1.Know and Record registration dates and deadlines. Organization is crucial to not feeling overwhelmed. Write down registration dates and deadlines, and be sure to meet them! Phone calendars are great for pop-up calendar reminders if you don’t use a formal planner. You will be able to begin each term with significantly less stress and anxiety than those rushing to register and meet deadlines.

2.Know your resources:Light U Online has worked hard to create every resource that you need to succeed in our program and we have integrated them into our online classroom. They are at your disposal, make sure that you know and are using them.
Familiarize yourself with Edvance360, and the menu options at your fingertips. Once the term begins, you have immediate access to your lessons, discussion boards, community discussion forums, email, grade books, and more in this program.

In addition to your helpful faculty, you also have an Academic Coach that are waiting to work with you to map out a plan so that you can reach your goals. The guess work of registration is taken out of the equation. Your coach wants to help you be equipped to succeed—-contact them, use them, and let them know what you need. They want to help!

In each lesson folder, you have access to course notes for the module, lectures from world-renowned Christian counselors, discussion boards, and more. These are all designed to help you maximize your education with Light University.

3. Build your library:  While not required, you may consider investing in your personal library. Dr. Clinton has several helpful books that are great references throughout your time as a student and into your professional career. Caring for People
God’s Way, and The Quick Reference Guide to Biblical Counseling are two outstanding works that may come in handy to supplement the course material, and to act as quick-reference guides within a professional setting.

4.Manage your time:  Tell your time where to go, and have a plan each week for when you will do your school work. If you don’t tell your time where to go, it will go on its own.  Most students with Light University Online have families, full-time jobs, or other
responsibilities. It is essential to your success that you tell your time where to go. Plan out your week, and have a priority list each day. Where will you make time to listen to the lectures? When will you write your quality discussion question responses? When will you take your weekly quizzes? When will you write your Capstone Essay? Map it out. Know the plan. Work the
plan.

5.Take notes:  You have the privilege of learning from the best of the best in the field of Christian Counseling. Take advantage of the lectures and take notes. Not only are you more likely to retain the information by using multiple senses, but you will have a great portfolio for quick reference, and easy access in the future.

6.Participate. Participate. Participate:  Delve into the discussion forums. There is nothing like classroom participation to help material “stick” and to glean new insights. Interact with your peers. Ask hard questions. Bounce ideas off of each other. This is your “practice” for the real world. It is to your advantage to have quality discussion in our forums, and not simply do the “bare-minimum” for a grade. This is your chance to share your insights, and begin helping others with the material, as well as
go deeper in your own knowledge and understanding.

7. Keep the end in mind. When weeks are stressful, “life” happens, and you have to continue “keeping
on,” remember why you signed up for courses in the first place: to be a beacon of hope to others in a broken world. Always remember your “why.” Did you want to help women recover from abuse or addiction? Did you hope to coach married
couples into greater levels of intimacy and companionship? Did you wish to help in traumatic events when people are lost and feel hopeless? What is your why? This is your foundation to press-on when weeks are difficult.
is your foundation to press-on when weeks are difficult.

If you are still finding that unexpected interruptions or unusual settings make consistent study patterns difficult do not panic. Do the little things that can pay big dividends — fully engage during your personal classroom time(s), place something on your computer or at your study area that remind you of your long-term educational goals, and use aides to help you focus – (e.g. “Do Not Disturb –Learning Taking Place” sign in your study.)

Earlier this week, an acquaintance asked me, “Who coaches the coach?” A simple question; but one that I pondered carefully before I answered. Who coaches me? Why is it so important that a coach has a coach? His question conjured up images and stories of people in high places who had taken great falls because (in my opinion) they no longer sought out or heeded wise counsel. They did not submit themselves to be coached by a person or persons of wisdom.

I thought of all the times I had been too lazy, too cheap, too arrogant, too scared, to confident, too disorganized, too depressed to seek wisdom in my affairs; I crashed and burned each time. It is as a result of all the lessons learned the hard way, coupled with my desire to be the best I was called to be for Christ, that I have committed to always submitting myself to be coached by persons or persons God leads me to.

