Am I a Christian Life Coach? Yes and no. I am not separately certified by some other body conferring upon me the moniker, “Thou are now, per our authority, a Christian Life Coach.” I am a Certified Professional Life Coach in life coaching skills, strategies, and modalities, I am a Christian (while a member of a liturgical church here in Orange County, I am a born again and evangelical inclined Christian, former member of an Independent Baptist church as well as a Southern Baptist church in the San Francisco Bay area, plus, started out in a Unitarian Church as a wee child and then when the Lord led me with the local church, which in Princeton, if you know the roots of all the Ivies, ergo was a Presbyterian Church) who reads the Bible and is well trained as a Bible Study Adult Group Leader from Serendipity Bible Studies as well as the inductive approach of Precepts Ministries.
All of that is to say, going with the gold standard of Life Coaching certification trainings, hours of practice and requirements of ICF the International Coach Federation matters to me. The Lord confers the Christian attribute to my titles. I work with clients who are devote, where we can directly cite and reference Scripture where applicable, but not every 5 minutes. I’m a Christian Life Coach, not a Christian Counselor. I have an excellent one who is 5 languages multi-lingual to whom I can refer you if that is your need.
And it is needed, surely, indeed my friend, it is.
And I also get clients who are Christian and don’t go to church often. I don’t either right now in this phase of my life. Others I have been a multi-service a week attendee and member. I just always do make a point at some point to decide upon a local church and join, attend, sing (it’s a thing), and give money because the grocer, the tax person, and South Edison won’t barter for their goods with time and talents. The point being, I meet people where they are on their path. It’s not my role to wag my finger and tell them what to do. I’m not their Preacher/Pastor. I’m their Life Coach. A Christian Life Coach when that’s what comes up for them. There’s always a spiritual element and thread running through things, but while I always mention it in the first session during intake so I can shift to meet them where they are to assist with their needs, wants, and wishes, I’m not leading with it. But the Bible and scripture verses are in my toolkit and Wizard of Oz bag of resources from which I can pull and reference as the need presents itself and the Lord gently leads. I am the Lord’s hands, feet, and, yes, mouth.
Cheers and blessings to you,
April