Transformational Coaching

Transformational Coaching is an ICF-accredited 40-hour, 4-module virtual course (Zoom) designed to enhance the skills of coaches, spiritual directors, ministers, and other inner guides. You may sign up for one module or all four, but class size will be limited to 16 participants, so it is advisable to send in your application as soon as possible. The course is open to people from all faith traditions as well as those without a formal faith affiliation; the content is spiritual rather than religious and the focus is on developing solid coaching techniques and cultivating a coaching mindset.

Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion from The Ministry Coaching Foundation;  ICF coaches will receive one CCEU for every hour of documented attendance. Please note that The Ministry Coaching Foundation does not offer coach credentialing at the present time; however, we support coaches seeking ICF credentialing through the Portfolio track and also provide group mentoring (10 or fewer members) and one-on-one mentoring for credentialing purposes.

Our first Cohort of amazing coaches graduated in June 2024; they represented 11 faith traditions and hailed from 7 States and Canada. 

Cohort II is currently taking the course on consecutive Wednesdays from May 1st to September 18th, 2024, from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. ET. This group is working on accreditation through ICF's Portfolio Track and has negotiated special rates for both the course and for individual and group mentoring. Participants hail from across the United States, the U.K., and the Bahamas. 

Cohort III  will be meeting via Zoom on consecutive Tuesdays, from 7:00-9:15 p.m. ET,  from February 4th-June 17th, 2025. We are currently accepting applications.

Each of the four modules is based on ICF's Core Competencies:

Module One: The Self-Aware Coach 

Our first module leads us inward, allowing us to reflect on our sacred stories, emotions, life balance, contemplative practice, and self-care. We will get to know one another, building our coaching community while exploring what it means to have a “coaching mindset,” the relevance of coaching to ministry, and the ways coaching differs from other forms of inner guidance.

Module Two: The Mindful Coach 

This module focuses on the skills a coach needs to lead clients beyond their current thinking and limiting situations into new possibilities. We will revisit listening skills at a deeper level to include cultural differences, stages of faith, tone of voice and body language, metaphorical language, religious imagery, archetypes, and dreamwork. 

Module Three: The Compassionate Coach 

This module invites us to "cross-over" into our clients' reality more deeply so that, understanding their concerns more fully, we can offer support and empathy. Topics will include creating a safe space, responding to deep emotions, coach/ client relationship, avoiding the “Savior” syndrome, cultivating authenticity, maintaining boundaries and referrals.  We will also look at compassion and the global community.

Module Four: The Intuitive Coach 

Our last module is all about heightening intuition, cultivating awareness, and facilitating epiphany moments. The central question we will explore together is: Can Coaching be Coaching if there is no Epiphany moment or, at least, if the individual session or the contracted time lacks movement towards Revelation, Discovery, Awareness, Perception and Insight? We will examine ways of collaborating with our clients to help them arrive at the illumination they are seeking. 

• To cultivate self-awareness through sacred story, life balance assessment, contemplative practices, mindfulness, and self-care.
• To understand what it means to have a “coaching mindset,” and the relevance of Life Coaching to ministry and other forms of inner guidance, especially for those in leadership positions.  
• To distinguish the ways coaching differs from other forms of inner guidance.
• To develop the insight, intuition, compassion and collaborative skills needed to lead clients and teams beyond their current thinking and limiting situations into new possibilities.
• To deepen listening skills by exploring cultural differences, metaphorical language, archetypes, tone of voice, and body language.
• To examine stages of faith and their expression in clients' narratives.
• To explore ways of developing emotional intelligence.
• To discover new strategies for facilitating epiphany moments.

To receive a Certificate of Completion for the entire course (40 hours) or for one or more modules (10 hours each), you must attend all sessions or make up missed work, if you were present at least 90% of the time. Should you require CCEUs towards ICF re-certification, your certificate will list the actual number of hours you were present.