The decision to be coachable and be coached is particularly important for people who are making in a difference in the lives of others and can be lulled into sin by a false sense that their skills alone are bringing them the success they see in the lives of the people they touch. A few days ago, I had my first sessions with two clients. It was such a rewarding and honestly a heady experience. I mean, God showed up in his glory and I had an insight and clarity into their lives that was surreal. I remember hearing questions come out of my mouth and I actually looked around to see who was feeding me lines! One client was so moved that she had uncovered the source of the biggest stressor in her life, she couldn’t stop crying. I had God-bumps as Shannon Ethridge would say. Those kinds of experiences, while wonderful, can easily lead to a false sense of self. I have chosen to surround myself with people whom I have permitted to always keep me grounded.

I thank God for my coach, Dwight Bain, who is also on the faculty at Light University Online. I thank God for my parents who were my first coaches and continue to positively influence me today. I am fortunate to have mentors such as Pastor Gary Grogan who reaches out to me and makes out time to teach me and reveal biblical truths about specific situations in my life. I thank God for my training at Light University Online. I still refer to my class notes and am excited at continuing my training there. I am so blessed to have a husband who is not only a wise man of God, he is also a certified Health Coach and he often lends insights where I have blind spots.

Are you a coach? Who coaches you? Who speaks into your life and helps guide you to become more of who God wants you to be? Are you still buying into all the reasons why you don’t have and will not have a coach anytime soon? Well, ponder this: How can you lead a person where you have not been and are unwilling to go?

Of course, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the ultimate coaches. However, God often speaks to us through fellow men; consider David and Samuel, Ruth and Naomi, Joshua and Moses, Timothy and Paul, the list goes one. The greatest coaches have coaches. The most successful people work with coaches. Get a coach!

Aya Fubara Eneli is a best-selling author, Christian Life Coach, Motivational Speaker, Attorney, and Life Coaching student at Light University Online. Her life’s purpose is to empower and equip people to live up to their highest potential. For more information on her seminars, coaching or to book her for your next event, visit http://www.ayaeneli.com, or e-mail her at info@ayaeneli.com.

Choosing the right online university for Christian counseling courses can be difficult for anyone. As a faculty of Light University, I have been very impressed with the quality and value that our courses can offer students. Below are five reasons why I believe that Light University is a great choice for any student looking to get Christian based training online.

1. Quality Instruction From Top Experts

Light University Online is blessed with some of the most prominent Christian counselors and writers of today. When I first began facilitating courses at Light University I was pleasantly surprised to see a lecture hosted by one of my former professors. I remember being incredibly impressed by his teaching while studying at a top graduate Christian counseling program. I am delighted to see that Light University Online is committed to providing the absolute best in online Christian counseling courses. This expert instruction of the highest quality, and is offered at an incredible value.

From university deans to best-selling authors and accomplished public speakers, Light University Online has the best of the best. Take a look at the faculty page to learn more. You will be pleasantly surprised with what you see!

2. A Flexible, Engaging Format

With five-week courses and 24-hour online classroom access, the flexibility offered through Light University Online is unparalleled. Courses last long enough to engage the student and provide the opportunity for in-depth discussion, but are short enough to allow for a faster progression through the program. The format allows new students to start every five weeks, so there is no waiting around for a specified annual start date.

In addition to flexibility and convenience, the online format allows students to experience the course materials in an engaging way. Pre-loaded video lectures from the expert faculty allow teaching to be presented directly to the learner. This offers even more flexibility than a DVD curriculum, as the entire collection of the course’s lectures is housed online. These lectures engage the student and foster deep online discussion within the student body.

3. A Highly Engaged Student Body

Through years of involvement in higher education, I have had the privilege to encounter many students through my roles in administration, instruction, and as a student myself. While I value all of the students I have come in contact with, I have found something special in the Light University Online community. A learning community that is fueled by a desire to learn and a love for God is bound to set itself apart, and that is exactly what I see in the LUO community.

