Coaches can be scary! I remember one I had when playing American baseball as a kid. He had a good heart, but he intimidated us a lot! Just knowing he was watching me try to hit the ball made me strike out. Coaching in disciple-making movements, however, shouldn’t be frightening.
Similar to me, many people have bad experiences with coaches or teachers. These so-called mentors have been harsh, have scolded them or expected more than they were capable of. Even worse, some have shamed them when they failed. These negative experiences affect how we think about coaching. It doesn’t have to be like that. Coaching is a very fruitful and helpful practice in Disciple Making Movements (DMMs).
Having a good DMM coach makes a major difference. It can be a major factor in whether or not you see a movement get started and be sustained. Coaching provides friendly accountability. This helps us move toward our goals step by step. Good coaches assist us in thinking about how to overcome obstacles so we don’t get stuck.