One night in late December, the plans I’d cooked up for 2023 evaporated before the ball dropped on New Year’s Eve. With the decks cleared of clutter, one exciting option remained—Vibrant Faith’s 12-week Ministry Leadership Coaching School. The school is led by Vibrant Faith’s Director of Coaching Services, Jim LaDoux, and Dr. Felix Villanueva, a Master Certified Coach. I signed up because I’ve been looking for a way to grow my impact for the future, and I think the skills learned in Coaching School can help me do that.
1. Coaching School gives me different options.
I’m the Marketing Director at Vibrant Faith—marketing is an exciting, always innovating profession. I love the way that data, creative, and strategy come together to move an organization forward. But, like you, I have a desire to grow and expand my impact—especially as I enter into the back half of my career. Coaching school offers me a path forward in marketing (and ministry) that allows me to pivot toward helping people in new ways, with new skills and deeper impact.
2. Coaching School will help me learn to be present to others around me.
I really want to be able to engage others deeply, thoughtfully, and intentionally. I want to people to know I value them by the way I interact with them as I listen to their joys and challenges. I want them to know I’m paying deep attention so that I can more deeply encourage them. I’m looking forward to learning the skills of a better listener, a strong and thoughtful questioner, and a determined pursuer. I want to put these skills into practice in my daily life with my family, other ministry leaders, and friends.
3. Coaching will help me reinvest in the church.
I’m deeply thankful for the opportunity to work at Vibrant Faith. This job was the answer to the prayer for a soft landing when COVID upended a much-loved job at my church. But over time, I’ve come to realize that marketing is a set of skills I can use to impact all areas of my life—in my family, my continuing service at church, and with friends old and new in my circle of influence. My skills flow out of my calling. Coaching School gives me the opportunity to circle back to my calling to ministry, helping advance the kingdom of God.
It’s a little nerve-wracking to enter into Coaching School unsure how or where the training will take me. It’s a true leap of faith. But I’m excited to invest in my personal skills and see where it all takes me. I’ll be sharing my experiences in Coaching School along the way, with a few articles on our website at vibrantfaith.org/articles and live streams on the Vibrant Faith Instagram account(@vibrantfaith). I hope you’ll follow along and see possibilities for yourself as well.
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Charity Starchenko came to Vibrant Faith after working with small to medium-sized churches, helping build sustainable growth environments that invite people to walk in the way of Jesus more fully. Charity enjoys lunch with friends, hiking and walking, and good conversation.
The church needs more trained and skilled ministry leaders who know how to use coaching skills to unlock the potential in others, fueling a vibrant culture centered on Jesus.
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