George Bullard's Journey

The Columbia Partnership Spins Off Coach-Approach Ministries

After three years developing a strong presence nationally in coaching, coach training and church renewal, The Columbia Partnership decided June 23 that partners who are primarily coach focused will form a new and separate organization called Coach Approach Ministries.

Formed with 11 partners in 2005 to “transform the capacity of the North American Protestant church to pursue and sustain vital Christ-centered ministry,” TCP has grown to include 30 ministry associates who participate on a project basis.

Members of TCP work with individuals, churches, parachurch organizations, educational institutions, judicatories and denominations to “help them live into God’s story.” TCP is involved in projects literally coast to coast.

While all TCP team members utilize a coach approach in ministry, the training of Christian coaches became a significant focus of several original partners, who are launching Coach Approach Ministries to focus on that ministry.

Linda Miller, Phoenix, AZ.; Jane Creswell, West Lafayette, IN.; Chad Hall, Raleigh, N.C. and Bill Copper, Lenoir, N.C., will form the new organization, with startup funding from TCP.

Ken Kessler of Richmond, VA., will continue as TCP president. George Bullard, of Columbia, S.C., who was responsible for pulling together the original partners, will become vice president and strategic coordinator. Jim Royston of Kingsport, TN., will be treasurer. Other ministry partners who will continue with TCP are Dick Hamm, Indianapolis, IN.; Eddie Hammett, Hendersonville, N.C., and Norman Jameson, Raleigh, N.C.

"We are excited about birthing this new coach-focused organization,” Kessler said.” We believe that both TCP and Coach Approach Ministries are in position to serve churches, denominations, and Christian leaders with renewed focus and energy."

“Christian leadership coaching is a still emerging field within North American Christianity,” said Bullard. “TCP has been involved in coaching in two major ways. We use a coach approach to work with leaders and teams in their ministry context and we have worked to develop the capacity of leaders to engage in coaching and to create a coaching culture in their organizations.”

The emphases of TCP and Coach Approach Ministries will reflect these focuses. By launching the new organization ministry TCP partners feel both ministries will be better positioned for service in the marketplace, with a clear voice and promise to constituents and clients.

TCP offices will move from Hickory, N.C. to Columbia, S.C. The new address will be 332 Valley Springs Rd., Columbia, SC 29223-6934. The national number for TCP will remain 866-966-4TCP.

The Columbia Partnership will continue to offer a wide variety of services for leaders, congregations, denominations, and parachurch organizations to help them engage in vital ministry.

The TCP Leadership Series books with Chalice Press will continue as the publishing arm. The most recent TCP Leadership Series book is “Every Congregation Needs a Little Conflict,” by Bullard. Its popular offering, “Reaching People Under 40 While Keeping People Over 60,” by Hammett continues to draw national attention increase demands on Hammett as conference leader.

Spiritual Strategic Journey: Magic or Focus?

The Spiritual Strategic Journey process laid out in Pursuing the Full Kingdom Potential of Your Congregation is not magic. It is focus. Developing the future story for a congregation toward which you discern God is leading you does not magically transport your congregation to that place in time. Rather, it focuses your congregation on living into the future story God has for you.

It is still necessary for congregations to work on living into their story. An operational plan of some nature is still necessary. I call my operational plan the Future Story Fulfillment Map. It is explained in chapter eight of the book, and a sample form is on page 151.

The difference for your congregation, I hope, is that you focus on those actions that will have the greatest impact on your ability to live into God's future story for your congregation. You set aside as many actions as possible that simply help you have a good congregation, and focus on those actions that help you have a great congregation.

To do this, what things do you need to stop doing in your congregation, and what things do you need to start doing in your congregation?

Churches Are for Hurting People

"Churches are for hurting people," the lay person from a congregation recently said to me. "And I mean that both ways. Churches are places for hurting people to come to receive comfort. And, churches are places that hurt people."

Wow!

What are your thoughts?

The High Cost of an Empowering Congregational Vision

Question: What is the difference between the high cost of fuel and the high cost of congregational vision?

Answer: Not as much as it might seem.

Answer: Few congregations are willing to pay such a high price to go the distance.

Answer: The high cost of vision may bankrupt a congregation unless they focus their ministry actions tightly on living into that vision.

Answer: Many congregations will decide to stay home--remain unchanged--until they adjust to the new high cost of travel and the high cost of vision.

Answer: Too few congregations are willing to make the sacrifice to be deeply driven by vision.

Answer: Some congregations will want to sell or trade in their big visions for a smaller vision that will be less costly, not realizing they may no longer be pursuing a God-size vision.

Answer: Some congregation will see if they can fuel their journey with lower octane ministry actions and get the same mileage on their efforts. But, they cannot.

Answer: [What answers would you add?]

Triplet Talk and Journey Vehicles

I am currently working with three congregations in Evansville, IN in the Spiritual Strategic Journey process that is documented in my book Pursuing the Full Kingdom Potential of Your Congregation.

Last night we had one of our twice monthly conference calls to share the progress being made in each congregation. All three are in the midst of the 100 Days of Discernment involving share and prayer triplets.

One key element of this process is to find creative ways to share information throughout the congregation. Two new ways were shared last night.

First, was that one congregation has set up a bulletin board with the banner "Triplet Talk" and invites people from triplets to post statements, stories, and pictures coming out of their triplets.

Second, another church has taped outlines of cars all around their fellowship hall. Then they have cut pictures of each church member out of their pictorial directory and placed four in each car to symbolize the journey the congregation is on.

These are two great visuals that can help congregations feel like they are all involved in this process. I commend these congregations for their creativity and desire to include all in the process through these public visuals.

Learnings @ Leadership Network: multi-site churches going to international locations

Check out this highly interesting article from Leadership Network:

Learnings @ Leadership Network: multi-site churches going to international locations

Being Church for All Generations Hits a Home Run

Can you think of a question about the future vitality of existing congregations that is asked more often than "how can we reach people under 40 while keeping people over 60?" I can't! And neither could primary author Eddie Hammett when an over 60 woman first posed this question to him.

As a constant observer and encourage of congregations, Eddie determined he ought to write a book on this subject. He teamed up with a friend--Randy Pierce--who had been a spiritual traveler for many years, and represented the under 40 crowd. Randy, now a practicing Christian, is able in this book to recount the perspective of under 40 persons who are searching for a church experiences that speaks to their needs.

The approach taken by this book is not a big bang approach where congregations get whiplash in the middle of making changes needed to attract people under 40. It is a coaching and learning approach where congregations develop the capacity to do and/both--reach the under 40 crowd while simultaneously affirming the the 60 plus stakeholders. It is a win-win approach that seeks to carry everyone forward into God's future.

Along the way various approaches are suggested in dealing with the existing tension in congregations before they start this journey, and the additional tension likely to arise as congregation focus on the under 40 and over 60 folks.

This is also a very personal story for Eddie, as he recounts in his book. He talks about how the "ah hah's!" needed by the over 60 stakeholders was experienced in his home church that led them to embrace changes that would attract the under 40 crowd.

Throughout the book are helpful coaching questions that can be used for dialogue sessions in congregations. Also, do not miss the coaching interview between Eddie and Randy at the end of the book.

To purchase this book go to Bullard Journal Book Store.

Concerning Denominations [on Come Underground]

Note this post at http://sagely.wordpress.com/ on June 7th concerning denominations: concerning denominations « come underground.

A Video on the Focus of Every Congregation Needs a Little Conflict

I invite you to view this one minute video that explains the focus of Every Congregation Needs a Little Conflict: