Personal Coaching Network for Technical Artists

I’ve been consulting for over six years as Anthony Coppedge Consulting and made time for hundreds of phone calls and thousands of emails helping church creative and technical artists. As can be expected, there are logistical limitations on my time and availability and I’ve not had the chance to help many of these churches through an on-going basis. That’s what led me to discussions with several of my clients and friends in ministry about creating a personal coaching network.

I’ve seen how Tony Morgan, Kem Meyer, Tim Stevens and Carlos Whittaker have all done something along these lines. I liked Carlos’ approach to a limited group and low cost of entry with extremely high value, so I’ve created a similar paradigm to his. If fact, after chatting with him, I think this is a solid compliment to the creative coaching he’s doing with the worship arts folks.

Here’s how my personal coaching network works:

• Only 10 people will be in a group in order to keep things focused and intimate.

• The group will be comprised of technical arts people from growing churches across the US. Some are very large (well beyond ‘Mega church’), some small, very rapid growth churches seriously engaging their audiences & communities.

• I will spend up to one hour per week with each person via phone, Skype or Tokbox. During these times I will be providing personal coaching and mentoring for their growth & development. I will provide weekly goals for them to achieve by the following week’s meeting. This coaching will focus on increasing their relational effectiveness with staff and volunteers, developing better leadership & management skills and encouraging a deeper spiritual walk. Additionally, I will use part of this time to provide consulting on technical & organizational issues specific to their situation.

• Every fourth week, we will spend our one hour as a group, bringing all of the individuals together for an online round-table discussion using TokBox or WebEx. This will provide both peer-to-peer networking that provides helpful connections as well as creating a large accountability group for sharing successes, challenges and prayer requests.

• The cost is low, but the commitment is high. At only $200 per month, this is a very strong value. However, I do require that each individual take this seriously, as I’m limiting the group to a maximum of 10 people. Obviously, this forces me to choose carefully who is included. Therefore, missing more than one session removes that person from the group, upon which a new person is added.

• Finally, I will open up a new six-month commitment to a limited number of members from the previous group, based upon their growth, commitment to the group and my own prayerful consideration.

I’m opening up applications as of today, August 31st. The first group already has just over half a dozen people signed up, based on my personal invitation. I’m now extending the offer to apply to you.

The application process is simple: Tell me about yourself. Explain why you want to be a part of a group and how you want to encourage and equip your peers in the group. Let me know how your church is impacting your members, visitors and community. Show me that you’re willing to commit your energy & time to this group of peers.

Simply email me: anthony AT anthonycoppedge DOT com

I look forward to hearing from each of you!

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It’s Who You Know

Churches want worship and tech arts people who are well rounded; people who have a diversity of skill-sets and can handle every aspect of their job description. The problem is, a well rounded person is also called “a Jack-of-all trades, but master of none”. But don’t fret! You don’t have to know it all; you just have to be networked enough to know who has the answer.

Remember, it’s not how much you know, it’s who you know.

If you ever have the chance to hang out with pastors during their sermon development time, you’ll typically find a huge library of books they reference for research. Today that might also mean additional research is done online via podcasts of other preachers, blogs and E-books, all for the purpose of pulling together the best content to help them deliver a well-crafted message.

In the same way, worship and tech arts needs a large reference library, too. In fact, there are a few books that I think are worth buying and reading that help any of us in the creative arts ministries. Here’s a partial list:

• The Heart of Technical Excellence
• Branding Faith
• An Hour On Sunday
• Guide to Sound Systems for Worship
• The Blogging Church
• Visioneering
• Can We Do That?
• The Starbucks Experience
• Emerging Worship

But more than books (which are great), knowing who you can call or email is a huge – possibly the biggest – asset.

The greatest tool for creative artists isn’t software or hardware; it’s peopleware.

• Who can you call when you run into a technical snag?
• Who would respond to an urgent text message if you needed help with a last-minute project?
• Who do you email to get a second opinion on that new quote for equipment?
• Who could you call when life and ministry are just plain tough?

You don’t have to be the person who knows it all. You just have to know who to call.

It’s not how much you do, it’s how much you get done.

Have an address book full of people who are experts where you are weak, helpful and available, friendly and compassionate, creative and inspiring, industrious and resourceful and spiritually strong and faithful. You simply can’t have too many people in your network!

Here’s your assignment:

• Reach out and introduce yourself to at least 5 worship/tech/creative arts people in churches within a 20 minute drive.
• Have a monthly lunch with area worship, creative and technical arts peers. Mix it up and make sure it’s not just techies or just worship leaders. Be consistent and meet regularly.
• Subscribe to both secular and Christian trade publications and reach out to the authors that intrigue you the most by contacting them via email.
• Heck, email me. Introduce yourself and provide your contact info. I love being networked. anthony AT anthonycoppedge.com
• Tweet with me! I’m very accessible on Twitter: @anthonycoppedge
• Connect with me on Facebook: Facebook.com/anthonycoppedge
• Finally, share this blog post with at least 3 peers who you think need to hear this assignment from God.

I can’t wait to see how God expands your ministry, reach and influence! And I can’t wait to connect with you!

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Living Through Peace

“Peace is not the absence of turmoil; it is confidence during turmoil.” – Roosevelt Hunter

I remember the last time I saw Roosevelt Hunter. He was preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His message focused on Mark 4:35-41, where Jesus calmed the storm while he and his disciples were traveling on a boat. This story is only a few verses in the fourth chapter, but it is one of my favorites because it is such an important lesson for me to learn.

Mark 4:35-41 (New International Version)

Jesus Calms the Storm

³⁵That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” ³⁶Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. ³⁷A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

³⁹He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

⁴⁰He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?“

As Roosevelt walked us through the Word, he shared his own story of going through a storm in his life that nearly swamped him. Roosevelt had been diagnosed with cancer after doctors had discovered a tumor the size of a grapefruit in his abdomen. He explained that during his preaching he might pause from time to time to let a wave of pain pass. Sure enough, he paused a couple of times during his message.

About one week ago, Roosevelt passed from this life in peace. He experienced great calm because of the confidence that Jesus was going to calm the storm in his life. I admire Roosevelt and look to the example of his life, lived in faithful peace that brought confidence in turmoil.

Jesus’ question, “Do you still have no faith?” compels me to integrate my life and my faith. I can’t simply live life on my own only to be battered by a storm and cry out in fear to God. My faith should lead my life in such a way that I surrender all of it to God. That way, when storms do arise unexpectedly, I will be able to live my life through peace in confidence, not fear. “Peace is not the absence of turmoil; it is confidence during turmoil.”

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