Coaching as Volunteer Development in the Church

This is the first of a series of posts I have rolling around my brain that will help me tie the work I have been doing the past couple of years with my future as a church leader. I do not have a clear picture yet of all that God will call me to, but I do have dreams of leading a church in efforts to serve the community in practical ways. The first area I would like to explore is staff development. My work in the non-profit sector and in education has helped me grow in the area of staff development and training others. This post will explore what it might be like to implement staff development strategies in the church context to train volunteers and develop emerging leaders.

Staff Development in a Church?
Staff development is a part of my job, but more than that… I see staff development having a place in the church. I know how that may sound, but not everything the church endeavors to do will be things the congregation is already qualified to do. I dream of a church where we are an integral part of the community. I envision a church not only offering a place to worship and a sense of community, but economic development, educational services and more.

I know that for most churches, these endeavors will be outside of most people’s experience. This should not deter us in pursuing all that God calls us to as a community. Usually, we can find a few people who do know how to do what God is calling us to, so we simply need to make space for them to share their experience with the rest of the congregation. That way, we can all serve in whatever God calls our church to. Effective training in all of our efforts is an important part of what the church does. The things church leaders ask of the congregation may be completely novel to them. If this is the case, leaders will want to set their church up for success. If church members don’t experience success at new outreach endeavors, they may not be willing to try the next time. Success is an important boost to morale.

In order for the church to be effective in outreach and service, it must provide church members, staff, and volunteers with adequate training. The training strategy I propose is based on a learning theory called the gradual release of responsibility. The implementation of this theory attempts to shift the responsibility for one’s own learning from the teacher to the pupil(s). In staff development, this is called coaching and it is done in the context of project based learning. A staff member is taught how to do something and then led along while they implement what they learned until they are ready to do this on their own. Before they are released, they collaborate with others on a project that helps them refine their skills while simultaneously serving the community.

A Picture of Coaching

This is an approach to teaching that is best explained with an image of a childhood cliché. Picture a father teaching his child to ride a bike. He shows them what it is like to ride a bike by giving them tricycles and training wheels. Then takes them off, holds the back of the seat and runs alongside his child. At some point he lets go. His pride is unmistakable. He slows down and watches as they ride on their own. “I’m doing it!” the child stereotypically cries. When they have the inevitable crash, Dad picks them up wipes their scrapes, kisses them, and encourages them to try again. Let this be our method for teaching. Let the father teaching his kid to ride a bike be how we equip and empower our church members. Through coaching, we get to participate in the learning of church volunteers and then look on with pride as they “get it.”

For the purposes of volunteer development in the church, the four stages of coaching are: modeling, guiding, collaboration and independence. In modeling, the leader shows the emerging leader(s) how to perform a task, strategy or skill. In guiding, the leader works with the emerging leaders to practice the skill. In collaboration, the emerging leaders create a project that helps them practice the skills they have learned. Lastly, in the independent practice stage, emerging leaders are released to serve and demonstrate their competence. During this stage, leaders observe this practice and help emerging leaders make small changes to their strategies as they go along.

Coaching in the Church
For these strategies to be effective emerging leaders must be paired with established leaders who have something to pass along. Established leaders would benefit in being trained in these teaching strategies to ensure that they are successful in sharing what they know and who they are. The job of a leader is to work themselves out of a job – replacing themselves and sharing control with emerging leaders. It should also be stated that this strategy, taken from professional staff development, is best implemented in small groups. These are not the mega church small groups of the last two decades, but a balanced combination of spiritual nurturing groups and professional learning communities. During this process skills and knowledge can be shared and deep personal growth can be reached in a community. This is not a method for helping people grow spiritually or in terms of maturity. The goal of coaching is to help develop the practical skills of volunteers in the church.

The implementation of these strategies must be “above board.” In other words, everyone involved must know that this is taking place. From the newest volunteer to the eldest leader, all are eligible to be trained in some way and all are eligible to train someone else. This is not a comment on spiritual maturity, but on professional development for lack of a better word. These strategies can be used to equip volunteers and develop interns. This will help each new endeavor be successful and it will help interns draw valuable experience from their service within the church so that they can add value to the communities God calls them to.

