Christian Coaching: Helping Others Turn Potential into Reality

by Gary R. Collins

Coaching has expanded beyond athletics to almostevery aspect of life that requires accountability, encouragement,and a commitment to growth.

Dr. Gary R. Collins takes the successful principles of coachingand gives them a God-centered application. Broader in scope thaneither mentoring or discipling,Christian Coachinghelps people find God?s vision for their lives andlearn to live accordingly through stories, insights, andinterviews.

Genres: Leadership, Christian, Discipleship, Nonfiction, Business, Christian Living

320 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2001

About the author

Gary Red Collins

Reviews

[David]

Coaching is not counseling, mentoring, discipling or consulting. Coaching is its own thing and is a growing phenomena in many fields. There is everything from executive coaching to end of life coaching to pastoral coaching and life coaching.

I've read a few books on coaching as I have sought to include coaching principles in my ministry on the college campus. What I do is not pure coaching, since coaching is basically listening and asking questions. When you give advice you are moving out of coaching. And the students I work with need and want advice! That said, I have found coaching helpful. Honestly, I have thought about what it would look like to get more into coaching.

This book is the best one I've read on coaching so far. It is basically a textbook on the subject and reading it is like an introdutory course in coaching. Collins talks about what coaching is, why it is needed now, challenges and obstacles. One obstacle is that there is no definitive governing body so anyone can call themselves a coach and open up a coaching business tomorrow. Yet like any growing field, there are movements to close thoose gaps and build standards all coaches adhere to. Which, if you are looking for a coach and care about standards, the International Coaching Federation (ICF) is the largest body that credentials coaches and anyone serious about coaching probably will want to work towards their standards.

Overall, I don't give this book five stars because it is life-changing. I give it five stars because based on what he set out to do, he overwhelmingly succeeded. This book has left me a lot to think about both in the coaching aspects of my ministry now, how I can use coaching in the future, and where I might want to go if I decide to seek credentialing. Collins is a Christian and writes from a faith perspective, so if you are a Christian and interested in learning more about coaching then this is a must read.

[Julie]

Required reading for my Doctorate. Like his book on Christian Counseling, I read through every digital page except the notes. The appendix is helpful, and I used some of the resources for leading cross-cultural activities for new ministers. It is helpful, even if long.
I am glad that I was trained first as a peer coach in my career as a teacher. The principles make sense, and have more meaning in the context of faith. I will use many of these principles in disciple-making and mentoring, although I do not really see myself as a Christian coach. I am much too directive and prescriptive, since I work with young people.

[James Swanson]

This is probably one of the earliest works on personal coaching from a Christian perspective, it is well researched and gives some good solid advice for those who are or want to be a coach. This is really only lays the groundwork for a lifelong education if this kind of helping is your ultimate goal. Additional training will be needed to be consider for more specialized direction.

Since this publication, there has been a revision. I haven't read the revised version yet.

[Renee Fisher]

This is one of the better books I've read on coaching and Christian coaching. Gary R. Collins, PhD has an overabundance of information that would be helpful to any life coach starting out! Just be careful not to be overwhelmed by the amount of information!

[Kristin]

I originally bought this book because I was very curious about the profession of Christian coaching. I began to read the book, which is well written and talks about the differentiated vocation of Christian coaching as opposed to counseling, mentoring, or discipling. I enrolled in the Christian Coach Institute and much to my pleasant surprise, this book was our primary textbook. Packed full of practical wisdom and industry information, it served as a great text to guide me on my journey of becoming a Christian Executive and Career coach. If you’re curious about the coaching profession, I highly recommend it!

[Mac C.]

Great read. Presents the profession of coaching and differentiates it from counseling, mentoring, and discipleship. It also explains the different niches within the coaching world. The author is clear and open about the future, opportunities, and downfalls of coaching. Very helpful book for anyone looking to get into coaching OR just browsing around to find out what coaching is exactly. Perfect for a "beginner" as it doesn't use complex or technical language.

[Jonathan]

Collins produces a very complete word for people interested in or involved with Christian coaching. From the beginner to the advanced Christian coach, he gives the most information I have ever read about Christian coaching. This is a must read if you're interested in this area of helpful ministry to Christians of all types.

[DL Rudd]

Not only is a great book to use if you’re going to be a Christian coach, it’s also excellent to use it to evaluate your own personal life I highly suggest this for any Christian coach.

[Valerie Laws]

I read the 2nd Edition and found it to be thorough, insightful and easy to read.

[Ken]

This is an excellent book and full of great information. It you are a mentor or a coach, this book has great information for you.

[Mike]

A very thorough and thought-provoking book. It’s full of advice, examples, applications, and challenges.

[Margaret Chind]

Whether you are a counseling, pastor, life coach or just something that is good with listening this is a keeper for your permanent shelf. Basically a text book, this manual breaks things down and answers a lot of question. It is even a valuable tool for someone just curious about what Christian Coaching is. I have to admit, when this arrived on my doorstep (again another one that I say is due to my non committal of a genre) I assumed it was another book about sports. So I put it on the back burner and figured I would get to eventually.

My was I surprised when I realized that this was coaching as in a "life coach". Oops. Now that I know what this book was for I was interested. Cracking open the beginning of these 400+ some odd pages I was introduced to the Foundations of Christian Coaching followed by three chapters of the Skills necessary. Then there are some more brief sections on an Assessment, Vision and Stategy, Action and Obstacles with lots of lists of goals. Lastly, this textbook rounds off with great chapters of Specialities in Christian Coaching and the Practice.

