This is a guest post by Brian Ottinger. Brian is a pastor and planter of a new missional community church in Charlotte, NC called Convergence Church. The Lord saved Brian in a radical way over seven years ago. God has blessed Brian with a beautiful wife and five wonderful boys. Brian is grateful to labor for God as a planter and pastor of Convergence Church throughout the city of Charlotte, NC.
Due to my zeal, I have always been the kind of guy who can help inspire people get on mission, however, I was lacking in how to lead them once they got on mission.
I am passionate about the Gospel and making disciples. Through the process of planting a missional community church in the Bible Belt, I saw the great need for some outside wisdom and coaching. One of the major barriers I was facing for myself and others was transitioning from the “traditional Sunday church” mindset to being everyday disciples that lived life on life, life in community, and life on mission. Through my first six months in Saturate coaching I have been greatly empowered to help people in and outside our church to live on mission and increase their understanding of God’s purpose in their lives.
As a church planter and pastor I have always viewed my job as an equipper to the saints (Eph. 4:11-12), and in doing so to give our church the tools they can use to help them succeed in the Great Commission. This is the number one thing I have learned through my coach Chuck Gschwend, is how to ask good questions. By asking the right questions, I can help equip them in ways that flow naturally from inside of them.
The Right Questions
During our coaching sessions, Chuck faithfully explored what was on my heart by asking me the question “What”? He then helps me ascribe value to my “What”, by asking me “Why?” Once we have established the “What” and “Why”, he helped me understand how I would do the accomplish goal by asking my “How?” After we had developed a good God-honoring strategy for accomplishing my goal, Chuck moved into the “When” and “Where”? In the past, most leaders just tried to give me information and then tell me how to do it. The Saturate coaching model is different in that they have been able to faithfully pull out of me what God has implanted in my heart.
Whatever the action step is, I know Chuck will hold me accountable to for our next meeting. It may seem simple and basic, but it has been very impactful as I have now been a discipling leader both inside and outside our church, just by asking them those questions. What? Why? How? When/Where?. This is much different than what I am accustomed to through past leadership development strategies. My Saturate Cohort doesn’t just give us things to do, but actually holds us accountable to do what we say we are going to do.
Our True Leader
When we consider wise leadership, we must ultimately behold the model displayed by our Lord Jesus. He was always asking good questions and helping people rethink what they believed and why they believed it. He also asked the kinds of questions that led people to action. This has been so helpful for me as now I am putting this into practice with our folks here in Charlotte, NC. Asking the kinds of questions that help them see God’s plans and purposes for them and empower them to go and live life on mission. Because of this, I would highly recommend any pastor or everyday disciple who is passionate about the Great Commission and seeing the Glory of God spread through their city to enlist in Saturate coaching. You will be thankful and God will be glorified.
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