Interns, Apprentices, and Volunteers
I would suggest that internship be the most formal context for the implementation of coaching. I would propose that a church internship program would have specific goals and a leadership that is competent in the implementation of coaching strategies. Interns could work through a particular coursework of topics that have been deemed important for interns to learn, but as long as the number of interns is manageable, I would suggest that they set their own goals for growth based on their life goals. In contrast, apprenticeship is a personal relationship that an emerging leader might have with a pastor. Interns should work in cohorts of no more than 10 individuals. There must be room for them to collaborate and help each other grow.

Volunteer development would be a completely different category. I would suggest that coaching strategies be taught to department leaders in a 3-5 session training experience that implements the strategies (modeling them for those who will implement them). Afterward, department leaders should implement coaching strategies with those who serve in their departments. A staff member competent in coaching strategies might be required to function like a consultant. While this person may not be the best teacher when training someone to run the sound board or plan an event, they may be able to help those who are skilled in any area teach others.

Obstacles and Benefits
Each church may face some difficulties in implementing the coaching strategy for volunteer and leadership development. First, these strategies will be new to some and must be learned first. Second, it may be difficult for those who are younger to train those who are generally more experienced than themselves. While one can look to the wisdom of elders, we must collaborate with humility. Lastly, implementing a formalized training technique could stifle relationships, especially if the church is to grow numerically at the same time. It will be vital for the church to fit training into the life of the church rather than creating hierarchal or managerial relationships. This is a reason why training is best conducted in teams rather than mentor relationships. In teams we are able to foster a sense of community while avoiding leading from a position of authority. This difficultly will be possible to overcome in a church that has already developed a culture of collaboration.

It can be argued that the benefits of implementing coaching strategies in a church would outweigh the obstacles. If the church can add structure to its methods for staff and volunteer development it will be able to ensure success in whatever new endeavors they face. Success will build a sense of self-efficacy in church members. They will have confidence in their ability to represent Christ in whatever way they are able to serve the community.

I would also suggest that a formalized internship program that offers demonstrated growth and teaches new skills will attract new people to a congregation. Churches may find that a quality internship program will cause college students, youth and those pursuing a call to ministry or community development to flock to the church. An internship program can present itself as an alternative to age based suburban church programs. It is the church’s diversity and love for one another that shows Christ to the world, but this may not attract a hopeful and optimistic workforce, passionate for personal growth and societal change. The church must make a space for these people if we hope to add to the value of the cities we live in.

Goals for Implementation
I would propose several short and long term goals for any church considering implementing coaching strategies in their church’s training methods. First, a church should train its members for each upcoming event. Most events fit the larger purposes of the church and are not standalone events. A good place to start would be a training session for volunteers, the trainer walking around during the event to check for understanding and implementation of directives, and a debrief follow up to perfect strategies for next time.

My second recommendation would be to develop a basic structure for apprenticeship and internships for the coming year. If a church has several prospective interns it must create a place for them. During the first year, this would likely still be an individualized rather than formalized program, but training would be intentional.

My third recommendation would be to implement a basic training for department leaders. This would be highly encouraged for anyone who teaches or trains others. It would be mandatory for anyone who leads a department and is not yet conscious of this need.

My fourth recommendation would be to develop a formal internship program that functions like an educational program; with customizable coursework, and training sessions delivered by the most competent people the church has available in each subject. The real learning however, would not happen in the classroom, but in service.

Learning and Growth through Service
The church will learn and grow while they serve, but people will not learn and grow simply because they serve. They must be intentional in helping each other grow, not just spiritually, but in service. With training, they will be effective in their service. This will give them confidence to develop a deeper life of service instead of an act of service. Through a lifestyle of service will we see the kingdom of God and expressions of God’s redeeming grace. The divine perspective is not from above, up in heaven; it is from below, washing feet.