The student body of Light University Online has a unique makeup of students with varying educational levels and professional backgrounds. Bound together by a Christian worldview and appreciation for God’s truth, the student body engages in thoughtful and heartfelt discussions based on detailed course material.

At Light University Online, every student is welcomed with open arms into the rich learning community regardless of educational or professional experience. As someone with experience teaching for multiple institutions, I can honestly say that Light University students are top-tier students.

4. Affordability

While maintaining extremely high standards for quality education, Light University Online is still able to keep its online Christian counseling courses highly affordable and accessible. Comparable programs cost much more than Light University Online. Remember the professor I mentioned earlier in the post? It cost me over three and a half times what a Light University Online student would pay to be under his instruction at my former school!

5. Uniquely Christian Focus

“What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?” Tertullian’s question of the compatibility of Christianity and scholarship still applies today. While the Christian faith and psychological principles have a somewhat sordid past, each area of knowledge represents a portion of God’s revelation to man. Psychology and counseling, like all forms of knowledge, belong to God. Therefore, the best way to study and utilize this knowledge is through a Christian perspective. Light University Online offers this perspective, exploring the wisdom of the helping and healing profession while removing the dross of the secular bias. The instruction at Light University Online can provide a foundation for someone newly interested in people-helping, or it can help a studied and experienced counselor to deepen spiritual roots or learn the Christian truth ignored by a secular training program.

Additionally, an education from a Christian perspective offers more than head knowledge. Light University Online aims to foster spiritual transformation and exhortation for its students, helping them to develop not only in knowledge, but in character and relationship with Christ Jesus.

If your goal is to develop professionally from a Christian worldview, Light University Online is the place for you.

Light University Online is a truly special place. From the flexible, convenient format to the best-of-the-best in instructors, Light University Online excels in helping you to help others. If you have not already, I want to personally invite you to come join a community of believers committed to Christ and brought together.

About the Author

Kevin Van Wynsberg is Light University Online course facilitator, and has years of experience in online education as a student, professor, and administrator at various institutions. He currently holds a Master of Arts in Professional Counseling from Liberty University, and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Counseling, also from Liberty. Kevin also works as a counselor at an outpatient Christian counseling agency. Kevin believes in both counseling and education as powerful mediums for advancing the cause of Christ.

So what exactly is “advent”?

Well, it’s probably best to begin by talking a little about the Incarnation and what that has done to the world in which we live. When God entered into the world that he created, everything changed. Everything. Just allow your imagination to run with this for a moment. The Creator himself enters into his creation which he spoke into existence, now not only as Creator (still that), but as a member—the “firstborn” of all creation. Christ is the beginning of a new creative work that God is doing. In the beginning God created all there is, but that creation in its frailty went wrong. Creation began moving, with humankind at its helm, right back into nothingness from which it was created at the first. Man, even in his innocent state, proved intrinsically weak, and therefore unable to perform that which God desired of him. So what was to be done? Destroy God’s work? Leave one righteous man and his family to start over again after a catastrophic flood wiped away an incessantly wicked humanity? Even that re-creation proved of no avail. Man’s flesh is simply intrinsically weak. Once again, we end up with a man in a garden, drunk and naked, followed by a curse. As they say, history repeats itself.

So how will God’s purposes in creation be established and finally fulfilled? There is only one way if annihilation is to be avoided: the Incarnation. There has always only ever been one way, the Man Christ Jesus. And it is at that moment—that appointed moment in time when the universe is altered—permanently. There can be no going back. The infant in the manger is not merely an addition to the created order, or, plan B—he is the inauguration of a New Day, a New Creation, in which all the old creation will finally be reworked and made right, and finally brought to completion (which it has never reached). The infant in the manger is the dawning of a New Age, the “self-same Word” who spoke it all into existence has now taken bodily form, descending down—down—down until he gets to the bottom of things, and then like a tender shoot, sprouting forth as the first Life, the first living tree in a barren, deserted wasteland. The waters part, dry ground appears, and God walks once again with man in the Land of Promise.

