Hi fellow SEND-ers,

As we enter the Advent season, I am reminded that our Saviour entered this world as a learner. Isn't it amazing that the Creator of the world and Source of all wisdom came to earth as one who needed to be taught? But not only did he need to be taught; he eagerly desired to learn! The first self-directed activity by Jesus recorded in Scripture is that he listened to teachers and asked them good questions (Luke 2:46).

As you are putting together your Individual Growth Plan for 2015, if you can't think of any good learning activities, remember that coaching can be a learning activity. If you want to grow in a particular area, consider asking a coach to guide you. A coach won't teach you, but he or she will help you leverage what you already know to develop new awareness, help you stay focused as you practice some new skills, and encourage you as you make progress. Coaching can be a series of conversations over a period of months, or it can be one or two conversations on a particular topic.

In the New Year, I am going to be coached by an old friend with whom I reconnected last week in Singapore. He has the same role in OMF as I do in SEND U. He is also asking me to coach him. We are going to schedule monthly Skype calls (one and a half hours long), and switch roles halfway through each call. I have never tried a reciprocal coaching arrangement like this before, but I am looking forward to learning.
If you would like to be coached in 2015, send me an email, and I will give you a list of possible coaches. You can also go to the Coaching page on the SEND U wiki to learn more about coaching and find out who is in the SEND U coaching pool. Besides those in the coaching pool, there are a number of other SEND people who have some training in coaching, and would be only too glad to coach you in your learning. You would be helping them as well - giving them a chance to develop their coaching skills! Let me know if you are interested in coaching.

If you want to know what SEND U recommended training opportunities are coming up, you can go to Training Opportunities on the SEND U wiki. The table at the top of the page lists upcoming training events, including the online courses on evangelism and disciple-making produced by World Team. The calendar on the Wiki Home Page also lists all SEND U events, but not necessarily all the recommended training events by partner missions.

• From Jan 26 - Feb 4, Dr. Gary Vincelette (Ministry Director in Hungary) is teaching a graduate level course on Strategic Partnerships Across Cultures at the European School of Culture and Theology at Korntal, Germany. You can see a link to the syllabus on the SEND U wiki. According to the school website, auditors are welcome.
• Every spring, I offer an online orientation course for team leaders in SEND and World Team. In 2015, it will be offered from March 2 - April 12. You can find the syllabus at this link. This 6-week online course is for those who are already supervisors (team leaders) or will become team leaders in the immediate future. Let me know if you are interested in enrolling in this coming year. Enrollment is limited to the first 15 who sign up.

Keep learning,

Ken
Ken Guenther
SENDU Director
Currently on Home Service in Canada