Faith Coaching:
A Conversational Approach to Helping Others Move Forward in Faith

by Chad Hall, Bill Copper and Kathryn McElveen
(5 stars)
Reviewed by Jerome Daley

Buy this book if:

• You coach people around spiritual disciplines or spiritual growth
• You want to add a unique approach to spiritual coaching to your toolbox
  

“One night when I (Kathryn) was tucking my oldest son into bed he looked at me and asked, ‘Why did God make us?’ He was not quite four years old at the time. I tried to answer in a way I thought he would understand. ‘God made us because he loves us and wants to be our friend.’ He thought about that for a minute and then put his small hands on either side of my face, pulled me close to his, and whispered, ‘No, Mama. God made us because he wants us to be beautiful.’

Imago Dei. God wants us to be beautiful.”

Chad, Bill, and Kathryn’s new book is a beautifully-inviting exploration into how coaching participates in the work of the Holy Spirit with people who want to more fully bear the beautiful image of God. It is written skillfully, artfully, and is a highly-accessible way to better understand the fundamental skills, opportunities, challenges, and applications of coaching for spiritual formation. And Kathryn’s opening story above sealed the deal for me!

If you have little exposure so far to what coaching is and how it works within the church, this is the place to begin! And even if you’re an experienced coach, you will greatly appreciate the insights and applications these experienced coaching ministers employ.

Here are some of the chapters that most caught my eye:

• Why is our Culture Open to a Coach Approach to Faith Formation?
  Their answer: “Coaching provides a highly relational and customized approach (vs. more programmatic approaches) to spiritual formation.”
• What are Some Faith Coaching Topics?
  “Topics for faith coaching come from all areas of life. A four-quadrant grid based upon the Parable of the Sower, along with case studies, gives the reader hooks for anticipating possible conversational starting points.”
• What Kinds of Actions Lead to Moving Forward in Faith?
  And I loved this description: “Meaningful actions are not ‘one more thing to do.’ Instead, they are the ‘right’ things to do (or stop doing) to get to where we want to be.”

Summary
The book goes on to describe how the church can create a coaching culture-a very compelling concept-and offers both an Appendix for coaching resources as well as a sound and thoughtful Theology of Coaching. Highly recommended.

Jerome Daley, ACC, DPM

Publisher/Editorial Director, Christian Coaching Magazine
www.christiancoachingmag.com