Is all this just the language of poetry? Is it mere metaphor? Just symbols speaking of a “spiritual” reality that doesn’t quite reach into our normal, physical world? Hardly so—and thanks be to God! The very nature of the Incarnation, God becoming Man, requires that the physical universe, humankind and all nature, be touched to their very core—the very depths of their essence remade—transfigured. Listen! The very Creator from whose power nothing and the absence of existence took body, shape, and breathed has now entered into it. And the Apostle Paul tells us he’s done so to the end that he might “fill all things”. He’s not just looking to make repairs, he’s tearing down the strongholds and leveling the kingdoms of this passing age to rebuild from the ground up, himself, the very cornerstone, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, the church being built upon them and upon him into a Holy Temple which will house He who is everywhere present, but whose fullness is contained only in the Man, Christ Jesus. The infant in the manger. 

This is the reality that you and I live in, church. And I would venture a guess that most of us move through each day, week, month and even year, hardly attuned to such a magnificent song. Let’s face it, the constraints and demands of society pull us in every direction, so it’s easy to forget.

Enter Advent.

Actually, it would be more accurate to talk about Advent being part of a larger gift handed down to us from Christian brothers and sisters of long ago. Over time, and not long after Jesus’ first advent and life during the first century, Christians began establishing landmarks throughout the year upon which they would remember important and essential hallmarks of their faith. (A common thing for human beings, and we need go no further than our Old Testament to see examples of it.) We still have vestiges of it in our own calendar, the most obvious examples being Christmas and Easter. These holidays (or, “holy days”) are part of a fuller calendar established by Christians from very early times. It is patterned on the life of Jesus. It begins with “Advent”, the expectation of the Christ-child, it then moves to the season of Christmas (You’ve heard of the Twelve Days of Christmas? Well, here’s where that came from.). From there it moves to the season of Epiphany, Christ’s appearances, from his manifestation (“epiphany”) at his baptism to his presentation in the temple as a boy, and other important appearances which span a few years of his life in the gospels. From there it moves to the pre-Easter season, which has historically come to be called Lent. It is a time of intensity as we remember the road Christ traveled to the cross. Luke says, “he set his face toward Jerusalem”, and so as we remember what he endured on our behalf, we take time to reflect on our lives, to repent of sin, and to prepare our hearts for the death, burial, and (thanks be to God!) the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is a season of “bright sadness”, the light growing ever-darker until the sun is blackened out and it seems all hope is lost in the grave, but suddenly bursting forth in light as the year climaxes in the celebration of the resurrection! Following Easter is the season of Pentecost, and following that is what has been called, “ordinary time”.  The cycle begins again four weeks before Christmas, the season of Advent.

Of course, this “Christian Calendar” is not an essential aspect of the faith in the sense that if you do not follow it you’ll be a bad Christian. This is by no means the case. But—(there is a, ‘but’)—a good Christian will certainly strive to “make the best use of the time, because the days are evil”. And in doing so it is not uncommon for Christians to set up their own patterns and practices to follow. The challenge is coming up with how to structure one’s life according to the gospel of Christ, and then comes the additional challenge of maintaining those practices and patterns as an individual. And so, many Christians have found that this ready-made structure handed to us from Christian brothers and sisters of bygone ages (who are still alive, by the way) is helpful. It is a way for them to move to a different rhythm than the one our culture and society sets for us—or more accurately, demands of us. You see, there is a collective wisdom of centuries of people who have lived godly lives, having walked closely with Christ, and that collective wisdom has been accumulated over time, and put into developing a yearly cycle that will help Christians to be conformed to the image of Christ by ordering their lives according to the pattern of his as demonstrated in the gospel accounts. So when the rest of the world begins their year in January, we begin with eager anticipation of the arrival of God on planet earth, in the humble form of a servant.

