CARE-Ready Master Life Coach and Trainer Graduates First Cohort of Care-Solution Life Coaches

St. Louis, Missouri, USA - Amethyst Roberson, our first CARE-Ready Master Life Coach and Trainer, graduated her first cohort of Care-Solution Life Coaches in an online ceremony hosted by Coaching Care Connections on Thursday, March 21, 2024. 

“As we wrap up this incredible journey,” Amethyst shared on social media, “I can't help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude. This course has been more than just a series of lectures and assignments; it has been a transformative experience. As we step into the future, lets carry these lessons with us and continue to strive for excellence."

Congratulations were given to her first graduates: 

To Sheila Bratton – “Congratulations on accomplishing this milestone. I cannot wait to see the full bloom of what God is planting in you. People really have no idea of the depth of wisdom and knowledge that you possess. Don’t allow the trials of life to stop you from bringing out what has been placed in you. Now, it’s time to elevate and impact your world." 

To Adryane Calloway - "I am amazed at what is about to be released into the world. All I see are open doors and opportunities for you to simply show up authentically. It will be refreshing and welcomed by all who come in contact with you. Go elevate and impact others.” 

The graduation ceremony featured guest speaker, Pastor Al Long, Sr., an Ordained Minister, Certified Corporate Instructor, Certified Life Coach, Certified Peer Specialist and a Family Support Provider. He and his wife Kacie also minister to those reentering society after incarceration through their non-profit Jacob's Ladder Ministries. 

Amethyst Roberson is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) based in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA, and a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC). She has specialized in Christian Counseling, Life Coaching for women and couples, and in Professional development services to those in need for 20+ years. She is also a dynamic speaker and author. 

She added to her long list of credentials by becoming a certified CARE-Ready Master Life Coach and Trainer. This means she is credentialed and qualified (through the STEP Forward Life Institute) to train, produce and provide certifications for life coaches in her powerfully effective coaching model. 

The people that Amethyst trains in her Elevate 2 Impact life coaching certification program not only receive principles and strategies that are built upon a proven coaching model, but they benefit from her many years of professional experience as a licensed professional counselor, certified life coach, and a cutting edge innovator who walks them through a learning experience that transforms each of her students as a person and empowers each of them as a life coach.

 

Encouraging Grandparents Who Are Raising Their Grandchildren

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA - Chris and Carol Green were the guest speakers at this month’s Grandparents Information Forum, which was hosted by Dolorez Cobb-Jones, founder of a non-profit organization called Grandparents Involved From The Start (GIFTS), Inc, on Thursday evening, March 14, 2024. 

Presenting on the organization's Zoom Conference, the Board Certified Mental Health Coaches spoke from the topic: Mental Health and Your Living Legacy. 

The purpose of GIFTS is to assist grandparents with knowledge, support and resources so that they will become more informed, involved and empowered to overcome the challenges of raising their grandchild(ren). The Greens were invited as part of a self-care series and this month’s focus was on mental health. 

“Our thanks to Dolorez Cobb-Jones and GIFTS for inviting us to speak on their online forum,” the Greens shared. “The participants were so gracious and receptive.” 

The Greens opened by engaging the group in a relaxation exercise as a practical way to relieve stress and get focused and centered for the online session. Then they explained some of the basic terminology surrounding mental health, daily stress, and traumatic stress; and carried the presentation into a pivotal section called, ‘When Life Happens'. Ninety percent (90%) of U.S. citizens will be exposed to a traumatic event in their lifetime, so life happenings can include: 

·        Natural Disasters

·        Accidental Disasters

·        Intentional or Deliberate Disasters

·        Incidents of loss or unexpected changes in your life and lifestyle

·        Sustained or Repeated Events and Incidents 

“We really wanted to emphasize that even though traumatic stress is more powerful and serious than ordinary day-to-day stress,” the Greens explained, “Traumatic stress is a normal human response to an abnormal event or incident. The brain and body are trying to get back to normal.” 

Since most of their audience is dealing with the unexpected changes and the traumatic incidents that created the current situation in which they are now raising their grandchildren, the Greens shared some of their traumatic experiences like the loss of income, a car repossession, an eviction, and living in a hotel for about two months. 

From this perspective the Greens offered the following everyday mental health tips to help grandparents elevate their mood and become more resilient.

1. Practice self-care and make yourself a priority (Eat healthy, Exercise, Get enough sleep)

2. Disconnect (for a period of time daily) from electronics and social media

3. Engage in activities that provide meaning

4. Volunteer

5. Engage in meditation and/or prayer

6. Avoid heavy substance use

7. Get help from a licensed mental health professional when and if you need it 

Then they concluded by offering tips on how to build a living legacy of mental wellness for their grand children. 

As the Greens were speaking, so many comments were being posted in the group chat that Dolorez Cobb-Jones briefly interrupted the presentation to read a few of them. Samples of the responses were:

• This is very practical 
• You're answering the exact questions that I had in my mind
• Wow 
• Interesting session 
• I've been practicing this for the last 3 years ...Love this meeting, very informative 
• Wonderful 
• Thank you for this opportunity 
• Really informative session
• Thank you !!!
• Great 

“We just presented a few small but impactful ways to help grandparents improve their mental health every day,” the Greens concluded. “Just as it requires effort to build and maintain physical health, so it is with mental health. We pray that all will see an increase in their overall mental wellness as they press forward in raising their grandchildren in these challenging times." 

Chris Green Earns Board-Certified Master Mental Health Coach Credential

 

Today, Chris Green officially became a Board-Certified Master Mental Health Coach (BCMMHC) upon completion of the mental health specialization program: Crisis Response and Trauma Care, administered by the   American Association of Christian Counselors through Light University. 

“Many of our religious and civic leaders have been misinformed and still approach this issue from ignorance, stigma, fear, and very bad theology,” Chris explains.

Many still believe that all people need to do is just quote a scripture, say a prayer, and God will take care of the mental health issue by injecting peace into their minds. But God says through Biblical text, that His people perish because of the lack of knowledge. In this aspect of our human experience, we suffer from debilitating ignorance.

In response to this errant mindset and theology, we just wanted to get educated, trained and empowered to address this crisis by learning from other, more knowledgeable and experienced Christian organizations and institutions who bring a balanced and holistic approach to helping individuals and families who are struggling with mental health challenges. We wanted to immerse ourselves in proper education, so that we could better understand the mental health crisis in our own families and communities."

This specialization program in Crisis Response and Trauma Care involved 24 hours of training and exams that prepares leaders to come alongside of those who are hurting, and to help the interventionist properly and adequately respond when a traumatic event happens. The good news is that God is always with us in our trouble, and He has no greater plan than to work through His people as a conduit, to provide a "ministry of presence" that speaks to people in crisis, that God will make a way.

This specialization course was preceded by a 42-hour rigorous training program that included:

 1.) First, the completion of a 14-hour course called Foundations of Mental Health Coaching - This introductory course was designed to provide students with an orientation to the field of mental health coaching. Topics covered included the role and scope of mental health coaching within the local church, ethical guidelines and professional standards in coaching, crisis intervention techniques, and the integration of faith and biblical wisdom in coaching.

 2.) Next, the completion of a 14-hour course called Mental Health Coaching Skills -The purpose of this course was to provide students with the fundamental theories and skills of Christ-centered mental health coaching. Key elements of the coaching process, included methods of change, listening, effective communication, giving hope, operating small groups, and counseling theory.

 3.) And finally, the completion of a 14-hour course called Mental and Behavioral Health Disorders - This course introduced students to the fundamentals of mental and behavioral health disorders. Particular emphasis was placed on factors that cause mental disorders, as well as conventional treatments. Conditions discussed included addiction, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, eating disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

As a Board Certified Master Mental Health Coach, credentialed by the International Board of Christian Care   (IBCC), Chris has earned a voluntary global credential that trains and charges its recipients to maintain the highest clinical, ethical and biblical standards of practice.

