Testimonies
Comments from coaching recipients:
This was my first experience with coaching and it will not be my last. I can look back over the past year and point to specific personal and professional successes that are a result of the coaching process. My entire congregation has truly benefited from it. Coaching helped me to turn roadblocks into opportunities. What seemed like impossible situations became pathways to progress. George Howard is attentive, encouraging and insightful. The questions he asks and the guidance he gives are a result of his careful listening and his perceptiveness. He held me accountable so that it was more than just an hour of really good ideas that got pushed to the back burner when distractions came up. Each session ended with specific tasks and a plan for accomplishing what we discussed. Through the process of discerning my goals, focusing on my vision and discussing it through- I was able to see solutions and ideas that seemed to be right in front of my face, but I hadn't been able to see. I immediately felt comfortable freely sharing my hopes and concerns with George and I deeply appreciate that every session was rooted in prayer and genuine faith in God. Jennifer Williamson, Pastor
I'm often told, "You ask the best questions." To which I always think to myself, "That is because I have been trained to ask good questions." Coaching has transformed my ministry. As the church developer of the North Texas Conference, I use coaching skills in most of my conversations with the pastors I work with, as well as with my staff and peers. Utilizing the coaching skills I have received from George Howard and Chris Holmes with pastors has led one pastor to call me "Yoda Owen" and my staff to frequently request of me, "I need some quick coaching." I would add another great additional benefit of being trained as a coach is learning how to best receive coaching. Coaching is like a complex power tool or a computer program. It works a lot better if you know how it works. As a planter, as pastor and now as a developer, receiving coaching and knowing how to get the most out of coaching has been instrumental in gaining clarity of what I seek to achieve and in designing a plan to achieve it. So, what do you want? Dr Reverend Owen K Ross, Director of Church Development
Coaching has helped me to look at situations or opportunities from perspectives I wouldn't normally even consider. Working with George has opened my eyes to possibilities, to perspectives, or to actionable approaches that were not a normal part of my took kit. Having that objective but caring person who understands my ministry context as well as both my strengths and weaknesses is a blessing and has enabled me to move forward in aspects of ministry that would otherwise have run into dead ends. George doesn't give me the answers, or direct me to "do this" or "do that," rather, he guides me through processes of spiritual, logical and sometimes emotional discernment to see avenues or understand complexities that I was blind to before. I wasn't sure I needed a coach before I began this process. Now, I can look back and see wonderful ministry experiences that either wouldn't have happened or that would not have been nearly as successful were it not for having shared and worked through the early stages with my coach George. Jay Anderson, Pastor
This was my first experience with coaching and it will not be my last. I can look back over the past year and point to specific personal and professional successes that are a result of the coaching process. My entire congregation has truly benefited from it. Coaching helped me to turn roadblocks into opportunities. What seemed like impossible situations became pathways to progress. George Howard is attentive, encouraging and insightful. The questions he asks and the guidance he gives are a result of his careful listening and his perceptiveness. He held me accountable so that it was more than just an hour of really good ideas that got pushed to the back burner when distractions came up. Each session ended with specific tasks and a plan for accomplishing what we discussed. Through the process of discerning my goals, focusing on my vision and discussing it through- I was able to see solutions and ideas that seemed to be right in front of my face, but I hadn't been able to see. I immediately felt comfortable freely sharing my hopes and concerns with George and I deeply appreciate that every session was rooted in prayer and genuine faith in God. Jennifer Williamson, Pastor
I'm often told, "You ask the best questions." To which I always think to myself, "That is because I have been trained to ask good questions." Coaching has transformed my ministry. As the church developer of the North Texas Conference, I use coaching skills in most of my conversations with the pastors I work with, as well as with my staff and peers. Utilizing the coaching skills I have received from George Howard and Chris Holmes with pastors has led one pastor to call me "Yoda Owen" and my staff to frequently request of me, "I need some quick coaching." I would add another great additional benefit of being trained as a coach is learning how to best receive coaching. Coaching is like a complex power tool or a computer program. It works a lot better if you know how it works. As a planter, as pastor and now as a developer, receiving coaching and knowing how to get the most out of coaching has been instrumental in gaining clarity of what I seek to achieve and in designing a plan to achieve it. So, what do you want? Dr Reverend Owen K Ross, Director of Church Development
Coaching has helped me to look at situations or opportunities from perspectives I wouldn't normally even consider. Working with George has opened my eyes to possibilities, to perspectives, or to actionable approaches that were not a normal part of my took kit. Having that objective but caring person who understands my ministry context as well as both my strengths and weaknesses is a blessing and has enabled me to move forward in aspects of ministry that would otherwise have run into dead ends. George doesn't give me the answers, or direct me to "do this" or "do that," rather, he guides me through processes of spiritual, logical and sometimes emotional discernment to see avenues or understand complexities that I was blind to before. I wasn't sure I needed a coach before I began this process. Now, I can look back and see wonderful ministry experiences that either wouldn't have happened or that would not have been nearly as successful were it not for having shared and worked through the early stages with my coach George. Jay Anderson, Pastor