We currently live in an age where information abounds and if the Believer is to be effective and efficient in his/her Christian life, benefit and influence people and society, it must be based on sound knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Not only regarding the issues/matters of Faith, but also regarding relevant information/topics which makes for the Believer’s holistic development and influence in society. The need for training and equipping is established in the Bible (both old and new testaments (See Here))¹, and indeed both formal and informal training is well established in many Christian churches and groups. In recent times they have been “new ways/approaches” of equipping, one of which is Coaching, and it forms the focus of this paper. This article seeks to explain what is Christian Coaching, giving an operational definition, then we discuss highlight the details of Coaching and other equipping approaches (Mentoring, Counselling, Training, etc.). After, we look into when do we use a Coach, benefits of Coaching and some guidelines in selecting a Christian Coach.

What is Christian Coaching

It should be trite knowledge, but we deem it still important to state that, ‘Coaching’ as used here is different from the well-known Coach or Coaching in the sports arena. And in some literature, to make this distinction clear, the term ‘Life Coaching’ or ‘Personal Coaching’ are used to better to make this distinction clear. But these terms may also refer to a specific kind of Coaching, so the context should always be a guide to properly understand the meaning. The International Coach Federation (ICF) defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential” ². Stephan Wiedner, explains it as “a one-on-one, collaborative process in which a trained professional (the coach) helps you (the client), achieve your personal life goals. These goals may include just about anything: more self-confidence, weight loss, career change, better relationships, and many more” ³.

She also stated that “Life coaching is, in general terms the process of coming along side someone and helping them identify where they are, where they want to be and how to get there” ³.

The basis for Coaching can vary, more so as the core principles which are used in Coaching are adaptable and applicable to many spaces, sectors and situations. Thus, there has developed so many areas of Coaching: Leadership Coaching, Executive Coaching, Family Coaching, Bereavement Coaching, etc., and now we also have Christian Coaching.

Regarding Christian Coaching Stephan Wiedner states “Christian coaching takes that concept (Coaching) and moves it into the light of Scripture and frames it in a Christian worldview. Based on the concept that God has a plan for your life and is eager to enable you to live it, Christian coaching facilitates your discovery of that plan and encourages you as you flesh it out.³”

Gary Collins, a well-known Christian counsellor and coach, defines Christian coach as “the art and practice of enabling individuals and groups to move from where they are to where God wants them to be”⁴.

But since Coaching can be on different basis/context, the definition of Christian Coaching, which ties it only to God’s plan (or purpose) for a person, is a better suited for the term “Christian Life Purpose Coaching” or “Christian Purpose Coaching”.

The definitions above when applied/used as the definition for “Christian Coaching”, limits the broader perspective from which Christian Coaching should be viewed from. Christian Coaching (by extension, the larger sphere of equipping and personal development) ought to be a body of thought which now engenders Biblically sound and agreeable theories and concepts, upon which we now run various streams of equipping and personal development in its various types/kinds: Christian Coaching (Christian Purpose Coaching, Christian Leadership Coaching); Christian Mentoring (Christian Youth Mentoring, Christian Reverse Mentoring,…), etc. And in this light, the work of several authors⁵ in this field provide good entry/starting points and foundations.

Coaching and Other Equipping Approaches

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Other types of equipping similar to Coaching are Counselling, Mentoring, Consulting, Training and Therapy.  Below is a table and an image depicting the differences and details between them.

From the table and picture 1, it is evident that every equipping approach has its particular strengths. The particular pros of Coaching, and perhaps why it has become very popular, is the self-empowerment it brings to clients. For many of the other equipping approaches, the provider (trainer, counselor, mentor, etc) has substantial responsibility for the success or otherwise of the service; this made clients seemingly not sufficiently empowered at the end of the process. Coaching reverses the situation, and has led or leads to better results and successes. But perhaps, another or a stronger reason for the success of Coaching is the higher levels of clients participation in the process.

In many equipping approaches, clients are but passive or responsive participants, but in Coaching, clients reach the highest reach the highest level of participation (active participation) (see picture 2). And literature from academia has shown that such levels of participation have far reaching positive impact on the clients/participants beyond the program/project/process under consideration.

But since every equipping is intended to empower and bring about life-long transformations where possible, every equipping approach/method must therefore strive to increase the participatory levels of clients.

When & Benefits of (Christian) Coaching

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Having recognized that every equipping has its pros and cons, when do we need or use a Coach and what benefits can a client expect? (See References 9,10,11).

Choosing a (Christian) Coach – Some Key Considerations

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Knowing the context to use a coach and the potential benefits, how do we go about selecting a (Christian) Coach? Below are some practical issues to consider when deciding on a finding and selecting a good Christian Coach; not arranged in any particular order, but efforts must be made to use all in the screening process (see References 9, 10, 11).

1. Coach must be born again Christian with a verifiable Christian conduct; can be verified through Ministry Fathers, Spiritual Fathers, Mentors, Local Pastor, etc.
2. Coach must him/herself have accountability supervisors and/or oversight authority – Coach must be willing to point to that person(s)/organization.
3. Proof of formal training – verifiable by some proof (certificate, transcript, etc.).
   • Training from a Christian institution is most desirable.
   • Membership of a Coaching association/network is good but not a MUST.
4. Some form of proof of practicing
   • New coaches must demonstrate having undertaken some practice/internship, be it during or after their training.
   • Experienced coaches must show proof of work with past clients.
5. Always have a trial/initial consultation or discovery session – this is standard in any good Coaching practice and it’s must be FREE. Use the trial consultation to:
   • Check the Coach’s bio, at least:
     1. ask about his/her personal Christian life, and
     2. his/her Coaching journey (helps you to know a bit more about the Coach, his/her qualifications, etc.).
   • Gauge how comfortable/relatable you are with the Coach
   • Ask about the Coaching process: duration per session, how many sessions in all, accountability systems, mode of delivery (online or in-person; if in-person where, etc.), coaching models to be used (at least a brief overview is good even of you don’t understand everything).
   • Discuss the cost and payment structure
   • Discuss ethical codes/standards
6. General Coaches can help in all subjects/topics, however choose a niche Coach if you want some technical/professional insight or perhaps you want a better communication with the Coach.
7. Having some good ideas about your goals for Coaching is helpful (the Coaching process will help you further clarify).