And this is the value of Advent. It helps us begin our year by examining our lives. By preparing for the coming of the Christ-child, upon whose shoulders the government and all the Kingdoms of the earth shall rest. It reminds us that we are always in need of a Savior. It helps us enter into a different orientation of time, it helps us redeem the time. And why? Because as we said at the beginning, the Incarnation changes everything. Time and history hinge on that appointed moment in history. Creation knows when her Creator has entered her. Stars change their course. Rulers fear their thrones will be cast down and overturned. Angelic messengers carry glad tidings of immense joy for all people with great speed, trumpeting their gospel with shouts of acclamation to the humble and poor, and suddenly, the night sky is peopled with a multitude of heavenly host singing, “Gloria!”. The womb of a virgin is inhabited with a child, in whom all the fullness of God dwells. The Creator-Child grows, and coming up from the waters of baptism the skies part, the Spirit descends, and a voice from heaven proclaims the Divine Pleasure over his Son. Water is turned to wine. Thousands are fed with a few loaves of bread and fish. Sickness and disease are healed, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the dumb speak, the blind see. Fig trees wither at his word. The torrential waves of the sea and mighty gale are calmed at his voice. “Thus far shall you come and no further!” A man walks on water just as his Master did, as though on dry ground. Demons bow before their Maker in fear that the time of their rebellion has come to an end. They know who he is. Tombs are emptied and the dead come to life. The sky is blackened at his death, the heavens threaten to fall into the deep sea as the earth is shaken in its heart and tombs crack, dead men walking out of their graves. And as he is raised to life, he brings Adam’s race up from the grave with him; the firstfruits of a New Creation spring forth in glorious and eternal Day.

Yes, the universe has been altered. Time itself has been redeemed, and creation waits with eager longing the revelation of the sons of God. The question? How do we live in this knowledge? How do we remember, not only with our minds, but with all our being? How do we enter in? Well friends, we are in, if we are in Christ. But if we are in Christ, we are part of a New Creative work of which he is the first. Our world has been altered along with that of the universe, and when he comes, we should not be found sleeping. We should be found as those who have cast off the works of darkness, having put on the armor of light—Christ himself. We should be found as those who imitate young Mary and respond to these holy mysteries, “Behold, the servant of the Lord. Be it unto me according to thy word.” We should be found ready, having walked the path of repentance which leads to purity of heart, whose eyes will look upon their Maker. Brothers and sisters, something will shape your day, your year, your life. You will be conformed to some pattern, pressed and squeezed into some mold—that is decided. It is part of being human and living in this world. But one way or another, the Christians’ world must be transformed. Here is a proven path which remains a gift for those who desire it.

Many people are now teaching that marriage is an outdated, unnecessary process in couples’ lives nowadays. However, they are able to maintain a good household by having cohabitation or living without being married. The State of our Unions Marriage in America 2010 report put together by “National Marriage Project out of University of Virginia and Center for Marriage and Family is at the Institute for America Values” shows the rate of cohabitation between couples between the years 1960 and 2009, In 1960 cohabitation was less than a half million couples, in 2000 it was at 3.882 million couples, and 2009, nearly double that rate at 6.661 million couples. So, questions I have are, “Why is it that marriage rates are going down? Cohabitation is on the rise?” According to the Census Bureau, only 62% of children in America today live with both parents. It is astonishing that 25 to 60 year old married couples attending church is dropped from 40% in the 1970′s to only 28% in the 2000′s. Another aspect that leads to lower rates of marriage and higher divorces seem to be poverty. Other factors that come in to play for marriages are finances, education, infertility, parenting, and family.

As Christian life coaches, we know the importance of marriage to God. We need to be the ones on the front line help focus these couples not only want to marry want to stay married forever. So what is it that we need to do as the ones that are working with these couples on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis?

1. We need to work with them in order to see their focus changed from the world to God

2. We should give couples Scripture verses that show the various aspects of marriage

3. They need be able to take arguments and turn them into discussions.

Arguments = fights = winners and losers = no solutions
Discussions = both sides being heard = understanding = both sides win

The more communication both husband and wife have with each other the stronger they become as parents. The more they pray and attend church together the stronger their relationship with God will become. This will help them be more committed to each other, as well as any children they may have.

As coaches, it is a blessing when we are able to work with any couple that is looking to become married. We have the tools to be able to give them the right path so that they can have the strong abundant life says a married couple. The greatest gift we can give any of them is the Scriptures. We can be the ones that come alongside the couples that are already married and help them put a plan in place that will effectively make them know where they want to go in their marriage, how they want to serve the Lord, how they want to parent their children, and how they want to grow old together.

