Christ-Centered Coaching

Find Your Authentic Self in Christ Serving God I believe that I serve God and you best when I meet you where you are and walk with you. Your style of learning combined with your history create the path we will walk to bring about the best outcome for you. You will have opportunity to design your own roadmap to change. I incorporate many approaches in my coaching practice; we will determine together the best approach for you. My belief in the Lord and the Bible guide my work in my ministry and in helping others. I have education and experience in: life coaching; chemical dependency treatment; congregational care; ministry: teaching, preaching and counseling; teaching in public schools and more. My joy for serving others is supported by my years of experience and education in relying on Biblical truths to help others walk the Right Path Forward toward their Authentic Self in Christ. Transformational Coaching It could be said that Christ-Centered Transformational Coaching is a compound niche, blending a Christ-Centered coaching approach with Transformational Coaching strategies. I like this definition for Christian coaching developed by Webb, (2015), “I define coaching as: an ongoing intentional conversation that empowers a person or group to fully live out God’s calling” (p. 21). Focusing on God’s calling rather than on human desires, wants, needs, or prideful beliefs is foundational to Christ-Centered coaching (Creswell, 2006). The Bible states, The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength (Mark 12: 28-30, NIV). Loving God with all my heart and all my soul and all my mind influences everything I do including my choice to pursue a career in Christ-Centered coaching. There is a clear distinction between Christian coaching and humanistic coaching; in Christ-centered coaching we believe in a reality based on God’s indwelling (2 Peter 1:4) and allows for the expression of faith and putting Christ first when guiding client relationships, coaching conversations and goals (CCNII, 2017). In her book, J. Creswell codifies my beliefs and supports my reason for pursuing a career in Christ-centered coaching, Definition of Christian coaching: Christ’s vision plus high scriptural principles plus Christ’s presence plus high standard of excellence as a trained coach equals Christian coaching. Building a confidential relationship, wherever you are, your couch will walk along beside you in relationship (P. 14). Combining Christ-Centered coaching beliefs with transformational coaching practices embody my personal vision, beliefs and strategies about coaching. Transformational coaching encourages the idea that a coach can be helpful in walking with a client through a life change experience that will enhance the client’s ability to make decisions and life changes based on the client’s new transformed life that reveals the client’s authentic self in Christ (Carter-Scott, 2007; Creswell, 2006). Hanssmann, (2014) states, Transformational change is evident when a client’s perspective has undergone a ‘fundamental shift’ (Cranton and Kasl, 2012, p.394) to themselves or their paradigm. It goes beyond purely intellectual insight and is substantiated by a change in clients’ behavioral choices and an enlarged internal and/or external capacity to engage with their world and pursue their goals (p.1). My world beliefs, spiritual identity, humanitarian empathy and my passion lead and inspire me to focus on Christ-Centered Transformational Coaching as my area of focus inside the coaching field. The Lord is My Strength By definition a Christ-Centered coach has a Christ-Centered world view. I’m blessed to walk a Christ-Centered life; my relationship with God is my strength. Psalm 18:1 & 2 gives me inspiration and strength, “I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (KJV). My Lord is my strength. God has given me attributes that reflect Galatians 5: 22&23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (KJV). Even though the verse is stating clearly that the fruit (singular) includes all of these attributes together. To be clear, I do not claim to have these attributes all at the same time or any one of these attributes all of the time. But, over the last 25 years in my counseling career these attributes have sprouted and grown to produce lovely fruit during counseling sessions. My attributes include empathy, curiosity, and strong listening skills which are strengths in the coaching profession. God has blessed me with a personality and communication style inherited from my mother. Her gift was the ability to give people a feeling of comfort and trust almost a soon as they met her. This attribute is not just inherited, but has been practiced and fine-tuned throughout my life; my counseling training and 25-year career have contributed to my style of coaching. I believe in using positive psychology surveys, assessments and tools as long as they do not interfere with my Christ Centered approach. My world view and my personal relationship with God direct my path to combine Christ-Centered coaching beliefs and approaches with transformational coaching practices to form a Christ-Centered Transformational Coaching practice. My personal vision, beliefs and strategies about coaching stand strong and at the same time rest peacefully in a Christ-Centered Transformational Coaching practice. I believe God has prepared me for an endeavor such as this (Esther 4:14, KJV) Robert Rigg, January 4, 2018