In the world of sports we occasionally have the opportunity to see a player come to a point in his career in which he can make a greater contribution to the team as a coach instead of a player. One of the benefits of having an ex-player function as coach is that of his playing experience. Having experienced the pressure of a close game, a winning season, a losing season or different playing conditions, the player/coach has more than a strategic knowledge of the game to share with the players who are willing to submit to his leadership.
In this last year I think that the Lord has been having Noreen & I make this transition.
When I was coaching Soccer at Boca Raton High School, I learned two important lessons:
1. If you haven’t practiced it, don’t expect it to happen during a game.
2. During the game, the coach is the team’s biggest cheerleader.
Coaching doesn’t mean that you don’t play, it means that your play is in the context of teaching your players. As a coach, the responsibility shifts from focusing all of your attention on developing the skills necessary for your particular position to making sure that every position on the team is functioning correctly. When someone is not doing what is needed, it is the coach’s job to help that player make the needed adjustments.
As Noreen & I have been making this transition, we have had the great joy of seeing the Lord multiply the resources necessary for the growth of the ministry here in Mérida. His provision, not only of Mexican leadership to staff the school, but also of Julie, Byron & Noah as members of our PEF Team, has been a fulfillment of his promise to provide workers when we ask.
A good coach needs to be wise enough to understand that his role requires him to delegate the playing to the players. This means that he has to establish general parameters for each position and then allow each player enough freedom to fulfill those responsibilities according to his own particular skills and style. The coach has to take advantage of the strengths of his players and not put them in situations where their weaknesses are exposed.
This year, because we have been able to delegate the leadership of the school to those who are in the respective leadership positions, Noreen & I now have the time to dedicate to other areas of ministry. One of these areas is that of the growth of Shalom Church, the other is the development of our PEF Team. In the upcoming year we hope to become more involved at the church, with our team and also in the development of other Hispanic Ministries associated with PEF International. Please pray with and for us about the following:
1. Clear direction for Julie, Byron & Noah. They are all looking at important decisions in the next several months regarding their futures and their relationship to the ministry here.
2. That the Lord will provide financial support for Gabriel Glory & Sarah Black, as well as give them clear direction with regard to the development of their ministries.
3. That the Lord will continue to provide for all of the needs of the school. Although we believe that we will be able to meet our operations budget in for the 2006-07 school cycle through local funding, we still need to find additional funding for staff development in order to open College Degree programs. Please pray for our school staff and students.
4. For continued growth at Shalom. That the Lord will continue to raise up new leadership and that we would be receptive to his guidance with regard to the direction the church should take.
