Barnabas Coaching Network (BCN)

Care for those who Carry the Gospel to the Nations

What is Barnabas Coaching Network (BCN)?

The Barnabas Coaching Network is a new ministry of The Barnabas Project launching this June after a full year of prayer, planning, and intentional development. Inspired by the biblical example of Barnabas, the “son of encouragement”, this network exists to encourage and equip those who are carrying the gospel to the nations by taking that encouragement to the next level. Our desire is simple: to care for those who carry the gospel to the nations by providing encouragement, accountability, and soul care for missionaries around the world at no cost. Through this network, missionaries are paired with trained life coaches who walk alongside them consistently, offering personal support in both life and ministry. This initiative was born out of a growing awareness that ministry on the field can be deeply isolating, as approximately 15,000 missionaries leave the field each year and nearly 43% do not fulfill their long-term commitments, often due to burnout, isolation, and lack of consistent support. In response, we have spent the past year recruiting and training coaches, building systems, and working with trusted partners to ensure this ministry is launched with excellence and sustainability. We believe that when missionaries are strengthened, encouraged, and truly cared for, the impact of the gospel multiplies, and we are excited to see how God will use the Barnabas Coaching Network to make a lasting difference in the lives of those serving around the world.

Apply to be a Life Coach with BCN

What is Life Coaching?

Life coaching is a guided, intentional relationship designed to help individuals maximize their life for success today and for all that lies ahead. Through regular conversations, coaches provide encouragement, clarity, and accountability as clients navigate both personal and ministry challenges. Rather than acting as experts, coaches honor each individual as the primary steward of their own life, helping them discover next steps, grow in self-awareness, and move forward with purpose. Within Barnabas Coaching Network, this process is rooted in Scripture, prayer, Holy Spirit’s leading, and gospel-centered encouragement. Our goal is to offer missionaries a safe space to be strengthened, supported, and renewed for long-term faithfulness.

Apply for Life Coaching

Biblical Foundations for Coaching

Christian coaching is grounded in the truth that our lives belong to Christ and are being shaped into His image. Scripture reminds us that we have been crucified with Christ and now live by faith in Him (Galatians 2:20), and that we are uniquely created for good works prepared by God (Ephesians 2:10). Through intentional relationships, believers sharpen and strengthen one another (Proverbs 27:17), drawing out what God has placed within the heart (Proverbs 20:5). Like a loving spiritual guide, coaching reflects the call to encourage, exhort, and help others walk in a manner worthy of God (1 Thessalonians 2:11–12).

What Makes Christian Coaching Distinct

Christian coaching is not simply about personal growth, it is about spiritual formation. Within the Barnabas Coaching Network, we intentionally invite the Holy Spirit into every conversation, trusting Him to lead both the coach and the missionary. Rather than acting as experts, coaches ask thoughtful, intentional questions that deepen faith and bring clarity.

This process helps individuals:

  • Discern and follow God’s direction for their lives

  • See their circumstances through a biblical lens

  • Take meaningful, Spirit-led steps forward

  • Apply Scripture in practical, life-shaping ways

  • Grow in Christlikeness over time

At its core, this kind of coaching prioritizes who a person is becoming in Christ over simply what they are doing in ministry.

Is Coaching Right for You?

Caring for your soul is not optional, it is essential. Ministry is demanding, and without intentional care, it is easy to drift into striving rather than thriving. Coaching creates space to pause, reflect, and realign your life with God’s truth.

Jesus reminds us that the truth sets us free (John 8:32), and coaching helps uncover and apply that truth in everyday life and ministry.

Within the Barnabas Coaching Network, you can expect coaches who are:

  • Trustworthy and consistent

  • Attentive, empathetic listeners

  • Thoughtful question-askers

  • Clear and encouraging communicators

Our coaches don’t try to “fix” problems, they walk alongside people, helping them grow, gain clarity, and move forward with purpose.

Coaching vs. Counseling

Both coaching and counseling are valuable and can lead to growth and greater health, but they serve different purposes.

Counseling often looks back, helping individuals process past experiences and pursue healing. Coaching, on the other hand, looks ahead, focusing on growth, clarity, and intentional next steps.

While counseling may provide guidance or recommendations, coaching centers on discovery. Coaches do not just simply prescribe “solutions'“, rather, they help individuals uncover them through reflection, conversation, and Spirit-led insight.

Coaching is not about fixing what is broken, it is about strengthening what God is building. It is a forward-moving partnership where the coach walks beside the individual, helping them grow into all that God has called them to be.

To learn more or if you have questions about Barnabas Coaching Network: