In the middle of church growth and change, Paul Owens found himself running from one Sunday to the next. 

Through coaching, he discovered space to reflect, tools to lead with wisdom, and fresh clarity for shepherding God’s people in Canberra. Paul Owens is the senior pastor at Stromlo Christian Church in Canberra.

What was life and ministry like before you started coaching?

I was just stuck in the seven-day cycle. Head down, get Sunday done, move on to the next week. 

Coaching wasn’t my idea, I was given a coach through the Leadership Development Program, but I quickly realised how much I needed it. 

Having someone alongside me who listens well and asks wise questions has been incredibly helpful. 

Can you share a moment when coaching really changed the game?

One session stands out where we talked about our morning service. We’d been growing steadily for years, and I came in thinking the problem was obvious. 

We were going to run out of seating. In my head I could already see people crammed into the aisles.

But as my coach kept asking questions, the real issue surfaced. It wasn’t the adults at all, it was kids’ ministry. 

We were going to hit capacity in our kids’ spaces far sooner. That insight completely reframed things. 

Instead of panicking about chairs, we started planning a new structure: two morning gatherings, same building, but double the leadership capacity and double the space to grow. 

By the end of the session I felt relief, clarity, and a plan I could actually take to our team.

What makes coaching unique compared to just getting advice?

The thing about coaching is that you don’t get handed the answers. And sometimes that’s frustrating! 

I’ve gone into sessions thinking, “Just give me the tool that fixes this.” But my coach doesn’t do that. 

Instead, he asks the kind of questions that make me slow down, think harder, and do the work. 

Occasionally he’ll pull out a helpful resource, but mostly, he makes sure the solutions come from me. That’s what makes it stick.

What have you discovered about yourself through this process?

I’ve learned that I’m a verbal processor. I can wander around in my own thoughts forever and think I’ve solved something, but until I say it out loud, I haven’t really nailed it.

In fact, by the second or third session I realised something surprising: within 10 minutes of talking, I’d usually reach a whole new level of clarity. 

Suddenly I could name the real issue and sketch the next step forward. That’s been huge for me.

How has coaching reshaped the way you now lead your team?

I’ve started using coaching skills myself. Instead of giving staff or leaders my solution, I try to listen carefully and ask questions that draw out their thinking. 

The result? They own the solutions. They’re more engaged, more invested, and more strategic.

That shift has been crucial as our church grows. We’ve had to move from doing ministry with people to leading leaders who do ministry. 

That’s a tough transition. There’s even grief in it, because people love hands-on ministry. 

But when they help name the challenges and identify the opportunities, they embrace change far more willingly.

What difference has coaching made for you, and how can we be praying for you?

The big difference is effectiveness. I work hard, but I don’t want to get two years down the track and think, “We set things up the wrong way.” 

Coaching helps me avoid that regret by keeping me focused on long-term fruitfulness.

Please pray that I would be increasingly fruitful in ministry for the gospel and the glory of Jesus, and that the people I lead would be fruitful, too. 

My hope is that more and more people in Canberra would come to know and love the Lord Jesus. Canberra desperately needs the gospel, just like everywhere.