Are You Thinking About Becoming a Coach?

Coaching is a rapidly growing service industry that provides great opportunities for people to pass on their wisdom to others and help people achieve their goals. Within the church, as more attention is paid to leadership competencies and excellence in ministry there is a growing need for Competent Clergy Coaches.

If you are thinking about working as an Executive and Personal Coach consider the following:

• Do you find deep satisfaction in helping people accomplish their goals?
• Do people seek you out for your insight and wisdom?
• Have you had a successful ministry and now feel like sharing the wisdom you have acquired with others?
• Do you get amazed and have a great sense of joy when people "get it" ?
• Do you have a desire to make this world a better place, one person at a time?
• Do you have an alternative source of income?

If you say yes to these questions then coaching may be a very viable way for you to offer your gifts and your self; to God, your neighbor, and to manifest your purpose.

Coaching and Income

While coaching can become a financially rewarding career, if you are starting from scratch you will need to develop a business and clientele. This takes time and money. For clergy, who may already posses many great coaching skills, starting a coaching practice may require that you developing marketing and business skills. These challenges are not insurmountable but we do want people to be aware of the financial challenges involved if you are anticipating generating the bulk of your income from coaching.

Many clinicians we know who have developed or transitioned to coaching have done so gradually over time, beginning by doing coaching one day a week and increasing their coaching hours as they reduced their clinical hours. Here the challenge is to stay clear with yourself and with your clients when you are doing coaching and when you are doing therapy.

In our coach training program we also have a significant number of retired or semi-retired clergy who are finding that coaching is offering them a great way to pass on their wisdom to the next generation.

Who Should Attend Coach Training

While primarily oriented toward clergy and those who work with clergy and church leaders, our Certificate in Appreciative Coaching is also open to those who have substantial experience as a Coach or mentor and who can reflect theologically and psychologically on their coaching and are interested in using their spiritual resources and understanding in their coaching.

In particular the training would be of benefit to:

• Clergy who want to develop their coaching skills.
• Psychologists, Consultants and Counselors.
  who are also clergy or who work with clergy and churches.
• Leaders who coach or mentor staff and volunteers.
• Psychologists, Counselors and Coaches
  who want to work as Life Coaches.
• Coaches who want to work in the business world in a way that honors their values and spirituality.

Entrance Requirements for Certificate in Appreciative Coaching

To be eligible to receive the Certificate in Appreciative Coaching participants must meet one of the following requirements:

• A graduate level degree (MDiv, MA, MS etc.) in the helping sciences
• A graduate level degree (MBA, MS, etc.) in business or science plus 3 years of experience in a leadership or human resources role.
• An undergraduate degree (BA, BS etc.) plus 7 years of experience in a leadership or human resources role.

Note: Work experience must be in a leadership or human resources role that is applicable to the work of clergy and others in leadership roles. In addition all candidates must be able to reflect theologically and psychologically on their life and work.

For more information about our training programs please:

>>  Email the Director of Training: Rob Voyle