Abstract & Overview
Problem In spite of a plethora of discipleship programs and good preaching, the church in general has failed to empower believers who consistently re-present Jesus and His ministry in the earth today; nor are they reproducing other disciples. The limiting factor appears to be internal fears and beliefs within the disciples, rather than a lack of knowledge or skills. A more effective disciple making process whereby both pastors and congregants can move people of varying levels of maturity, knowledge and experience toward God is imperative if the church is to fulfill the Great Commission to “go and make disciples.” Method Seven subjects at varying levels of spiritual interest were selected. The Emotional/Spiritual Inventory developed by Peter Scazzero, was administered to the participants before and after engaging them in twelve personal coaching sessions over a six month period. A comparison of their pre- and post-scores resulted in an average growth score in each of the seven areas of emotional and spiritual health measured by the inventory. Results Each participant scored higher in at least one of the seven areas of spiritual/emotional health. In addition, each learned how to set measurable personal goals and develop strategies for life-long spiritual growth. Five of the seven participants have begun to engage non-believers in spiritual conversations and have started inviting them to church. Conclusions Teaching and equipping programs are necessary, but inadequate in themselves to empower disciples because they are powerless to identify and remove the internal obstacles that keep believers from acting on the knowledge they acquire. Coaching is a process that enables people to discover their internal obstacles, and devise strategies for their growth.