I’ve had dozens of conversations with leaders around the world, asking a question: “Who would benefit from coach training?” The answer I hear more than any other is regional leaders.

These are the people who support pastors and congregations across multiple churches. Their titles vary by denomination and organization. Some serve full-time, others part-time or as volunteers. One may work with five churches, another with fifty. They serve churches with different resources, demographics, and opportunities, and much of their influence happens through conversation.

It makes sense that their names keep coming up. A pastor calls with a concern. A church needs help thinking through its future. Someone has an idea but needs help developing it. Regional leaders are already having these conversations, and coaching can help make them more empowering.

I believe those conversations will become increasingly important. Artificial intelligence is raising questions about work, and I’m concerned about what it may mean for people’s sense of purpose and contribution. When familiar ways of life change, people need help making sense of what comes next. The church has something essential to offer in those moments.

I don’t think we are adequately prepared for what is coming. But I hear ideas and see possibilities in local churches that give me hope. Preparing will require us to develop those ideas, clarify our response, and encourage people to act. Regional leaders are positioned to help.

As I think about this opportunity, my confidence rests in three places.

My confidence is in God.

God is already at work in the churches these regional leaders serve. He knows their communities, understands their challenges, and has placed people among them with gifts and experiences that matter. We can help local leaders pay attention to what He is doing and consider how to respond.

I believe God wants our reliance on Him. Sometimes we want enough information to make a decision without having to trust very much. Faithfulness requires us to pray, think carefully, and take steps while some of our questions remain unanswered. Having someone walk with us through that process can make a considerable difference.

A regional leader cannot tell a local pastor what God is saying to that pastor. They can listen as the pastor describes what is happening, notice connections, and help explore what those connections might mean. There is something powerful about having another person take seriously what you are trying to discern.

Our confidence in God allows us to approach uncertainty with expectation. We can acknowledge how much we don’t know and still believe He will help us take a faithful next step.

My confidence is in the local church.

When I say churches are unprepared, I don’t mean pastors have no ideas. My experience is almost the opposite. Local leaders have observations, concerns, and possibilities they have been carrying around for a while. Some have already begun responding in small but meaningful ways.

They know who has lost a job. They know which families are struggling and which people have quietly stopped showing up. Their relationships reach into places a denominational office may never see. They also know something about the gifts and experiences of the people sitting in their pews.

What they often need is an opportunity to develop what they are seeing. An idea needs clarification. A concern needs exploration. A pastor needs encouragement to pursue something that feels important but is still difficult to explain.

Imagine a pastor who notices several people struggling with changes at work. The congregation includes people who have navigated difficult career transitions and others who are good at making people feel welcome. There may be something there. A thoughtful conversation could help the pastor connect those observations and consider a response that fits that church.

The regional leader can help create room for that thinking. Serving multiple churches gives them a valuable perspective, but each church deserves attention to its own circumstances. One has money but few available volunteers. Another has willing people and almost no budget. A third has deep relationships in a community changing around it.

My confidence in the local church includes confidence that God has given its people something to contribute. A good conversation can help them recognize it and put it to use.

My confidence is in coaching as a helpful tool.

Conversation is already central to regional leadership. Coaching brings intention and skill to those conversations so they help people think more clearly, develop their ideas, and determine what they are willing to do.

Consider that pastor noticing people struggling with changes at work. As the pastor talks, a regional leader might hear uncertainty about whether the church has anything useful to offer. They might also hear enthusiasm when the pastor describes a particular person in the congregation. Staying attentive to both can help the pastor explore what is holding the idea back and what might make it possible.

There is more happening here than asking a good question. The regional leader is listening carefully, helping the pastor examine assumptions, and allowing an idea to develop before offering a solution. Together, they can explore the connections between what the pastor senses God doing, what the community needs, and what the congregation can offer.

The conversation should eventually lead somewhere. The pastor might decide to gather a few people to explore the need or talk with someone whose experience could help. A possibility becomes a next step, with responsibility remaining in the hands of the local leader.

Regional leaders still need to teach, advise, and sometimes direct. Coaching adds a tool that helps them develop the leaders they serve. These conversations can be encouraging and empowering. At times, they can be transformational.

Bringing what we know to the conversation

At Coach Approach Ministries, we want to bring what we know about these conversations into the work regional leaders are already doing. Beginning in January, Scott Gress and I are bringing together regional church leaders for five monthly online gatherings through May 2027.

Each hour will include practical content, discussion with peers, and group coaching around real leadership situations. We’ll introduce the basic skills of a Coach Approach and show how they apply to everyday conversations. Between meetings, participants can continue learning and connecting in a private space on our Circle platform. Recordings will also be available.

The complete five-month experience costs $199. Our purpose is to equip regional leaders with a helpful conversational tool they can use in their current roles. Learning alongside others who understand their responsibilities is another valuable part of the experience.

If you serve multiple churches, I invite you to express your interest here. No payment or commitment is required to receive more information. If someone else comes to mind, please share the invitation with them.

Whatever your role, someone near you may be carrying an idea that needs development or a concern they haven’t been able to clarify. Giving them room to think could help them recognize what God has already placed within reach. We can help one another prepare by having those conversations now.