“I'm very pleased to have earned this credential," Chris concluded. “Now my wife (Carol) and I are better prepared to assist people through our coaching business and ministry. We're also able to become a more successful connection and liaison between those who need help, and the very capable mental health professionals in our community. We are part of an army of mental health coaches that are being trained and deployed across the United States. It's a new day for those who have been suffering in silence in our families, neighborhoods, church pews, classrooms and office cubicles."

Chris and Carol Green are the creators of the CARE-Ready Life Coaching® model: Care-Readiness/ Training/ Certification, and the founders of the STEP Forward Life Institute™, an online community service preparatory platform. Through their business and school, they empower people to become the change they want to see, and to become the kind and caring light this world so desperately needs.

CARE-Ready Life Coach Graduate Making Significant Impact in Her Community

 

Christina Johnson, CARE-Ready Life Coach Graduate

Christina Johnson, a CARE-Ready Life Coach Graduate from the class of August 2019,  is making a significant impact in her community.

See the article from the Central Penn Business Journal (below) written by Cris Collingwood, January 25, 2024.

Harrisburg-based Tri-County OIC, a nonprofit school, has promoted its interim executive director to executive director. 

The Board of Directors hired Christina Johnson, who will lead the organization’s initiatives to further its Adult Education and workforce development divisions.  

Tri-County OIC said Johnson brings a wealth of experience to her new role of providing leadership in the planning and implementing quality-based training and education, including more than a decade of education and organizational human resource development knowledge in private and nonprofit sectors.

“What drew me to Tri-County OIC was its phenomenal leader, Jeffery Charles Woodyard, and its mission closely aligned with my economic justice goals for underserved populations through education, diversity, inclusion, and economic development,” Johnson said.  

Johnson previously served Tri-County OIC as interim executive director, community outreach director, and reentry program manager. 

 While in this role, she coordinated all significant programming for the Reentry Division, expanded the workforce division, and managed a budget of over $1 million in the adult education division.    

“It is an honor to serve in this role of executive director of Tri-County OIC,” Johnson said. “I am committed to continuing to provide the community access to self-sufficiency through our adult education and workforce development divisions while building true collaboration with community partners that lead to the enhancement of the community.”  

Mental Health and Spiritual Wellness Coaches Promote Latest Book

"Success is not only about what you will accomplish," write the mental health and community life coaches. "Ultimately it’s about who you will become. We were leading while bleeding and hardly anyone knew. Eventually, we were forced to stop, rest, retreat and reset."

In their latest book, Rest, Retreats, Revival and Other Comedies, subtitled You are Success in Process, Chris and Carol Green open up about the consequences of neglecting self care during and after life-altering critical incidents. Each time they pressed forward, accepting more and more invitations to help others; and that would push them into cycles of emotional, mental, physical and spiritual crisis. They share how God's process eventually led them out of those cycles and into healing, wholeness, and their true identity and purpose, which was rediscovered when they learned how to:

 

Rest in God and get out of the grind mindset; 

Retreat after devastating setbacks and disappointments; 

Revive and reset to come back out fighting again; and to be open, honest and humbled by the 

Comedy of Errors; the mistakes and bad decisions, upon which God extended mercy and grace.

"This book isn't for everyone," the Greens affirm, "It's for that person who is sick and tired of projecting a brave front while hiding their deep disappointment behind spirituality.  It's for the person who is no longer looking for a typical self-help manual, filled with inspirational stories and motivational meditations. THIS is the book for that soul who is ready to challenge their core beliefs about why their life keeps going off the rails, to stop blaming 'the devil' for everything that goes wrong, and truly desires to finally break FREE from the unending cycles of dead-ends, defeat and discouragement.

We put ourselves out there, made ourselves vulnerable and accessible, and exposed our true authentic hearts; and when people took advantage of our kindness and compassion, or questioned our competency, motivations, loyalty and integrity, yes, we were taken aback, hurt, and offended (which we hate to admit), and it triggered our introvert instincts to just go home and close the door.

We reached our breaking points when the pressures and challenges began to affect our marriage; when they began to affect our physical and mental health; when insinuations and accusations from outside forces and entities, advanced far beyond mere words spoken against us, to actual intentional actions against us that had real life-impacting consequences.

