Archive for May 4th, 2009

Coaching Church Planters

Monday, May 4th, 2009

From Jonathan Dodson at Church Planting Novice

My first exposure to coaching definitely forced me to rethink my presuppositions. I learned that:

  • Good coaches don’t actually give advice; they ask good questions.
  • Good coaches can coach any kind of church planter or church planting model.
  • Good coaching requires good listening and insightful questioning.
  • Good coaches move the coachee along in their thinking, understanding, and approach to ministry.
  • Good coaching guides, not informs, the coachee to concrete action.

All these principles are good; however, as Nate recently pointed out, the best coach actually prays for his coachee, loves his coachee, approaches him or her as a fellow disciple under Christ. Good coaching changes the coach and coachee, moving them beyond skills and methods into deeper dependence upon the Holy Spirit.

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Ann Arbor, #5 in list of best midsize metros in America

Monday, May 4th, 2009

From MSNBC

America’s 124 midsize metros, with populations between 250,000 and 1 million people, have a total of 60 million residents. That puts them in the shadow of the nation’s 51 major metros, those in the million-plus category, which contain 54 percent of all Americans.

The study compared the 124 midsize metros in 20 statistical categories, using the latest U.S. Census Bureau data. The highest scores went to well-rounded places with healthy economies, light traffic, moderate costs of living, impressive housing stocks and strong educational systems.

These are the top 10 midsize metros in terms of quality of life:

  1. Provo, Utah
  2. Boulder, Colo.
  3. Madison, Wis.
  4. Bridgeport-Stamford, Conn.
  5. Ann Arbor, Mich.
  6. Ogden, Utah
  7. Fort Collins, Colo.
  8. Boise, Idaho
  9. Colorado Springs, Colo.
  10. Des Moines, Iowa

This is a fascinating stat

Ann Arbor, site of the University of Michigan, has the nation’s strongest concentration of adults with master’s, doctoral and professional degrees, 27.7 percent.

which is born out by Grace’s recent congregational survey and must impact my plans to plant in Ann Arbor.

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