Step 1: Where Should I Be Building A Bridge?
We got lost...
Recently my husband, Eric, and I were trying to find a particular bike trail. We had located it on the map, but when we got to the spot we were under the trail and couldn't get on it from there. (see the right side of the photo)
I was astounded at the enormity of the structure of the tresses. ! I had no idea how much it took to build that particular bridge even though I had ridden over it before.
Some bridges are like that, but I"m getting ahead of myself. (More on this later.)
Before this bridge was built. Way back in the beginning. Someone had a dream.
They said those oh-so-valuable words...
"What if?"
No bridge is ever built without this step!
No hurt is ever healed. No project is ever completed. No lies are ever removed. No decisions are ever made.
No progress is even possible without choosing a goal!
Where would you like to go?
- Is there a relationship you would like to build?
- How about a recurring lie that you would like to stop affecting your...
But Really, How Will You Know When It Is Time?
Well...
“How will you know?”
It’s probably my favorite coaching question out there.
"How will you know (what ___)," "how will you know (when ___)," "how will you know (how ___)."
When prompted by the Holy Spirit to ask that powerful question, it unlocks a potential path forward for the person sitting across from you.
Instead of listening to advice or guidance from a "coach," the "how will you know" question puts the ball completely in their corner.
So, how will you know when it’s time to sign up for coaching certification?
Or how will you know when it’s time to ask someone you lead if they’re ready to sign up for coaching certification?
There are only five days left to register for our upcoming coaching cohort and there's no better time than the present to ask yourself "How will I know if it's time?"
Coach Training Isn't Easy -- But It Is Totally Worth It!
...In fact, you should probably think it through before you consider it.
It’s not easy changing a personal paradigm, and almost everyone needs to make major adjustments.
It’s costly, not just monetarily, but it will take time and effort. It’s intense.
To be honest, it’s humbling.
It’s one thing to affirm the concept in theory and another to put its values into regular practice.
BUT IT IS TOTALLY WORTH IT!
Coaching changed my life AND it has changed the people around me.
Here are some ways I have seen it actually accomplish end goals that would never have happened if I had not taken coach training.
- Interactions with family are different now.
* Marriage: One of the best surprises in my coach training was how it affected my marriage. I didn’t see that coming as I simply intended to use coaching in ministry, but what a wonderful asset it is to be able to love my husband more by listening well, believing in him, and hearing how the Holy Spirit is...
Join Our Zoom Open House!
We believe that questions are powerful.
And we want to give you the opportunity to ask us some questions.
Unsure if you want to sign-up?
Curious if it works?
Feeling "led" to jump in?
We're excited to announce our first online open house specifically designed to answer your questions.
If you have questions or want to learn a little bit more about what Bridges Coaching has to offer, join us at our ZOOM Open House!
Be sure to mark your calendars for January 16, 10:00 a.m. EST!
The link to join us is right here.
You'll have the opportunity to meet the Coaching Culture cohort course host, facilitators, and potential peer partners! You can also hear from alumni, ask questions about the course and where Bridges is going and we will even throw in some thoughts about our other offering Destiny by Design!
So, if you're thinking about investing in making engaged disciples, Bridges Coach Training could make all the difference.
P.S. -...
3 Groups Of People Who Should NOT Take Coach Training
Coach Training isn’t for everyone.
There are some specific people groups who would not really benefit.
1. Those who are all set!
If you are knocking it out of the park in your personal and professional relationships and have nowhere to grow, coach training is not likely to benefit you.
2. Those who prefer solely to teach!
While there’s a place for teaching in the kingdom of God, in the continuum of growth, it is only at the beginning.
In Bridges Coaching we promote the leadership growth model of:
Telling > Teaching > Training > Trusting
If you are not able to encourage maturity and help the people in your life to grow in their own relationships with the Holy Spirit, then coach training is probably not for you.
3. Those who enjoy being needed!
It’s the classic, but on steroids! You can give a man a fish or teach him how to fish.
In coaching it sounds like this: You can give a man the answers, or you can help him learn to discern for himself.
It...
If I'm Honest - I Didn't Get It At First...
If I’m honest, I totally didn’t get it.
I mean, I really didn’t get it.
I was way too busy to prioritize this right now. My leadership skills were fine for the time being. The Holy Spirit will lead me to say what I should say. This was like, thing No. 5 on my priority list. It’s just going to need to wait. Too busy.
Then I got it. And boy, oh boy, was I wrong.
Bridges coaching changed my life.
That’s a serious sentence that I just wrote. I understand that sentence carries a lot of weight. And I completely stand by what I wrote.
Bridges coaching changed my life because I simply gave it a chance.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that the coaching paradigm allowed me to be a better husband, a better dad, and a better church leader.
As a husband and dad, I considered myself a pretty good listener, but what I learned in coaching, was I could be an even better husband by being an active listener by truly being invested and asking questions. A true...
The 3 Most Transformative Things Coaching Taught Me (Guest Blog by Sarah Fulton)
Editor's Note: Sarah Fulton facilitates the Coaching Certification cohorts for Bridges Coaching. She and her husband Jordan live in upstate NY with their 5 children. Her heart for coaching comes out in every area of her life and she helps others grow to their full potential.
I have a confession... I have always been kind of scared to parent teenagers.
Maybe it’s all the horror stories: “Oh, they’re cute now, but just wait until they’re teenagers!”, “They’ll turn into little monsters that you can’t wait to get rid of...”
Have you heard those too?
I knew God had more for me during this season of parenthood.
He wanted to equip me to navigate it well; I just had no idea I’d find powerful tools for parenting in coach training.
My first coaching course was intended for ministry training. I wanted to learn the most effective way to help people navigate transitions and grow quickly -- and it did that!
I still believe that...
4 Reasons Why "What's at stake?" May Be Your Best Next Question
"What’s at stake?"
That’s a great question!
It could be the single straw that is the tipping point between ideation and implementation.
There are 4 basic reasons “What’s at stake?” could be the lever needed for forward movement.
Never trying.
Sometimes realizing what will not happen if the idea is kept in the “dream cloud” is just what is needed to help someone get started and stop procrastinating.
Rightsizing the risk.
Recognizing that if the outcome doesn’t end exactly where hoped, the forward movement is at the least good research, and at worst an idea can be crossed off the list to make room for more possibilities to try.
Naming the loss.
Someone needs whatever it is that is being considered! Realizing what could happen if this idea isn’t carried out could be just the motivation fuel to get the motion started.
Regret.
You’ll never know if you never try.
Sometimes the big idea works. Sometimes it doesn’t, but...