So, we would retreat. And it would be complete pullback moments, cutting off almost everything and everyone (the guilty, the innocent, the perpetrators, and the by-standers). We were in survival mode, burnout and compassion fatigue. But even those triggered-trauma responses were part of our process.

We learned that you can't ignore trauma by trying to be who and what others need you to be for them. We had to rediscover who God actually always intended for us to be for Him."

From the Book's Foreword:

This book is a revelation on how to understand change. It lays out the truth about "process", as productive lives are always on a journey of constant growth and change. To stop growing and changing is to die. 

The Greens are top Searcherdemcians who are not afraid to take new paths to help lift and better humanity. They are not scared to be Searchers of a new way of doing things and because of this, they are fruitful.

They have gone through growth, death, and rebirth, while leading in a new philosophy of education for which the world is crying out. 

I've had the privilege of knowing and working with the Greens for nearly a decade.  I have observed their approach and can vouch for their genuineness and productivity. They have diligently worked, scraped, and sacrificed their way to top stages of influence.     

I say, "When all else fails, follow the fruit." Chris and Carol Green are good fruit and have produced tangible evidence and results of their life skills theory, "You are Success in Process." 

In this book, you are sure to find where you are "in your process."  You are sure to find your next step.  You will be encouraged and reassured that you are not alone in your journey.  You will find that you are "God's Success in Process." 

How refreshing is that?!

This is a riveting book that has inspired and impacted my life. 

You will already be succeeding by picking it up.

---Chancellor Michal P. Pitzl,    

United Graduate College and Seminary, Int’l

Available on Amazon Books

CARE-Ready Life Coach Graduate Sworn-in to Serve as a Harrisburg Council Member

 

Lamont Jones

Harrisburg, PA --- Lamont Jones is a graduate of the CARE-Ready Life Coach Certification class from May of 2019, a community mentor, and a re-entry service provider.

See the article (BELOW) from The Burg, written by Maddie Gittens.

The last time Lamont Jones stood in a Dauphin County courtroom, he had to defend his ability to hold public office. But on Friday, in the same courthouse, he was officially sworn in as a Harrisburg City Council member.

“This isn’t about me; it’s for you guys,” Jones said to a room full of family and supporters during the ceremony. “I celebrate you for having the courage and willingness to look at me and say ‘this is the guy we want to represent us.’”

In May’s primary election, Jones became one of three Democratic nominees for council. In July, two city residents challenged his nomination petition, arguing that Jones’ past criminal convictions disqualified him from holding office. However, Judge Jeffrey Engle ruled in Jones’ favor, allowing him to remain in the November election, when he was elected to council.

On Friday, Jones shared that, just a week prior, he received a full pardon from the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons for his convictions, which dated back over 20 years.

“As we stand in yet another courtroom […] a room that has arguably taken so much from you, today you’ve gotten it all back,” said Ana White, a member of Jones’ campaign team.

According to Jones, he was aware that his previous felonies could impact his ability to run for office. But with the support of people like county District Attorney Fran Chardo, he decided to go for it.

“I wanted to challenge the law,” he said. “I broke the chain.”

At the swearing-in ceremony, which was officiated by Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Royce Morris, several community members spoke about the role that they’ve seen Jones play in the community as a mentor and re-entry service provider.

“Today, history is being made,” said Dorothy Scott, who spoke during the ceremony. “He has faced many challenges along the way. Not only did he persevere, but he lit the way for many to follow.”

Editor's Note:

Watch video of Lamont Jones' Life Coach Certification graduation presentation (May 2019)

Click HERE to watch

First CARE-Ready Master Life Coach Trained and Certified

Amethyst Roberson

STEP Forward Life Institute, Pennsylvania, USA: Amethyst Roberson became the first CARE-Ready Master Life Coach trained and certified through the STEP Forward Life Institute by its founders and lead instructors, Chris and Carol Green (Hon.Causa, BCMHC, CMLC).

