and compel people to come in ... so that my house might be full." Jesus loves a room filled with lost people so that they can hear the good news, repent and be saved.
- It's no victory if we are simply reaching other Christians from other churches. There will always be an element of that in our churches, but it should never be the focus.
- We are called to rescue those that do not know God nor the power of his salvation.
- If that is our motivation, God will see to it that we are leading a growing church.
