Mission and Leadership Coaching with Jenna Blackwell

Jun 17, 2021

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engaging your community:

Using Coaching to Develop Leaders

By Jenna Blackwell

It is important to realign our investments of time, energy, finances and resources to reimaging and reengaging afresh with what God is doing in Tasmania.

Are we afraid to give up Sunday church gatherings because we don't trust that something new might arise? Mission and Leadership Coaching with Jenna Blackwell

One of the major ways to reengage with our communities is a focus on coaching leaders, disciples, followers of Jesus, missionaries, and people of God. It is a call to let our finances reflect our values and priorities.

We often do all we can to protect what we think is good. But when it looks like a fruit tree has died, there’s a dilemma – to graft or to uproot? My avocado tree earlier this year suffered damage and I had to face this very question.

A question was posed to me: ‘Are we afraid to give up Sunday church gatherings because we don’t trust that something new might arise?’

This is an uncomfortable question that raises different things in each of us. Our reaction will be different based on personality, values and experiences.

If we want different results, we must change the way we do things.
Tom Northup

Act and reimagine

Tom Northup [1] says, “All organisations are perfectly designed to get the results they are now getting. If we want different results, we must change the way we do things.” So, if we want different results, we have to be courageous enough to act and to reimagine.

Tasmanian Baptists want to realign for the sake of the Kingdom of God, for the sake of Tasmanians, and for the sake of member churches and faith communities.

Support the development of new faith communities
Improve communication – both from Tasmanian Baptists and to member churches and faith communities
Train and empower servant-hearted leaders, disciples and missionaries to walk the intersection of worship, community and mission
Help people discover their unique calling and to reimagine with God what this could look like in everyday life, and reengage with others as they walk this out

One major way we are realigning is through coaching. One day a week, I can now coach anyone in our churches, but particularly women and young adults. Tasmanian Baptists cover all costs to recipients through my employment.

This is massive! By way of comparison, most coaches charge a minimum of $100/hour.

About Christian coaching

Christian coaching is “an ongoing intentional conversation that empowers a person or group to fully live out God’s calling,” suggests Keith Webb [2].

Coaching enables the journey of spiritual transformation. As a participant-owned activity, it results in action. Coaching can be short term or long term, project or individual based. For example, focus on:

General growth and transformation – developing self-understanding of personality, strengths, gifts and values …
- Balance/margin/preventing burnout
- Role/missional engagement and initiatives
- Problem/project to work on solutions and outcomes

Now is the time to act,! To try new things and to decide how to graft or uproot. We don’t want to still be talking about it in five years’ time, with no growth.

New Growth

Jenna's Avocado tree: Mission and Leadership Coaching with Jenna Blackwell — Jenna’s avocado tree

Here’s my avocado tree more recently, starting the new growth process.

It’s time to reimagine getting involved with what God is doing in Tasmania. And to reengage, welcoming our communities to experience the presence of God afresh, with cultural understanding.

Please get in touch with me to discuss the benefit to you and your church through coaching!