Become a LifeGroup Coach

Why be a LifeGroup Coach?

God is calling you to utilize your unique gifts, strengths, skills, and experiences in partnership with His Spirit. Here's how you'll benefit from accepting His invitation:

Spiritual Mentorship
Belonging & Community
Leadership Development
Holistic Faith
Make Friends
Change Lives

What are the expectations?

Time Commitment

While LifeGroup Coaches are expected to serve 10 hours weekly, what you invest in this ministry opportunity is what you can expect to get out of it. Serve deeply, intentionally, thoughtfully, meaningfully, and responsibily and you can expect to benefit in so many aspects of your own life. Additionally, while there is some flexibility with hours, LifeGroup Coaches are expected to make this ministry role their top priority next to academics and refrain from overcommitting to other leadership roles.

Team Commitment

We do things as a team. Not only as a LifeGroups team, but since each LifeGroup Coach is a member of our larger Office of Ministry and Missions team, you may function primarily in this specific role as a LifeGroup Coach but you will not function in ministry alone. This means that LifeGroup Coaches have each other's backs. Beyond our roles, we believe that the success of one's ministry comes from their success in their personal relationship with Jesus and in all the other aspects of their life - relationships, academics, finances, mental health, etc. - and we can ensure that while you are a part of our team, we'll support you in every way we can.

Ministry Commitment

LifeGroup Coaches are committed and passionate about small group ministry, mentorship, and discipleship. They have been empowered by their own journey with Christ to merge into the lives of others and go at their pace for the purpose of experiencing spiritual transformation together. LifeGroup Coaches therefore, are lifelong learners committed to constant growth in spiritual maturity.

Commitment to Excellence

LifeGroup Coaches are committed to being responsible and assertive, they display initiative, are punctual, helpful, and always hospitable. They exude servant-leadership in the way they model kindness, compassion, and humility with the LifeGroup leaders they mentor. LifeGroup Coaches express their commitment to pursuing excellence in their ministry while at the same time also pursuing excellence in their academics, mental health, relationships, and vocational calling.

How to be a LifeGroup Coach

4 Pillars of Coaching

Modeling

The key practice of modeling is not about being perfect (Philippians 3:12-13) instead, LifeGroup Coaches authentically model the life-journey to which God calls us. Don’t downplay the effect your life and example have on small group leaders. What you do and how you live your life has a powerful impact. LifeGroup Coaches model Spirit-filled leadership just as Acts 6:1-7 shows us that the evidence of spirit-filled leadership is dependent upon 1) a faith firmly grounded in God’s Word, 2) a life showing solid character, 3) and a heart full of the Holy Spirit. LifeGroup Coaches also model spiritual fitness, holistic faith, and belonging in faith community.

Guiding

Effective shepherds are real, honest, and transparent - simply offering wisdom and counsel from their own experiences and personal relationship with God. No coach or mentor has every answer to every question. LifeGroup Coaches admit when they don’t know the answer to something and work with individuals to find a solution. LifeGroup Coaches cannot make people grow. Just as John 4 describes, it is God who makes the seed grow. LifeGroup Coaches are responsible for challenging, encouraging, providing, and supporting the opportunity for growth. LifeGroup Coaches are guides, not counselors. They know when to refer someone to see a chaplain or another spiritual counselor when the situation calls for it.

Envisioning

Vision gives meaning. It ensures that LifeGroups are about more than just Bible study, but about life-changing spiritual transformation. Vision creates hunger. When leaders recognize a gap between their skills and their desired vision which will cause them to seek out more training and coaching. Vision gives hope. LifeGroup Coaches journey alongside leader to help them craft a vision for their LifeGroup; clarify that vision through prayer, assessment, and experiences; and keep the vision alive when life threatens to crowd it out. LifeGroup Coaches continually remind their leaders of the vision, to ensure they don't wander aimlessly with no clear sense of purpose or direction.

Equipping

LifeGroup Coaches go much further beyond building relationships with their leaders. They invest in the leadership of others by also developing their skills by:

Affirming their gifts and abilities
Discerning their growth areas
Solving problems
Learning together
Teaching from experience and specific observations made during LifeGroup visitations
Providing resources, materials, tools, and financial support
Celebrating the success of their leaders
And so much more!