Become A Certified  Christian Life Coach

Are you looking for a career transition or interested in adding a second income?

Take the next step in your professional journey with a Life Coaching Certificate from Light University. This 24-hour course will teach you everything you need to know to become a successful Christian Life Coach.

Upon completing the program, you’ll be eligible for certification through our credentialing organization, the International Board of Christian Care.

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CHRISTIAN LIFE COACH

Certification

Professional Life Coaching 101 & 201

24 CE Credits • IBCC Certification

total cost is $634.00 with fees

Professional Christian Life Coaching Certification includes:

Digital Text Book

Certificate of completion

24 CEU Credits

Industry Leading Instruction

24 Course Modules

Course Lessons and Descriptions

Professional Life Coaching 101

Course Description

Life Coaching is one of the fastest-growing industries worldwide! People who do not need clinical counseling hire coaches to help them achieve their most important life goals. Thousands of professionals, pastors, lay leaders, teachers, and guidance counselors—those God has called and gifted to help others—are adding life coaching to their repertoire of skills. Now it’s your turn to bolster your skill set! Life Coaching 101 includes 12 dynamic lectures that introduce you to the field. 

Course Lessons

 PLC 101: Professional Life Coaching: The New Helping Relationship
Catherine Hart Weber, Ph.D. 

PLC 102: Christian Coaching: Biblical and Spiritual Foundations
Sylvia Hart Frejd, D.Min. 

PLC 103: Coaching Theory and Practice
Georgia Shaffer, M.A. 

PLC 104: Connecting: Relationship Building, Connecting and Core Skills
Catherine Hart Weber, Ph.D. 

PLC 105: Results Coaching: The Change Process
Georgia Shaffer, M.A. 

PLC 106: The Coaching Toolbox: Assessments and Resources
Jennifer Cisney Ellers, M.A. and Dina Jones, M.A. 

 PLC 107: Legal and Ethical Guidelines in Coaching
Jeanneane Maxon, J.D. 

 PLC 108: Coaching for Well-Being: Tools to Help Your Clients Find Joy, Purpose and Resilience
Valorie Burton, M.A. 

PLC 109: The Business of Coaching: Starting and Managing a Thriving Coaching Practice
Jennifer Cisney Ellers, M.A. 

PLC 110: Building a Digital Footprint for Your Coaching Practice and Ministry
Ben Allison, Esq., M.B.A. 

PLC 111: Breakthrough Coaching: Getting Past the Roadblocks to Achieve Greater Success for You and Your Clients
Mark Crear, Ph.D. 

PLC 112: Heart Shift: Helping Clients Turn Their Life Around
Tim Clinton, Ed.D. 

Professional Life Coaching 201

Course Description

In this second part of our Professional Life Coaching series, you will have the opportunity to learn from industry leading Christian coaches such as Catherine Hart Weber, Dr. Mark Crear, Dr. Sylvia Frejd, Chuck Elliott, Jennifer Cisney Ellers, Dr. Johnny Parker, Georgia Shaffer, and many more. You’ll be trained to coach others through life’s journey – providing hope, direction, and encouragement along the way. This course dives deeper into life coaching issues while still maintaining a biblical perspective.

Course Lessons

PLC 201: The Successful Coach: Managing Time and Staying Organized
Georgia Shaffer, M.A.

PLC 202: The Coach/Client Relationship
Sylvia Hart Frejd, D.Min.

PLC 203: Advanced Skills & Techniques
Sylvia Hart Frejd, D.Min.

PLC 204: Organizing, Marketing and Growing Your Coaching Business
Georgia Shaffer, M.A.

PLC 205: Group Coaching
Barbara Lowe, Psy.D.

PLC 206: Faith-based Positivity & Positive Psychology Coaching
Catherine Hart Weber, Ph.D.

PLC 207: Coaching Men
Chuck Elliott, M.A.

PLC 208: Coaching Women
Jennifer Cisney Ellers, M.A., Dina Jones, M.A., Georgia Shaffer, M.A., and Christy Johnson, M.B.A

PLC 209: Christian Career Coaching
Jared Pingleton, Psy.D.

PLC 210: Executive & Leadership Coaching
Johnny Parker, DSL

PLC 211: Multi-Cultural Coaching: Coaching Minority Based Clients
Mark Crear, Ph.D.

PLC 212: Relationship Coaching
Ted Cunningham, MACE

professional christian life coaching certification

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Industry Leading Faculty

Catherine Hart Weber, Ph.D.

Catherine Hart Weber, Ph.D.

JOHNNY PARKER, D.S.L.

JOHNNY PARKER, D.S.L.

JENNIFER ELLERS, M.A.

JENNIFER ELLERS, M.A.

MARK CREAR, Ph.D.

MARK CREAR, Ph.D.

Ted Cunningham, M.A.C.E.

Ted Cunningham, M.A.C.E.

Georgia Shaffer, M.A.

Georgia Shaffer, M.A.