Each couple will have different needs, and it will be important to allow them to set their own personal goals for the marriage. Just like in other coaching types, we can set a plan of action in place to make each growth step possible. The ultimate result should be that the couple becomes one in everything they do. Fill your coaching library with material that can help relate to couples needs, and keep up on marriage trends.

All in all, as Christian life coaches we can be the catalyst to help married couples which will bring them together now as God wants, and help build marriage. I pray that God grows in each of your hearts to help couples and that He sends them to you. Don’t forget that you have been given a special calling by God to be a Christian Life Coach, and I believe in you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Gage is a twelve year cancer survivor, certified Life Coach and founder of Narrow Path Seekers. He is currently a student at Light University Online in the Life Coaching Advanced Diploma program. His practice focuses on Marriage, Cancer, Leadership, Hope, and Spiritual Development coaching.

5 STRATEGIES TO BUILD YOUR INFLUENCE AS A CHRISTIAN COACH

 BY DWIGHT BAIN, M.A.

One of the fastest ways to become established as a professional life coach is through the process of offering community workshops and seminars. I’ve spoken to hundreds of these groups through the years and have made some wonderful friends, as well as experienced some remarkable opportunities by volunteering time to add value to others. Yes, I said volunteer, since you don’t get paid in dollars to give a community speech, but you can be well paid in other ways. How? Through influence, networking, multiple referrals into your business, opportunities to give full-fee presentations to other groups and wider media exposure, especially on the Internet.

Still, there’s another huge benefit to you—free advertising of your coaching services. Consider how much you would be willing to pay in advertising dollars to be featured as an expert in front of a group of key decision makers, successful business people or community leaders? I suspect a lot because of the incredible return on investment of being in front of key people who have the capacity to hire you or refer you to other key people in the community who can. Treat these opportunities like a public audition that features you in front of 15-30 people who can meet you to learn more of your desire to help in your area of expertise. And the best news is, you don’t have to pay to be in front of these community leaders… but you do have to be strategic.

There are opportunities to give community presentations every day in your backyard if you know where to look. These events often take place during a breakfast or lunch time on a weekday all over your town. Consider the following as a sample of the type of groups in your area that need communicators to get your thinking started about targeting the key groups looking for you right now to line up as the speaker at their next event.

 • Business groups such as a Chamber of Commerce or Female Executives

• Service or civic clubs like Rotary, Sertoma, Lions, or Kiawanas

• Medical groups like nurses, interns, residents or hospital committees

• Networking groups like BNI, Focus International or Babblebee

• Faith-based groups like churches, ministries or the retreats they sponsor

• Health groups such as the American Heart Association or Red Cross

• Political or Political Action Committees (PACs) focused on issues

• Emergency services like police, fire, EMS groups or safety committees

• Women’s clubs like the Junior League, Curves or MADD

• Athletic groups like master swimmers, soccer clubs or hunting groups

• Education groups like parent/teacher organizations or school volunteers

• Fraternal Orders like the Elks, Eagles, Moose or Fraternal Order of Police

• Senior’s groups usually found at senior or retirement centers

• Youth groups, sponsored by churches like Youth for Christ or Junior Achievement

• Parenting groups, especially young parents such as Mothers of Preschoolers

And one more category, trade associations. Most of these trade associations have a national, state and local chapter pushing the number of professional associations into the multiple thousands in every region of the country! Each level has to have a speaker at every monthly event, plus writers for their monthly newsletters and Web sites.

This creates a huge opportunity for life coaches to make a positive difference. If your background is in education, look for teacher associations. If it’s in real estate, look for realtor or broker associations. If it’s in giving care for the elderly, look for agencies on aging or the professional associations that care for the aged. Your life story as a coach will determine the best group to contact.

You don’t have enough time to speak to every group, but you will have the time of your life if you can get in front of the right trade association and knock their socks off with a great presentation. At the local level, these are always going to be free talks, but if you can “wow” your audience, you can often be suggested to speak at the national trade association’s annual meeting… and they do pay speakers at that level. So it pays to always speak as if you were giving the most important talk of your life. Excellence always comes back to bless you after it blesses your audience.

