Cross-Coaching
At Journey Pastoral Coaching, we practice Cross-Coaching, a sustainable coaching model based on the linking of two mentoring relationships: walking with a pastoral coach and a community of peers
Our approach is based on the Cross of Jesus and its three components:
I. The Vertical Post
As the vertical post of the Cross of Jesus dug deep and reached up, the vertical post of Coaching is the minister’s walk with a pastoral coach. The pastoral coach is someone farther along in life and ministry, someone with the depth of experience. They have been where you are walking. Therefore, this person is qualified to speak “vertically” of what is yet ahead of you.’
II. The Horizontal Beam
As the horizontal beam of the Cross of Jesus reached left and right, the horizontal beam of Coaching is the minister’s walk with peer mentors. A peer is of your generation, closer to your experience, and in proximity to you on the learning curve of life and ministry. This person, therefore, is qualified to speak “horizontally” to you, bringing perspective and generational experience to you that the pastoral coach cannot so readily give.
III. The Link
The post and beam of Jesus’ Cross were joined together as one unit by a link. Like the Cross of Jesus, the link of Cross-Coaching, what holds it together, is not physical but spiritual: the Gospel. The Cross of Jesus was not held together by physical pegs but by the Gospel delivered in the breath and blood of Jesus. Similarly, Cross-Coaching is not held together by techniques but the Gospel delivered by members of the coaching community serving each other, peer to peer.
Cross-Coaching is more than an expression; it is a way of life that brings life. It is a sustainable coaching model that centers our members in the Gospel, giving them opportunity to serve one another as Jesus did His disciples in the upper room on the way to the Cross.
“Coaching can help people make decisions, evaluate their lifestyles, build new boundaries into their lives, reconnect with God, and feel hope again. I can’t think of a more needed service in our culture today or a more crucial ministry for the church.”
Gary Collins
I. ADVANCING VERTICALLY: WALKING WITH A PASTORAL COACH
“God has written the mentor concept into human nature and that is why the concept is written into the Bible.”
Dr. Lynn Anderson
Ministers of all ages and experience need coaches/mentors. For confirmation, look no further than the life and ministry of Jesus. Though He talked to thousands, He walked with just twelve. And the longer Jesus walked in ministry, the less He talked to thousands, the more He walked with twelve. With a world to evangelize, Jesus focused not on crowds but a few; He focused on personally and relationally forming twelve leaders over time so that, through them, He could multiply the ministry of the Gospel to the world. This approach later became the ministry model of the Twelve Apostles and the Apostle Paul.
Why did Jesus choose this ministry model?
It wasn’t because it was the model that fit His personality type. It wasn’t because Jesus was an introvert who didn’t like crowds; therefore, he preferred to disciple a small group. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Jesus chose this ministry model because personal and relational mentorship was how God had hardwired us when He created us: we are built for mentorship. As Dr. Lynn Anderson attests, the ministry model of Jesus on earth demonstrates the mentorship principle, one written in the Word of God because the God of the Word has written the need for mentorship into human nature.
Coaching is not a need born of minister weakness but of minister strength. It is how God has formed us. It is how we add strength to strength in our souls. When we refuse to live according to God’s creation and go “lone ranger,” we live and minister at our weakest. But we are at our strongest when we live according to God’s creation. We go vertical – deeper and higher – with God.
II. ADVANCING HORIZONTALLY: WALKING WITH PEER MENTORS
“When we are fortunate enough to be surrounded by healthy, functional, caring people, we tend to become like them.”
Dr. Lynn Anderson
While most would “amen” the wisdom of walking with a coach-mentor, some doubt the value of peer mentorship, disputing that any real wisdom flows between younger ministers. “After all,” they say, “They’re too young to understand ministry; they’re still making their own mistakes, so how can they help others in ministry?”
And yet, was it not Pastoral Coach Paul who told Pastor Timothy,
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are a young minister. Even more to the point, young Pastor Timothy, forget their arrogance: YOU be their example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and purity.” (I Timothy 4.12)
If we are honest, which of us, whatever our age and experience, have graduated from the school of learning? Answer: only the arrogant, those who lack wisdom. Therefore, whatever my age, why not seek out ministers of similar age and experience who can encourage me and speak into my life?
Peer mentorship can be a powerful and positive coaching tool in the minister’s life. Peer mentorship is one ministry in which God’s Isaiah 43.19 “new things” are released in the church and ministry in general:
“Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
Young ministers are springs of “new thing” approaches. They are rivers who dynamically reveal God’s creativity in a ministry world far too prone to wilderness bureaucracy and desert over-structuring. As a pastoral coach who focuses on young ministers, I am daily impressed with the creativity they bring to the table – and just as impressed with their commitment to Jesus, accurately teaching the Word of God, and personally revealing Christ to a world in need of this living Savior. And – here’s what many of my generation don’t see – these young ministers spark and sharpen each other not only in new ideas, but with real wisdom, and commitment to His call.
Journey is populated with quality young ministers who wisely and humbly speak into each other’s lives. I hear the reports – and the shared wisdom – regularly and frequently. I am honored to walk with them and to be a part of the “new thing” God is using them to do today.
Peer-mentorship is not a need born of minister weakness but of minister strength. It is how God has formed us. It is how we add strength to strength in our souls. When we refuse to live according to God’s creation and go “lone ranger,” we live and minister at our weakest. But we are at our strongest when we live according to God’s creation. We go horizontal – stretched and reaching out – with God.
III. THE CONNECTING LINK: GROWING IN THE GOSPEL
Like the Cross of Jesus, a complete Cross-Coaching approach is composed of a vertical post and a horizontal beam, bound together by a connecting link.