Amethyst Roberson is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) based in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA, and a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC). She has specialized in Christian Counseling, Life Coaching for women and couples, and in Professional development services to those in need for 20+ years. She is also a dynamic speaker and author. Now she has added to her long list of credentials by becoming a certified CARE-Ready Master Life Coach and Trainer. This means she is credentialed and qualified to train, produce and provide certifications for life coaches in her powerfully effective coaching model.

The Greens have known her for many years prior to her enrollment in the STEP Forward Certification programs; and have followed her journey to becoming a master-degree counselor, and a highly sought after therapist and practitioner in her own right. Not only did she become a certified CARE-Ready Life Coach back in the fall of 2021, but then she took on the challenge to become a certified Master Life Coach and trainer as well.

 "We are passing on the legacy of the CARE-Ready method within coaching through the training and certification of extraordinary professionals like Amethyst," Chris Green remarked enthusiastically.  "Dedicated people like her are assuring us that our CARE-Ready concepts will continue far beyond ourselves." 

The people that Amethyst will train in her new Elevate 2 Impact life coaching certification program will not only receive principles and strategies that are built upon a proven coaching model, but they will benefit from her many years of professional experience as a licensed professional counselor, certified life coach, and a cutting edge innovator who will walk them through a learning experience that will transform each of them as a person and empower each of them as a life coach. 

"We wholeheartedly endorse Amethyst Roberson as a master life coach and trainer," Carol Green said. "The investment that her students will be making to become trained and certified in her coaching model, is worth more than they can possibly imagine. With Amethyst, they will do much more than memorize material and parrot back facts and information on quizzes and exams. Through her training, they will become the person they need to be, so that they can reach their highest potential as a life coach."

Amethyst has the full support of the STEP Forward Life Institute, which provides the accreditation of her Elevate 2 Impact certification programs. She now joins with the STEP Forward Life Institute's other partnering groups and organizations that are all working in collaboration to bring a fresh and effective approach to life coaching during this critical time in our world. 

Amethyst also accepted an invitation to become a STEP Forward Life Instructor, and already has three training series embedded in the platform's online courses.

People Get Our Vote, but Only GOD Gets Our Hope

As we prepare for another election, we offer no political opinions. We simply present the spiritual and moral issues that are identified in the Bible. Unfortunately, the issues and interpretations of morality, justice and equality have fallen on two different sides of the dominant political parties in America.

This dilemma causes many Believers to vote for a president who is a Democrat while others vote for Senators and Congressmen who are Republicans. Or they vote for a Republican president while others vote for Senators and Congressmen who are Democrats. This is why it’s so difficult to navigate through the political process in our country. It’s also the reason it’s so difficult to explain one’s choices to family, friends and colleagues.

I wrote the following words after Obama was elected president, and they still hold true after the elections of Trump and Biden. Here is what I wrote nearly fourteen years ago and it is incredibly amazing how it still applies to us today:

After we sent an email on the day of President Obama’s inauguration and quoted from the Bible that we are to pray for him, several pastors and leaders in this community, who opposed Obama, discontinued support and communication with this ministry and us. On the other side, friends and family who supported the new president took our email to mean that we were merely offering some form of insincere political patronizing.

We thought we were (and our intentions were) fulfilling our Pastoral leadership responsibility to bring our divided congregations together and to focus on the things that God desires to do in our nation. Our email had nothing to do with either endorsing or rejecting the President.

Here is what we sent out on January 21, 2009:

"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers and intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone---for kings, and for all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases God our Savior." ---1 Timothy 2:1-3

Make no mistake about it; yesterday (the inauguration) was a profoundly significant day. We still don’t agree with some of President Obama’s policies and agendas. Many of them conflict with Biblical teachings. However, that still doesn’t change the fact that God will use anybody to accomplish what HE wants to do in a nation.

Where did we get the idea that a political leader MUST be someone who follows all of the principles of the Bible in order for God to use that person to accomplish His purpose and plan?

Again, we're not ignoring the agenda of any particular President. We’re actually acknowledging the sovereignty of God. As flawed as we are as human beings, it’s amazing that God chooses us to do anything in this life.

