Life on Life Missional Discipleship Group Coaching

Life on Life Missional Discipleship Group Coaching

Topic: Associating with Disciples using CROSS format

Progress reports and Prayer

Coaching Question: What progress has been made in your personal discipleship ministry since our last call?

Focus: During this month’s life on life missional discipleship coaching call we will be discussing associating with those we are discipling using the CROSS format (Connect, Review, Objective, Strategies, Supplication and Spirit). Last call we discussed how to design an equipping plan using the tool “Three Questions and Seven Steps”. Once an equipping plan has been established, we can intentionally associate with disciples by using the CROSS format.

Prayer: Father, we thank you for the privilege to help others grow into mature and equipped followers of Christ. We ask for wisdom to work together with the ones you have given us so they have a workable plan. We praise you for doing the work in and through our lives for your glory. In Jesus’ name Amen.

Overview of CROSS

CROSS is like an operating system of associating and coaching those we are leading. It provides a format that guides the conversation through exploration, discovery and action plans. If we had an one hour appointment with someone, we could walk through the five parts of CROSS. This information is adapted from the book Gospel Coach by Scott Thomas. The principles of coaching are very effective with discipleship and especially in the area of associating with disciples. Here is a summary of those parts.

C = Connect

We want to connect with each other to find out how we both are doing. We also want to connect to the Gospel that reminds us of our true condition before God. We want to connect to the Spirit because He is the one who changes us.

Examples of questions:

“How have you seen God working in and through your life recently?”

“What has been a situation where the gospel has brought you to repentance, belief and obedience?”

“Will you pray for our time and ask that the Holy Spirit would lead us?”

R = Review

We want to review progress that has been made since the last time we talked. We can review the accountability agreements the person has made. We want to recognize and celebrate the evidences of God’s grace in their life.

Examples of questions:

“What progress have you made since our last talk?”

“How is the accountability agreement which you chose going?”

“What do you want to celebrate together?”

“How have you seen evidence of God’s grace in your life recently?”

“What prayers have been answered which we have discussed?”

Coaching Question: What are some of the benefits of celebrating progress with a person we are investing in?

O = Objective

We want to find out what the person wants to talk about during the session together. If you meet with them for 45-60 minutes you may only have time to discuss one topic about their personal, spiritual or missional life.

It is important that you really understand what they want to talk about. Reflecting back to them what they said would help you to listen and discern what they are saying and what they are meaning.

Examples of questions:

“What would you like to discuss during our time together?”

“What is the one thing you would like to accomplished by the end of our talk?”

“As you think about your personal, spiritual and missional life, what is one area you would like to see growth in?”

Coaching Question: What are some of the reasons it is important to know clearly what the person wants to talk about early in the time together?

S = Strategies

This section of CROSS will take the majority of the time we are with the disciple. We want to help the disciple to develop practical means and plans for achieving the objective. We want to help the disciple with large growth and maturity areas of their lives but we also will help them break down those large objectives into smaller steps. Rather than telling the disciple what to do and how to do it, we are asking powerful questions to help them design a strategy that they will take ownership of.

As the strategy is being designed we help the disciple seek outcomes that need to go into an accountability agreement that is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Aspiring, Results oriented, and Time bound).

Examples of questions:

“What have you tried in the past in this area?”

“What have been some of the obstacles you have experienced?”

“What would it give it if your objective was reached?”

“How can you turn that idea into a SMART outcome?”

Coaching Question: What are some of the benefits of designing SMART outcomes?

S = Supplication and Spirit

As we are listening and asking questions, we know the Holy Spirit is the one doing the hard work of heart transformation. We are praying that God would direct us and give us discernment as we talk to the disciple. During the conversation, the person will be sharing things that we will want to pray for them about. It means so much to the disciple when we make the effort to remember or write down the things they want prayer about.

Coaching Question: As a leader, what does it mean to you that the Holy Spirit is the one who transforms a disciple into being a mature and equipped follower of Christ?

Coaching Question: What questions or comments do you have about this CROSS tool?

Fieldwork Assignments

Continue to spend time with those you are discipling outside of group time.
Experiment with the CROSS format as you spend time with disciples.
Next coaching session: April 10thand we will be discussing the Role of the Pastor.

Closing Prayer