Years of church planting have taught us that pairing a planter with a trained coach significantly increases the viability of a new church start. We no longer send church planters out into the world and tell them to "start a church" without the human resources needed to make the plant successful.  Instead we have in place a support system - a community of advocates, if you will - to help the planter navigate the often challenging journey of church planting.  UCC Coaches are trained to walk with a church start pastor and their judicatory leaders with the purpose of bringing clarity and encouragement to the church planting process. 

• Coaches are result-oriented partners, helping the planter deliver on the "results" negotiated between the planter and conference. 
• Coaches are not trainers, and they assume that the planter has appropriate skill set and training needed to plant a church. 
• Coaching relationships are between 12 and 24 months
• Coaches operate on a peer to peer relationship model, not parent-child.
• UCC Certified Coaches are those who have either planted a church themselves or have experience revitalizing congregations

Coaches are NOT:

• Coaches are not supervisors
• Coaches are not counselors
• Coaches are not mentors
• Coaches are not trainers

Our UCC Coaches have been through an extensive training program sponsored by Griffith Coaching and receive additional training throughout the year.  In addition to having their own personal experience, they also have a community of other coaches on whom they may call as well as our coaching coordinators, the Revs. Paul Nickerson and Cameron Trimble. 

If you would like to learn more about our UCC Coaching program or explore a coaching relationship, please contact the Rev. Cameron Trimble at ctrimble@secucc.org.