These past months have been unusually fruitful as the Lord opened new doors in ways I never expected. Since June, my “retirement project” ministry in Africa has grown to be almost full-time!
I returned from my January/February trip to Ethiopia, Zambia and Cairo, Egypt, sensing a strong leading in two directions:
1) I needed to offer coaching training in addition to coaching individual leaders. Attendance at my introductory coaching workshops was more than double that in 2019 in Addis Ababa and 130 attended a similar workshop in Lusaka. Moreover, many people asked me about earning a professional coaching credential from the International Coach Federation (ICF).
2) I recognized that many of those I was personally coaching were facing many challenges leading teams, I came home with team leadership on my radar as well.
Read more below about what happened as I began addressing these two needs.
“Coaching for Transformation”
This coaching skills training course meets for two-hour online sessions every month. Along with in-person training when I return to Ethiopia (God willing) next year, this course will offer the 60 hours of professional training needed to earn an International Coach Federation (ICF) coaching credential.
To my knowledge, I am the only person offering professional ICF coaching credential training in the nation of Ethiopia! More than 80% of my 60+ participants have told me they want to pursue earning this credential. How might dozens of skilled Christian coaches and mentors change their societies?
Last May when I first floated the idea for this course, I hoped I’d have enough interested friends to begin one course for 12 participants. To my surprise, the opportunity for coaching training quickly spread by word of mouth. I now have 4 cohorts in Addis Ababa, each with 12 participants! The latest cohort to launch was so engaged, they unanimously chose to meet twice a month to move through the material faster!
In addition to my four cohorts of Ethiopian leaders in Addis Ababa, I’m especially excited to also have a cohort of Egyptian evangelical leaders in Cairo, Egypt. This group is centered around the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo, and includes as well several Egyptian youth leaders.
I’m humbled and excited that these 60 participants cover a wide spectrum of Christian and professional leadership. Here are just a few examples:
- National Director, Youth for Christ in Ethiopia
- Director, Navigators in Ethiopia
- Director and two top staff members, Evangelical Students’ & Graduates’ Union of Ethiopia (EvaSUE) (This is comparable to Intervarsity Christian Fellowship in the USA, a ministry reaching 50,000 Ethiopian university students)
- Leaders in Compassion International and World Vision, among other Christian NGO’s
- Director, International Missionary Society, Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) (sending agency for Ethiopian missionaries to other countries)
- Director, EECMY Language and Intercultural Center (trains Ethiopian missionaries)
- State Minister, Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Faculty members of seminaries in both Addis Ababa and Cairo
Many others are deeply engaged in Christians leadership, working at trauma centers, international schools, various forms of counseling, etc.
Among the 60 participants, the largest single group are youth leaders in local churches. This is especially exciting as I have the opportunity to equip people making a major impact on the next generation of Christians in Ethiopia!
Here are two examples that reflect what many wrote me about why they seek coaching training:
- “I work with a private foundation that provides grants to support organizations working to prevent child sexual abuse and sexual exploitation in East and Southern Africa. I hope that coaching skills will enable me to provide more effective support to individuals I come into contact with through work and personal life.”
- “Because I minister and work with the youth, I believe that is one of the major things I need to do for them. I also do mentorship training and this process will enrich it and show me how to use both to maximize youth holistic discipleship.”
“Grow Your Team”
My second online course launched in June focuses on team leadership. I’ve found great interest in building skills in team leadership.
So far, I’m working with teams from the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo, and three Christian NGO’s or denominational offices in Addis Ababa.
One team I’m working with (pictured above) is the Personal and Organizational Progress training Center, a Christian NGO team that brings Christians professionals together volunteering their time and energy to train adults and youth across Addis Ababa in wholistic personal growth.
Summing Up
Developing the curriculum for two courses, learning to use Zoom and communicating regularly with scores of people in launching all these courses has kept me both exhilarated and exceptionally busy.
I began this outreach believing that by focusing on coaching and equipping key leaders, I would “multiply” my impact throughout churches, denominations, NGO’s and, eventually, whole societies. This dream is happening in ways beyond what I had ever expected!
The 80+ leaders in all my courses are strategically placed in high government office, leading nation-wide ministries, overseeing strategic missions and nurturing youth in their own local churches. Every single one is making a local, national and even international impact for Christ!
I am always looking for new partners who provide my spiritual and financial support. Send me a quick email and I’ll share more details about how you can get involved in prayer and financial support: rich@rich-hansen.com
