(Nashville, TN)— Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century launched its Collaborative Coaching Network (CCN) with more than 40 of the most effective pastoral and lay leaders in the African-American Church. The CCN is charged by the SBC
21 Coordinating Committee to nurture partner congregations via covenant relationships and coaching.
“Our main purpose and focus in designing and launching this Collaborative Coaching Network is to increase the number of highly vital congregations within the SBC21 scope,” said Fred Allen, National Executive Director of SBC21. “This has been an unwavering mission of ours and we have made tremendous progress towards that goal. We often hear that our training events are productive and informative, but the disconnect is often the follow-up. So introducing this method of follow-up with Mentor Coaches will help close the gap,” he said.
The 2-day training, led by Dr. Sherry Daniels, CEO of OnPoint Church Coaching & Consultation and Dr. Rodney Smothers, Lead Coach for Coachmin: A Ministry Training Resource Team, introduced about 33 CCN Coaches to the collaborative coaching system which will more effectively resource the partner congregation Churches. “We have to ask ourselves- what will success look like as a result of our Collaborative Coaching Network presence?” Smothers said. Will churches be healthy, relevant and innovative in their approach to meeting the spiritual needs in their communities,” he asked.
Participants were introduced and trained on new resources using technology as well as was informed on the overall Call to Action and what it means for the local churches. The remaining training events for 2011 will be the first groups to participate in this new model.
Senior Pastor Junius Dotson, whose church will host a CRC Training event in September, says that this method will bold well for the effectiveness of his upcoming training. “We must be more intentional about helping our partner congregations experience vitality in ministry not just through teaching, but through demonstration, modeling and coaching, Dotson said. A list of all the 2011 SBC21 training events is available at sbc21.org.
“From this training we will assemble a team of coaches who are innovative, thorough and effective in leadership and outreach, said Rose Booker-Jones, Chair of the Program Committee for SBC21. “These Coaches are charged with engaging, connecting and leading Pastors to help set clear vision and desired outcomes that can be measured for success. “This type of accountability will make the relationships with the SBC21 coach and the PC more meaningful,” Booker-Jones added.
About the Collaborative Coaching Network
The primary task of the Collaborative Coaching Network is a relationship-based program with the intent to nurture Partner Congregations via covenant relationships and coaching. A Mentor Coach will be carefully selected and matched with a PC who has met the SBC21 application criteria. The PC must be accepted into the CCN program. The Mentor Coaches will serve as a subject expert and assist their PC team (s) in areas such as worship, leadership administration, outreach and Christian education that will allow them to achieve measurable success.
About SBC21
Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century is a transformational learning model that enables one congregation to share its gift with other churches that are seeking growth, vitality and transformation and wanting to expand their gifts of mission and ministry, in the process, to revitalize Black congregations and The United Methodist Church.