What a wealth of information! This is entertaining for one thing but so educational. It is a great reference tool to come back to again and again for reassurance and coming back to a standing stasis. The last hundred pages are Appendixes (reminds me of my dad's book) that would be a great book on their own.

If you are in a line of work that is in guiding people or helping people or let's face it "coaching". You really need this book.

*Thanks to NavPress for providing a copy for review.*

[Chickadee]

If you’ve heard about “coaching” but aren’t sure what it means in today’s terms, this book is the perfect resource. According to Fortune magazine, coaching is the hottest thing in management.

Although author Gary R. Collins, PhD states that coaching has become a revolution that shows no signs of slowing down, Christian coaches seem to be few and far between.

So what is coaching? First and foremost it is not counseling or therapy, nor is it about healing or reactive looking back. Coaching helps individuals move forward and grow as a person while focusing on their strengths.

Coaching motivates the person being coached to build vision along with their skills.

According to the author, Christian coaching has a more eternal purpose in that it encourages individuals to find God’s purpose for their life and move away from their own agendas.

This book shares what (and who) makes for a good coach, what their skills should look like and how a coaching relationship is set up. If you are interested in finding a Christian coach or becoming a Christian coach, this book is a must read.

[Fire and Glory]

Great book, if you're interested in coaching read this book.

[Chuck Cova]

This is the main text book for the Personal Life Coaching Certification which I am pursuing. It is a solidly comprehensive guide to many, many aspects of the Life Coaching profession. While built from a foundation of a Christian perspective, gives ample time on using Christian principles in non-Christian coaching scenarios. This book will most certainly be a resource that I'll use for a long time to come...

Second time thru - great reaffirmation of any number of principles and a few nuggets I missed the first time through. Truly a great resource...

Third time thru - believe I got more out of it this time than the first two times combined. Each time thru, seem to be able to go deeper and deeper on the topics presented.

[Dennis Podryadchikov]

Collins offers a comprehensive guide into a recently originated realm of coaching and its domain Christian coaching. Drawing from his background in psychology, the author skillfully discusses the topic, offers strong approaches, and deals with potential abuses. Additionally, there are many practical advices and exercises, including the ones in a number of appendices. Because of its down-to-earth but adequate language, this work makes a solid textbook for introductory classes. Besides students, Christians and their leaders find this book an easy yet thorough way into the discipline of coaching.

[Dennis Podryadchikov]

Collins offers a comprehensive guide into a recently originated realm of coaching and its domain Christian coaching. Drawing from his background in psychology, the author skillfully discusses the topic, offers strong approaches, and deals with potential abuses. Additionally, there are many practical advices and exercises, including the ones in a number of appendices. Because of its down-to-earth but adequate language, this work makes a solid textbook for introductory classes. Besides students, Christians and their leaders find this book an easy yet thorough way into the discipline of coaching.

[Brett]

In this introduction to Christian coaching, Collins presents a case for the relevance of coaching, a paradigm for its implementation, and an overview of trends and specializations within this growing field. Collins walks the reader through a seven-part coaching model – issues, awareness, vision, strategy, action, and obstacles – all the while providing principles, illustrations, assessment tools, and outside resources. Collins’ work is a helpful introduction and a useful reference towards “helping others turn potential into reality.” B.

[Rachel Olsen]

Collins knows his craft. While this is an older book, and therefore some of the examples are a bit dated, the information within was helpful. Foundational even. This book was part of the required reading in the training program I went through to become a certified biblical life coach.

{If you are interested in knowing more about my life coaching practice, visit RachelOlsen.com and click on the "personal coaching" tab.}

[Stacey]

Being the first book on coaching I have read with nothing to compare it to:

I thought it was very thorough and comprehensive. The book covered what coaching is, the skills a good coach needs, why someone would go to a coach, specialties in coaching, and the future of coaching. I pulled a lot of good information out of it, and I think much of what it talks about can be used in all relationships, not just for coaching.

[John Kenworthy]

In spite of its title, you don;t have to be Christian to benefit from this book and you don;t have to be coaching Christians.
A through examination of the coaching profession and some excellent tools to develop a coaching culture.

[Juan Carlos]

Love this version even better than the first one. The updated book is a deep reflection on the art and science of coaching from the christian perspective. Collins review the tenets of coaching, the status of the profession, its challenges and troubles. His is insightful and practical.

[Jason Fitch]

This is no quick and easy read, but it's a nice balance of text book & enjoyable reading. Great stories throughout that bring the concepts to life. It becomes an excellent reference once finished, too.

[Bryan Baker]

Essential Reading for those interested in knowing more about Christian Coaching!

I can't imagine a better book on the basics of Christian Coaching! It was helpful, informative, and transformative for me!

[Chad Harris]

I only give it three stars because it just was not the book for me. It is very long and in-depth. I think this is a great book for anyone really interesting in becoming a coach as a profession, but I am not heading down that path.

[Mike]

A good & comprehensive coverage of the title.

[John Compton]

Bringing the world of coaching to the Church, Collins provides another vehicle for disciple in the 21st century.

[Zeke]

Great reminders.

[Matthew Moore]

Excellent resource for the topic that I'll go back to again.