Do you have a coach or mentor? Have you ever been asked that, or heard someone talk about having a coach or mentor? What is the big deal anyway? Isn’t a coach something you had in little league or in your high school musical?

I can say with strong clarity that having mentors and coaches in my life has helped me move forward in areas of my life where I would otherwise have stayed stagnant or fallen off a cliff. I am the first to say I have a lot of development left to do, and have coaches and mentors who are currently helping me to move forward. Everyone should have a coach/mentor in his/her life.

Why should you have a mentor or coach? First, it is modeled often in the Bible. Moses and Joshua, Paul and Timothy, Jesus and his disciples, Ruth and Naomi and the list goes on. We need others in our lives to help us stay on track and sharpen us. Second, it keeps us moving forward. I have found as I age that, without truth-tellers around me, I can easily stay stagnant. I remember reading a study years ago that interviewed leaders who had a major crash morally, and almost 100 percent didn’t have accountability or truth-tellers in their lives. We need someone to help probe areas that we need to develop. Third, it helps us sharpen and develop to be the best we can be for God. God uses people to help grow us.

We want to encourage you to find a mentor or coach. No matter how long or how short a time we have been in ministry, we need someone pouring into us so we can pour into others.

Check out our coaching partners from LEAD222. This is an incredible coaching organization that has poured into my life for years. You can have a coach and be trained to coach others. Check out www.lead222.com for more information.

On the journey—growing, falling, and getting up with you,

Andy Stephenson

Andy Stephenson, PhD, is the associate director of North American Ministries at Church of God Ministries. He can be reached at AStephenson@chog.org.