These groups need your input as a coach… they need your expertise and you need to help. It’s a perfect fit, so begin searching now to find groups where you can make the biggest impact. Once you have identified your key target groups, make some calls to see who’s in charge of scheduling speakers to begin the process. How do you find them? Search out your local newspapers under community events, do Web searches on specific topics, or ask around to see who belongs to community groups that are always looking for effective communicators.

Here are a few important principles to keep in mind as you begin to reach out to make a positive difference using the strategy of community seminars that serve others, while positioning yourself as an expert.

1. It’s not about marketing – it’s about the message

The goal isn’t to market yourself, your book or your services—it’s about the message to help answer people’s questions, solve their problems and basically give information to help make their day or week go a little better. You want to give as much user-friendly content away in your presentation as possible. If it “smells” like selling… it won’t work. You have to really care about your audience and help make their lives work better.

2. Build on your communication strengths

If you are passionate about a particular subject as a coach, then this is your place to shine. However, if you aren’t really strong on a given topic, stay away from it. Talk about how to solve problems in the areas where you can make the greatest difference. Usually this will come out of your life story or a subject that you really enjoy discussing. If you are building from your strengths the speaking will come easy, and your sincerity will come through to show your audience that you are an expert they can trust to add value to their lives. If you love to tell stories, build on that strength; if your style is more instructional, create an interactive handout to make it a training time of greater learning.

3. Focus on creative topics to catch your audience

Avoid Financial Ruin

Get Out of a Bad Relationship

 Secrets of Living to be 100

 Fast Ways to Regain Health and Wellness

 How to Stay Out of Therapy

 When to Kick your Kids Out for Good

 How Speed Reading Creates Lasting Wealth

 Recession-proofing your Business

 How to Gain a #1 Ranking on Google

 Use a great title to excite your audience so they know it’s going to be a fun time of learning. Remember, you can often give the exact same speech since you will be going from club to club and group to group, so you can strengthen your message every time you give it.

4. Be professional and prepared

Arrive early and know that frequently you may not get the full time you were allotted due to other business the club may be taking care of… so learn to be flexible. The more prepared you are ahead of time, the easier you can “edit” on the fly to end on time (which is important since people on a tight schedule will actually get up and leave in order to stay on their schedules). You must finish on time, no matter when you get started.

Handouts are a great way to reinforce your message and disseminate your contact information. If you have professional marketing material at a back table, that’s great; but in this communication setting the main strategy is to deliver an amazing talk first, and then market your product. Dress one level above your audience and be as polished as you can for maximum impact since you really don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.

5. Give a great talk and get a lot of great PR

Once you are comfortable with the process and are giving great presentations on a regular basis, you can leverage your talks in several ways that bring in new opportunities by taking your message to new audiences. Get quoted by the media

(especially if you send out press releases ahead of time, which can be done with online services that offer free press releases)

since your local newspapers and television stations have to fill news time. A clever topic given in a public seminar can often lead to media quotes that are quite valuable in establishing you as a regional expert. And don’t forget to ask that someone takes your picture with a digital camera while you are talking so you have some “action shots” of recent presentations to use on your Web site or with your blog.

The more you think ahead on how to leverage your community talk into a great community event, the more likely you will receive positive public relations and ongoing referrals into your coaching business. Community workshops add value to everyone involved—to you, your audience and those who will meet you in the future. Your ability to care about people now will pay dividends to those who later hear about your services. Practice these things long enough and you’ll be the busiest professional life coach in your region. And it all started with a free speech.

I dare you to be the one who adds the greatest value in your region by sharing the message entrusted to you with the most people possible. And then I look forward to hearing the success stories of how free speeches turned into fee for services because you cared enough to share your story to some people looking for answers. Get to it!

