As a Christian, you have always been the go-to person when others have needed a listening ear for their struggles. You enjoy this role, and feel fulfilled. And you are wondering what does God have in store for you. The good is God has a plan and purpose for you (see Jeremiah 29:11)!
Becoming a certified Christian life coach through the Aim Higher Professional Life Coach Certification program is your place to start in fulfilling God’s plans for your life. There are only about 200 ICF accredited training programs in the world, and very few of these are Christian based.
If people in your circle are constantly looking to you for guidance, advice, encouragement, or just simply your comforting presence, then you have the makings of becoming a competent Christian life coach.
But how do you become a life coach? How do you know what is the best ICF accredited Christian life coach program for you? Could you turn your Christian life coaching certification into a thriving business? We will answer all of these questions for you.
Getting Your CPC Certification
Getting Your CPC CertificationThere are countless people who call themselves a life coach. The trouble is, many of these people are really counselors, consultants, or advice-givers.
ICF defines coaching as:
Partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. The process of coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity and leadership. We all have goals we want to reach, challenges we’re striving to overcome and times when we feel stuck. Partnering with a coach can change your life, setting you on a path to greater personal and professional fulfillment.1
Coaching helps individuals reach their desired state of life by defining their goals, determining their path to follow, and holding the person accountable for what they want to do. The keys to becoming a competent spiritual life coach are: 1) asking pertinent, thought-provoking, and powerful questions; 2) listening actively by being full engaged and focused on your client.
So, what will separate you from other coaches? Getting your certification.
The best ICF coach training programs will help you study and recognize the principles of coaching, including how conduct coaching sessions, how to price your coaching, what do and not do when coaching, coaching ethics, and the indispensable communication skills.
The best way to get your certification is through an ACSTH accredited program, such as Aim Higher. We have designed our 60-hour program to include 30 hours of prework (work you do on your own) and 30 hours of live training over three days. We will:
Teach you. You will learn about the ICF Code of Ethics, the eight ICF core competencies, and understand coaching from a biblical perspective. You will also complete assessments and other pertinent material that you can use in your coaching practice.
Train you. You will coach and be coached on real-life situations.
Equip you. You will receive business and website training, and a lifetime CPC, Certified Professional Coach, designation upon graduation.
We want you to start coaching right away!
You’ll be able to advertise that you have graduated from an ICF accredited program, which will immediately give you the “competent” tag in your client’s mind. Also, you will receive ongoing support, and be connected to business experts that can help you grow your business.
The best Christian coaching programs will help you become a competent coach who can journey with others as they face challenges and look to improve their lives. Becoming a certified life coach requires specialized training and preparation; you want to be fully equipped and feel confident before you start.
Determining Your Coaching Niche
In today’s Christian life coaching world, you have to specialize. However, many people tell us, “I want to help everyone!” While that is commendable, people are looking for specialists, someone they can count on to help them through their specific situation. While the International Coaching Federation does not require coaches to have a niche, the public does!
To simplify this, you want to determine where you have creditability.
Credibility is key.
Credibility comes in three forms:
1. I’ve walked in their shoes.
2. I am a maker of champions
3. My credentials, education and professional experience.
Ask yourself:
• Where do I already have credibility and expertise?
• What am I most passionate about?
• What has been my own personal journey and how have transformed my own life?
• What type of people are already drawn to me?
• Who are the clients I have enjoyed working with the most?
• Where are these people? What communities are they a part of?
In biblical coaching, there’s a common misunderstanding that coaching is just about partnering with people as they struggle with a crisis or perhaps a psychological struggle. Nothing could be further from the truth! A proficient Christian life coaching program will help you determine the exact space that you want to establish your business in. The truth is, anything you are passionate about is something that others need help in.
Your Coaching Business
Once you have graduated from an ICF accredited life coaching program, you will automatically set yourself apart from non-certified coaching business. Keep in mind that many people say they are coaches, but they don’t have the coaching skillset that you will have.
If you want to have a successful business, then you have to treat it like a business. While you’ll want to help certain individuals by giving a discount, you won’t make money giving your services away all the time. If you don’t think your services are worth paying for, then no one else will.
As a small business owner, you need to understand what your particular government requires when setting up a business. Check out the government small business development website in your area to get more details. It can also be challenging to set up a business; after all, you want to coach, not run a business. But the truth is you have to do both, at least until you can hire an administrator, book keeper, and others. Remember, you are a Christian life coach, so everything you do, you want to do with excellence. That includes doing your own due diligence or getting professional help. You will also want to come up with a business plan and register your business with your local authority.
Growing Your Coaching Business
Growing Your Coaching BusinessGrowing your business starts with knowing your brand and colors, and getting your website done right the first time. Digital marketing is especially important, if you plan on having an all-digital business. If you understand colors and branding, that’s great. If not, there are excellent platforms like Fiverr.com that have all kinds of individuals who can help develop logos, color schemes and much more. Also, you can check out websites like Udemy.com for free courses.
If you are not a social media expert, you can hire someone through websites such as freelancer.com or upwork.com.
Working with Clients
You have established your niche coaching, now you want to determine how you will work with your clients. Think about the packages you want to offer, and be sure to include a free 30-minute consultation. Your packages should include number of sessions, length of time/session, and the level of service include. Keep in mind that people like choices, and choices give you the opportunity to upsell your offers.
You can offer individual sessions at an hourly rate, but the best method is to offer one-month to one-year packages, depending on your coaching services. This gives you a constant stream of income, and you can offer discounts that will appeal to your clients. For example, Aim Higher offers hour-long sessions, or packages of four or more sessions at a 25 percent discount.
The importance of a free first session cannot be overstated; it gives you and the client a chance to see if you’re a good fit for each other, which will save you both time and money in the long run. Remember, as a Christian life coach, God wants you to steward your time, so you want to be coaching the people you want to coach.
If you have completed an ICF accredited training program, you know how to become a life coach. All you need to do now … is to start coaching!
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