God called Nebuchadnezzar His servant even though he was the emperor that destroyed Jerusalem, killed thousands of people, and carried their best and brightest into exile. God chose him to execute judgment; therefore he was God’s servant even though he wasn’t a Godly man.

Political elections are about more than trying to get a scripture-quoting, Bible-toting candidate into Office. This is about getting synchronized with what God is doing in our lifetime in America. If America is under judgment, (and many Christian leaders believe it is) then God will set the person in place that needs to be there at the time of judgment, repentance, recovery or rebuilding.

So we’re going to stay focused on the bigger picture. It doesn’t matter so much who sits in the White House, State Capitol, or sits in the Congress. It still comes down to who is sitting in the Office of MY heart.

We'll close this week's newsletter with the lyrics of a song written by a dear mentor and friend more than 40 years ago.

If you want a brand new world, you gotta have brand new people.

If you want brand new people, we've gotta have a brand new life.

If you want a brand new life, you gotta have a brand new spirit.

If you want a brand new spirit, you gotta come to Jesus Christ!

- Dr. Myles Munroe

We encourage you to cast your vote, but do not cast your cares on a human being. A potential candidate will get our votes, but only GOD gets all our confidence.

Christopher G. Green 

Fruitful Life Educator and Community Servant

Advancing from Inspiration to Manifestation of the Dream

Chris Green

You have a world-changing idea, business, initiative or vision, but where do you begin? How do you move from inspiration to manifestation? How do you launch a big dream?

We certainly had a big dream when we first arrived in the capitol city of Pennsylvania. We tried most of the popular  and highly-endorsed methods that the so-called gurus had suggested and none of them worked for us. 

We quickly learned that what works in one city doesn't work in another. What works in one region of the country or the world, doesn't work in another.

I offer what we learned in our journey.

 1. Invest in your own community. Your community has to know and believe that you really do care for them. Think globally and work locally. Begin by investing on your home front. Make a genuine effort to help strengthen what others are building.  

For us that meant collaborating with others; joining our ideas with their strategies. This was also where we discovered the validity of our ideas and vision. Please know that an idea might work in your head, but not work in the real world, with real people, in real situations. So this became our way of finding out if we had something that was legitimate and effective in real time. 

Your vision should boost their mission. We didn't actualize success through random marketing campaigns. presentations, seminars and workshops that promoted our vision, alone. We had to test our dream in the real world. 'Buy-in' to your vision will be built on tested and proven evidence within your community. 

2. Engage key community leaders. Get to know the leaders in the community, and get to know as many of them personally as possible.  You must step outside of the four walls of your world (organization, church, ministry, or familiar circles). We began attending monthly community meetings, as well as government-sponsored luncheons and non-profit fundraisers, and made great connections. 

3. Listen to your community’s concerns. This is a statement that we posted on our business website: "Build a successful business, not only by selling a dynamic product and providing great customer service, but by connecting with your local community to help solve problems."  Listen to learn what is most important to them. For instance, if youth suicide or homelessness are your community's biggest concerns, but you don't feel called to these areas, then find a way to connect what you do with the solutions. You may not work directly with youth or homeless people, but you might work with those who do.

4. Lift what's already working – Instead of making your initial focus all about the solutions you have to offer, find out about the positives in your community and celebrate those successes. Become a voice of encouragement for those who are already doing good work. 

5. Learn your community. Do you know your community’s demographics? Do you know its historical significance? Do you know its recent history? Do you know the under-served populations within your community. Study what has already been attempted to bring about change. Learn about what was successful and why. Learn about what failed and why. 

6. Less is more.  Instead of trying to set up large events, conferences and campaigns, scale back and focus on 1:1 encounters, smaller groups and high-impact invitational gatherings. It's far better to meet with 4 highly influential people in your community in a private meeting, than to host a 500-people event in a hotel that produces no momentum for you. The best way to reach the masses is not by mass media or massive events. The best way will always be by connecting with one key person at a time. Let your good reputation create a word-of-mouth buzz. 