Again, like the Cross of Jesus, the link of Cross-Coaching, what holds it together, is not physical but spiritual: the Gospel. The Cross of Jesus was not held together by physical pegs but by the Gospel delivered in the breath and blood of Jesus. Similarly, Cross-Coaching is not held together by techniques but the Gospel delivered by members of the coaching community serving each other, peer to peer.
Cross-Coaching means a shared journey: individuals forming relationships at the “intersections” of life in ministry and doing so with the intention of both asking for and giving help.
“One of the more unsettling revelations to most Christ followers, particularly in light of our fierce individualism, is how many of the marks of a Christian involve other people . . . Following Him is tied to the “one anothers.”
James Emery White
And so, through Cross-Coaching, we tie ourselves to our God-given “one anothers” in Journey. In this way, we help members of the coaching community fulfill their creation and call. It is in this way that we grow the Gospel in each other, in our various ministries, and in the world that God so loves. #sharedjourneyinJesus
ISOLATION: KILLING THE KILLER
“Though I know intellectually how vulnerable I am to pride and power, I am the last one to know when I succumb to their seduction. That’s why spiritual Lone Rangers are so dangerous,and why we must depend on trusted brothers and sisters who love us enough to tell us the truth.”
Charles Colson
Hands down, the number one killer of ministers, especially young ministers, is isolation. Why? In his outstanding book Dangerous Calling, Paul David Tripp gives the answer:
“Pastor, it is plain and simple: you and I need to be pastored. One of the scandals of hordes of churches is that no one is pastoring their pastor. No one is helping him see what he is not seeing. No one is helping him examine his thoughts, desires, words, and behaviors. No one is regularly calling him to confession. No one is delineating where repentance is appropriate. No one is reaching into his discouragement with the truths of the presence, promises, and provision of his Savior. No one is confronting his idolatry and pride. No one is alerting him to places of temptation and danger in his life.”
Cross-Coaching targets the killer of isolation. And, if faithfully employed, it is a very effective weapon. Cross-Coachingnails us squarely to the Gospel through both the vertical post of walking with a coach-mentor and the horizontal beam of walking with peer-mentors. Regular contact with both helps us doubly connect with our Creator as we live according to His creation: living in healthy, life-giving relationships.
Contrary to what many ministers believe, being pastored by others in community is not only food for the flock; it is just as essential for those who pastor God’s flock:
“Of all vocations, surely the gospel ministry is the one whose paradigm is most radically formed by the dynamics of godly mentorship.” Stephen Baldwin, in his article, Needed: Pastor-Mentors for Emerging Ministers
Some would argue that building such relationships is difficult, even impossible: “I don’t know anyone near me,” “My best friends live three states away,” or “’Mentorship by phone’ doesn’t work for me.”
Yes, face-to-face peer mentorship is always preferable, so build relationships with those near you geographically if possible. But, studies reveal that, even when the opportunity exists to develop relationships with ministers nearby, most ministers do NOT do so – even when those ministers are friends. Ultimately, NOT doing peer-mentorship because we can’t have face-to-face mentorship does nothing to kill the killer of isolation. It usually leads to no mentorship relationship. It leads to isolation, the number one killer of young ministers’ ministries and calls.
You can build strong relationships around life-giving peer mentorship by phone. We’ve seen just that over and over again in Journey Pastoral Coaching.
Ten years ago when we launched this ministry, a nationally-known pastor told the members of Journey that he has had life-giving, mentoring relationships with three peers by phone for over 30 years: regular, focused, weekly calls have helped them build strong for a lifetime of healthy and effective ministry #isolation #loneliness #discouragement #depression #burnout
NAILING IT
Cross-Coaching is not a complete system in building ministers for a lifetime of healthy and effective ministry. No coaching ministry or approach can be. But Cross-Coaching is an essential part of any serious approach to the personal and ministry development of every – every – pastor, missionary, and ministry leader.
In his book, “The Good and Beautiful Community: Following the Spirit, Extending Grace, Demonstrating Love,” James Bryan Smith writes:
“No matter who we are, no matter how deeply we live in the kingdom, we still need to be encouraged, admonished and challenged to grow in Christlikeness; we need to be accountable to an encouraging community.”
Cross-Coaching is one crucial way we relentlessly encourage and are encouraged, persistently admonish and are admonished, passionately challenge and are challenged to grow. It’s one essential way we maximize our potential and the potential of those around us, all with the goal of fulfilling our creation and call to the glory of God, the strength of the body of Christ, and the salvation of those yet separated from Him. It’s how we build strong for a lifetime of healthy and effective ministry.
EDITOR’S NOTE: At Journey, we’re celebrating our 10th Anniversary helping young ministers build strong for a lifetime of healthy and effective ministry. As a part of our celebration, we’re featuring articles written by Journey members and second looks at edited versions of early articles (like this one) that established our foundation and set out our mission. We hope you enjoy these articles and are strengthened in your walk with Christ – and others in Christ – as you read them.
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Saddled with large student debt, just beginning to set up homes and start families, and serving in low paying first and second positions, Millennials are those who most desire but can least afford to pay for pastoral coaching.
We are able to do so thanks to the faithful and generous support of individuals and churches like yours who want to see young leaders not only enter the ministry, but remain in the ministry.
Now, more than ever, we need your help.
If you or your church would like to help Millennial ministers across the US and overseas build strong for a lifetime in ministry, please click here to support Journey monthly or with your one-time gift. Thank you.
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