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
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
![]() |
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)
![]() |
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.
Chris Green |
I offer what we learned in our journey.
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
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/
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 (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
STAYING IN YOUR LANE - Is one of the most valuable lessons we have learned over the last few years. For a while, in our sincere efforts to help others, we said YES to almost everybody and ventured into other lanes beyond our calling. We found ourselves involved in organizational conflict resolution, business on-boarding, and well-intentioned trainings that only triggered people who were not ready for deep inner healing. Then Chris got really sick and we have had to take a few steps back to recover from blows that came within battles that we were never meant to fight. Now we're resetting and getting back on track with the original call and commission that was given to us. That has meant prioritizing and pacing ourselves to run the race (marathon) that has been set before us. We don't mean any disrespect to anyone else, especially to those organizations and ministries that we worked with over the years. But we have to stay in our lane, and if our paths cross with those who feel they may need us, we now have the wisdom to weigh our options, assess our availability and ability, discern if it's a good thing to do versus a God thing to do, set boundaries, and do what we can, if we can. We know when to say 'no', 'not now', or 'let us think about it first'. We know for sure that our best way of helping is to stay in our lane and defer to others who might be able to serve them better.
We can no longer allow the visions and dreams of others to pull us away from the call and commission that it upon us. Our priority is to equip Believers in the region where God sent us, to do the work of ministry and service in their families and communities. God gave us one business, one school and one mission: The renovation of hearts and homes. In the words of the awesome poem by Helen Steiner Rice, we’re no longer trying to light up the whole world; we’re just going to brighten the corner where we have been placed. It's actually a beautiful thing.
Brighten the Corner Where You Are
~ Helen Steiner Rice ~
We cannot all be famous
Or be listed in “Who’s Who,”
But every person great or small
Has important work to do,
For seldom do we realize
The importance of small deeds
Or to what degree of greatness
Unnoticed kindness leads—
For it’s not the big celebrity
In a world of fame and praise,
But it’s doing unpretentiously
In undistinguished ways
The work that God assigned to us,
Unimportant as it seems,
That makes our task outstanding
And brings reality to dreams—
So do not sit and idly wish
For wider, new dimensions
Where you can put in practice
Your many “good intentions”—
But at the spot God placed you
Begin at once to do
Little things to brighten up
The lives surrounding you,
For if everybody brightened up
The spot on which they’re standing
By being more considerate
And a little less demanding,
This dark old world would very soon
Eclipse the “Evening Star”
If everybody brightened up
The corner where they are!
![]() |
Chris and Carol Green (BCMHC) |
Today, Chris and Carol Green officially became Board-Certified Mental Health Coaches (BCMHC) upon completion of the 'Dare 2 Care' Mental Health Coach - First Responder Training program administered by the American Association of Christian Counselors through Light University.
“We've seen a lot of indifferent, cold and callous responses from many Christian leaders and their congregations regarding the mental health crisis in our country,” stated the Greens. “Many of them have been misinformed and still approach this issue from ignorance, stigma, fear, and very bad theology. 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 niaive 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."
As Board Certified Mental Health Coaches, backed by the International Board of Christian Care (IBCC), the Greens have earned a voluntary global credential that trains and charges its recipients to maintain the highest clinical, ethical and biblical standards of practice.
“We are very pleased to have earned this credential," concluded the Greens. “Now we 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 very capable mental health professionals. 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."
Pennsylvania - Chris and Carol Green were the guest speakers for the Dauphin County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) monthly volunteer online meeting, at the request of its Executive Director, Will Foster.
The mission of CASA is to recruit, train, educate, and supervise dedicated volunteers to become agents of change for every abused and neglected child from Dauphin County. Through investigating, listening, and involvement in the courtroom as well as the child’s community, a Court Appointed Special Advocates will assist children to achieve their full potential.
“We understood that the CASA initiative is still relatively new,” the Greens explained. “By that we mean, its existence is dwarfed by the massive scope and infrastructure of the foster care system. We told the volunteers that like us in our early years in this community, their presence in various meetings, sessions and encounters may be seen as the new kid on the block. And even though they have an extremely important role to play, and even though they can add value to the system, the challenge is that they may experience awkward moments with social workers, case managers, parents, court officials and many others.”
The Greens offered tips and tools to help the Advocates break barriers in the human service community, based upon the training they provide in something called CARE-Readiness. Then they spoke to the online group from the topic: Three Ways You Can Start Making a Difference that Last.
They concluded the session with a Q & A/ Conversation about Pioneering, Persevering and Staying Motivated as Advocates for Children.
“I felt that our volunteers needed some encouragement and inspiration because they have a very difficult and often thankless task,” Will Foster expressed. “It was great to have speakers who understood what it takes to be effective in the field of human service. I’m very grateful for the way the Greens connected with our volunteers. Our people were fully engaged and came away from the session uplifted and motivated.”
A catalyst and a compass for your future.
Using excerpts from their book, "Rest, Retreats, Revival and Other Comedies", Chris and Carol Green compiled and produced a scaled down 45-page publication to continue to push their 'You are Success in Process' campaign.