7. Serve somewhere in your community. Build Goodwill through volunteerism. For example, we volunteer in the local high school’s annual poetry writing contest. At that time, we’re not representing our company. We’re just citizens, helping out. We don’t talk about our business or solicit for clients. Through this, we have built goodwill within the education community. 

We also volunteered our services in an employment agency for 9 months and in a women's shelter for about 10 months. If your community has to pay for your time and (untested) services, you run the risk of being viewed as just another predator. By the time they learn about your business, ideas, solutions or outreach, they should already feel and know that you care about them.

8. Prioritize. One of the mistakes we made was to spread ourselves thin by saying yes to too many people, organizations, initiatives and activities. Eventually we had to prioritize our time and efforts, and focus on the development of our team and their growth. We had to drop the weight of good ideas and run with a clear, clean and lean vision.

You probably read all of this and thought: This is going to take a very long time; and you're right. It will take a long time. The speed by which the dream will come into fruition is based on the speed by which relationships develop. You can't make it grow faster than the relationships that you build in your community. It simply won't work any other way. Remember that as ambassadors of God's Kingdom, we bring HIS ideas to the table in our communities.  However, we must embrace the Godly wisdom and steps that will get us to that table.

You are Success in Process,

Chris Green

Fruitful Life Educator and Community Servant

*Intellectual Property of Professor Christopher G. Green
Modified, and adapted from a 2017 article by Rod Edmonson

Chris and Carol Green Endorse New Book That Unravels Shame and Rejection

We spoke today at the official launch of Lisa Kessler-Peters' new book, How I Learned to Hide: Unraveling Shame and Rejection.

She featured our written endorsement of her book as the Foreword and this is what we wrote and what we read to the audience at today's event:

"Lisa is like an instrument in the hands of a skilled surgeon, in the way she navigates the fine line between education, experience and faith. She brings forth knowledge and wisdom for those who are struggling every minute of every day in the aftermath of trauma, neglect, addictions and so many other overwhelming issues that are destroying people today.

Her sensitivity to explain clinical terms minimizes any feelings of intimidation for those who will read this, and it brings understanding and hope for those who are living with shame and rejection. In the most remarkable way, she encourages and empowers those who are walking along side of family, friends or colleagues who are still in hiding.

We highly recommend this book for people-helpers in all professions, no matter how long they have been working in their field of expertise. It’s time for all to come out of hiding, even those of us who are in the daily work to guide, coach, counsel or console others. This book must be in your library, and it must be referenced often."

Chris and Carol Green

Purchase her new book from Barnes and Noble at https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1143941609

Purchase her new book from Amazon at

https://www.amazon.com/How-Learned-Hide-Unraveling-Rejection/dp/1960007106/

Honoring the Life and Legacy of Bishop Paul T. Veney, Sr.

Minister Chris Green gives the invocation at the funeral service
held at Life Center Ministries for Bishop Paul Troy Veney Sr., 82, of Harrisburg.
September 15, 2023. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com

Today, I was humbled and honored to be given the opportunity to minister the Invocation to begin a royal Home-going celebration of one the most regal and noble souls that we will ever meet in our lifetime.

Before lifting up words of prayer, I shared the following:

"Twenty years ago, in the summer of 2003, my wife and I were in the midst of a two-year preparation to plant a ministry in Harrisburg, PA. It just so happened that Bishop Paul T. Veney, Sr. was going to be traveling through our home city of St. Louis, MO. 

His daughter, Lisa was a good friend of one of the young women in our church, and this young lady, knowing that we were going to be moving to Harrisburg, contacted us to arrange a meeting with the Veneys. We shared a meal at a restaurant and this mighty man of God, without hesitation, welcomed us to Harrisburg a full year before we ever arrived.

Little did we know that God was making us part of, what I now call the Veney Thread. We’re all here today because of the way God used this great man and his family, like a thread that has connected people across ethnic, social, economic, denominational, and generational boundaries and barriers. 

Little did we know how God was going to use this great man to tie us in to, weave us in, sew us into this community the same way God used Barnabus to connect Paul with the elders of the early church.