Dwight Bain, M.A., is the Executive Director of the International Christian Coaching Association. He is a Nationally Certified Counselor, Certified Life Coach and Certified Family Law Mediator in practice since 1984. He is also a faculty member and presenter at Light University Online. He partners with media, major corporations and non-profit organizations to make a positive difference in our culture. Follow him at www.Twitter.com/dwightbain.  

Contact Light University Online: P.O. Box 739, Forest, VA 24551 / 877.506.LU4U / www.LightUOnline.com

However, the more things change on one end, the more some things stay the same on the other.  And, this is true with the online learner’s approach to online learning as a whole.  Although there are all these additional resources and technologies, I have found that there is a thread of “common mistakes” that a percentage of online learners make on a consistent basis.  Here are some of the most common mistakes that I have seen:

1.  Not developing proper study routines for online coursework as if one was sitting in the classroom — online students must maintain disciplined schedules.  Most online programs offer compressed terms of between 5 – 8 weeks so it is critical to set aside the necessary time to successfully complete the coursework and enjoy a positive learning experience.

2.  Not communicating — online students must communicate with their instructors and fellow students.  One of the advantages of online learning is the use of discussion boards, group activities and projects, and email correspondence.  Online students should take full advantage of every possible interaction point.

3.  Not having a goal in mind — one of the great interruptions to online learning that I see every day in the online classroom is life itself.  Most online students are busy adults, working a full-time job, and raising a family.  And you know what, there are times when life gets in the way — family sickness, added work responsibilities, and the infamous “computer problems.”  That is why one of the common mistakes online students make is that they don’t see the big picture, the ultimate prize to their toil and hard work.

About The Author

Shaun Redgate is Vice President of Enrollment Management at Light University Online.  He has been in distance and online learning for 25 years and has seen this industry evolve from its humble beginnings to where it is today.  He is widely recognized as a leading expert in his field.  He has witnessed firsthand, as a student, faculty and in various administrative roles, how online learning changes lives.  Shaun holds his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Liberty University.

As I read these words in my devotional time this morning, two words immediately stuck out in my mind – ineffective and unproductive. Are there two other words that create in you such feelings of avoidance? Ouch! Who wants to be known as ineffective and unproductive in anything? Yet during different seasons of life, I’d guess that nearly all of us feel as if we could wear these labels. “Hi, my name is …ineffective…” This would be bad enough if applied to us at our “jobs,” but Peter takes it even further. He directs these two adjectives toward “your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Wow! Is my knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ being used by me ineffectively or unproductively? That’s a far cry from “well done good and faithful servant.”

In my interactions with Light University Online students, whether they are studying Biblical Counseling or Life Coaching, I see students “tearing off” those same labels every day. They understand the prescription that Peter administers for the diseases of ineffectiveness and un-productivity and are doing something about it. They have had enough of the status quo Christian life. They have recognized that the knowledge of their Lord Jesus Christ cannot be compartmentalized into some sacred Sunday activity, but instead should pervade into their “secular” world of career. All becomes sacred. As Stephen cried out to the Pharisees, “…the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says: ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me?’ says the Lord. ‘Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things?’” (Acts 7:49-50 NIV) So they are taking their faith and stepping into the online classroom, where they add knowledge from the in-depth lectures, build self-control and perseverance as they balance study, writing, and class discussions with their already busy lives, and grow in godliness and brotherly love through their interactions with God’s truth and their fellow students each week in discussion groups. To what end? Love. This love is the capstone. It propels them out of the online classroom and into the streets to use this growth for its glorious purpose, to love others through Christ. It motivates them to love others by skillfully and mercifully counseling them through pain and grief, or by exhibiting godly wisdom as they coach someone through the life change of a divorce. Their knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ is not something that lies dormant, undeveloped, and inward focused. They are truly participating in Christ’s divine nature, as Peter writes.

Could there be anything more effective and productive to do with your life than this?

BAJ

About The Author

Ben Jones is on Online Learning Professional who has facilitated courses in multiple programs of study across leading institutions throughout the US. Ben holds a Master of Divinity degree from Liberty Theological Seminary and has additional post graduate work at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. Ben enjoys practicing theology through biblical counseling and has a passion to see people experience healing through the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.