Valorie Burton, MAPP

Valorie Burton, MAPP

SYLVIA HART FREJD, D.Min.

SYLVIA HART FREJD, D.Min.

Tim Clinton, Ed.D.

Tim Clinton, Ed.D.

Ben Allison, Esq., MBA

Ben Allison, Esq., MBA

Advanced Life Coaching Specialization Programs.

Life Coaching Certification with Specialized Training

The 2022 Global Consumer Awareness Study revealed that 85% of clients searching for a coach say it’s important or very important that they coach hold a certification or credential. Earning an advanced IBCC Credential provides you with instant credibility and increased visibility to prospective clients. Holding a credential – especially an IBCC Credential – is extremely important to today’s coaching clients.

This two-course specialization covers challenging issues – such as abortion, rape, trauma, foundational crisis intervention, and much more from a faith-based perspective.

This three-course specialization includes the admission of powerlessness to the problem, taking personal inventory, developing an intimate relationship with God as part of the addiction recovery process, and much more.

Marriage and Family Coaching features two courses to equip you with the tools needed to promote loving and welcoming homes – and the skills required to help others recover from upbringings absent of healthy family relationships.

Professional Christian life coaching Certifications

Customize your certificate program with the training you need to suit your life coaching profession.

Frequently Asked Questions 

What is a Christian Life Coach?

A Christian life coach is someone who helps and encourages their client from a faith-based through personal or professional challenges from a faith-based perspective. The coach might integrate Biblical principles, draw from Scripture, or take time during the session to pray with the client or clients. In Christian coaching, coaches can help individuals, or couples find God’s vision for their life, marriage and overcome the obstacles that keep them from living out what God has called them to be.

What is the Role of a Christian Life Coach?

A Christian life coach seeks to help people set and reach goals that are in keeping with the life God has called them to. In the coaching relationship, the client is the expert. The coach – who practices active listening and asks thought-provoking questions – guides the course of the conversation. Christian life coaches seek to help their clients:

  • Decrease stress
  • Discover and achieve their goals and dreams
  • Grow self-confidence
  • Hone skills and improve performance
  • Improve their relationships

 A Christian life coach can also help clients respond to personal and professional challenges, especially in the following areas:

  • Career development
  • Divorce
  • Finance
  • Grief
  • Job performance
  • Spiritual wellness
  • Relationships
How do I become a successful life coach?

Success as a life coach comes down to two simple things: you and your clients. Many coaches start out part time until they can replace their normal job’s income with a steady stream of revenue from clients. Others may coach part time as long as they wish. There is no simple “path” to becoming successful, and just by becoming a coach doesn’t mean you will have client requests filling your inbox. It takes time, energy and effort. In our certification program, we provide you with training with industry leading coaches who have maintained thriving coach businesses.

How long does it take to become a life coach online?

There are 24 modules in our certification program. Each lesson is about 60 minutes long. We have found most coaches are able to complete the certification program in 30 days or less. Our online programs let you study at your own pace. You will have access to the courses for 365 days from when you enroll.

How much does it cost to become a life coach?

You can complete Light’s professional Christian life coaching certificate for one payment of $634, or through a payment plan with Affirm. Learn more about payment plans here, LINK. Once you have completed the certification program, there is a $199 application fee to become a Certified Christian Life Coach through the International Board of Christian Care.

Is life coach certification necessary?

While it’s not necessary to obtain a credential to start a career as a life coach, our program gives you a head start and instant recognition as a life coach. An IBCC Credential is a professional certification indicating that you have met specific standards and requirements from a faith-based perspective and shows that you are dedicated to upholding strong principles of ethical behavior in coaching. 

Why Should I Be Credentialed?

Christian life coaches who become credentialed through our programs have met rigorous educational and experience requirements – and they have demonstrated a thorough understanding of the coaching competencies that set the standard in the Christian coaching profession. In keeping with ICCA’s mission to protect and serve those who seek Christian counseling, our coaches adhere to strict ethical guidelines.

A Christian life coaching certification demonstrates your dedication and credibility as a coach who can effectively guide others to the life that God has called them to.

What's the difference between a life coach and a counselor?

There is a clear distinction between professional mental health services and life coaching. Licensed mental health professionals diagnose and treat emotional and behavioral health disorders. Life coaches help clients focuses on setting and achieving goals. Many ask what the difference is between counseling and coaching.

There is a clear distinction between professional mental health services and life coaching. While both life coaches and mental health professionals seek to improve client wellness, educational and licensure requirements set the two apart. Coaches do not diagnose or treat mental-health-related disorders, but mental health professionals often do. While therapy focuses on mental health, abetting distress, and improving impaired functioning; life coaching focuses on setting and achieving goals.

“AACC has trained thousands of coaches throughout the years and is now excited to help lead and train the next generation of Christian life coaches. Now, more than ever is the time for trained and specialized Christian coaches to meet the growing need for services.

Dr. Tim Clinton

President, American Association of Christian Counselors