Coaching Life-Changing Small Group Leaders: A Comprehensive Guide for Developing Leaders of Groups and Teams

by Bill Donahue, Greg Bowman

Small groups transform churches—and lives. Small group leaders often feel the weight of shepherding their small group members. But who shepherds the shepherd? Small group coaches fill a unique role by providing support and guidance for group leaders. When you’re called to coach a small group leader in your church, your mind may be filled with questions: Am I godly enough? What do I have to offer? How do I begin? Although the challenge seems immense, Bill Donahue and Greg Bowman break down the work of coaching small group leaders into achievable steps. This expanded and updated edition offers field-tested and biblically supported advice on such topics as modeling a surrendered life to those you coach, gaining the tools and wisdom you need for coaching, and helping leaders grow spiritually. This workbook can be used as a stand-alone resource to train coaches, or it can be used with the training videos taught by the authors, available on the Equipping Life-Changing Small Groups DVD (sold separately). For those who want to coach with excellence and truly help small group leaders thrive, this go-to guide offers practical answers and inspiring examples. You’ll find both challenge and promise in these pages as you learn to carry forth your God-given calling with confidence.

Genres: Leadership, Christian, Discipleship, Church

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 10, 2012

About the author

Bill Donahue is an associate professor at Trinity International University and a popular conference speaker. The author of more than a dozen books with sales over 550,000 copies, he is former director of leadership development and group life for the Willow Creek Community Church and Association. He lives in Illinois.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

All too often their is an expectation that leaders simply function on their own - this book presents a different model

[Kory · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good resource for coaching, and I am using it to construct the coaching model at my church this Fall. I'll want this in the hands of all those volunteers, and intend to use it as a guide for training them.

There was a lot of content at the end that doesn't pertain to coaches specifically, such as the importance of personal spiritual disciplines and examples of them. The need has already been stated in the book, and this belongs in another book altogether. But that's my one criticism, is that there is more content than needed. The rest is balanced, biblically centered, and helpful.