If you look across this community, you will see the results of the Veney Thread and the powerful way that The Father has used this man to connect all of us in our various callings, appointings, anointings, giftings, and assignments in such a masterful orchestration of relationships."

Bishop Veney's legacy will be kept alive and well in our STEP Forward Life Institute through the  Bishop Paul T. Veney, Sr. Scholarship.

The Invocation:

Father God, we stand here today in the name of Jesus Christ, and we give You all the Glory for the things You have done.

When we look across this auditorium, we see the true representation of what it looks like when Your Kingdom comes and Your will is done in the hearts and lives of the countless men, women, boys and girls whose destinies have been impacted by Your servant, one Bishop Paul Veney.

We thank You for his life! We thank You for pouring out Your love upon us through his life. We heard Your voice when he spoke. We were flooded with Your wisdom when he was teaching us. We felt Your heart when he embraced us. We even experienced Your joy when he smiled and laughed with us. 

Although we didn’t always recognize it, we look back and we recall Your love when he had to correct us. And we were amazed by Your presence when he would lift his hands in worship with tears streaming down his face.

God we thank You!

And as testimonies and stories are shared throughout the remainder of this gathering, we declare that You are welcome in this place, even as we honor Your servant whom You used to show us the Father’s Heart. 

Let everything that is said and done from this point forward bring honor to Your matchless name. 

And it is in that great name that we pray, In Jesus' name; Amen.

Our Hearts Were Broken: 9/11 Anniversary Tribute

 

Our Hearts Were Broken

9/11 Anniversary Tribute (Originally Written 9/11/2011)

Ten years ago today our hearts were broken.

In horror we watched, no word could be spoken.

Time stopped, Could this be really happening?

My eyes can’t believe what I’m seeing.

Did the news flash really say what I'm hearing?

Sirens and screams in the background searing.

I cannot imagine what people are feeling.

As loved ones perish while thousands are fleeing.

Overwhelmed with grief, sickened by sorrow.

It’ll just be a nightmare when I wake up tomorrow.

How could something so evil be unleashed on the world?

Snatching the innocence of every boy and girl.

We’ll never forget the moment the second plane flew in.

The exclamation of the commentator,

"O my God, It happened again!"

And panic begin to set in as we learned

The terror plot wasn’t done,

Another plane had crashed into the Pentagon.

We’ll never forget the thoughts as we watched events unfold.

Is this the fulfillment of Biblical prophecies, foretold?

Is it just the random deed of some religious maniac?

Is it the start of world war three, is our nation under attack?

We’ll never forget the moment

When those towers came crashing down.

Our hearts were crumbling with it,

Knowing lives were being snuffed out.

I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry,

But I could only kneel down.

I prayed to God, 

In whom peace and solace could be found.

God alone can avenge the taking of innocent lives.

For the first responders who left behind

Grieving children, husbands and wives.

For the mothers, fathers, sons and daughters

Who faded away with no warning;

For the brothers and sisters

Who did not see the next day’s dawning.

It’s taken me ten years,

To put words on these thoughts.

Ten years of processing feelings

Of profound sadness and loss.

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fully express

What happened to us that day,

Except that I know we came to understand

The tears on God’s face!

For ions of time

He has watched mankind destroy one another.

He stepped in from the beginning

After one brother killed the other.

What religious view is so important

That so many lives need to be shattered?

What political agenda means so much

That nothing else matters?

America, America, 

God poured out His grace on Thee

As crying and wailing rang out 

From sea to shining sea.

Ten years ago our hearts were broken,

But I have to wonder somehow.

Where will we be within our hearts

Another ten years from now?

Chris Green, 9/11/2011

In addition, Chris Green wrote this song three days after the tragic events of 9/11/01. The lyrics are based upon the prophetic words of Jeremiah Chapter 5 (Will I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?). 

This song intends no disrespect to those who died and have suffered since that day.  However, it is a sobering message to people of Faith, that still resonates to this day.

This song is addressing the American Church and its responsibility to follow the life and mission of Jesus Christ in ministering to a nation in crisis.