Introduction to Life Coaching – LIFC 501

Course Description

This course serves as an introduction of professional coaching from a Christian perspective with special attention given to coaching theories, practice, skills, and various coaching specialties.

Rationale

Coaching is a vital new helping field that is growing daily. Some of the core skills for the coaching profession are the same as the counseling profession: building a relationship and learning to effectively communicate with the client. This course helps to understand the differences and similarities between the two fields and the opportunity to broaden the scope of help for people in need. If there is ever a time for godly leadership, servanthood and biblical counsel, it is now. This course seeks to meet that challenge by equipping students with the basic foundations of life coaching and biblically guide individuals asking for help.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture notes

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in Course Overview.

Discussions (4)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will complete 4 Discussions that specifically relate to the course content.  Each discussion will be completed in 2 parts: 1) the student will submit a thread (250 word minimum; approximately 400 word maximum) in answer to the question provided and 2) the student will then post replies (100 word minimum each; approximately 200 word maximum each) to at least 2 other classmates’ threads. The student must review the grading rubric and instructions provided within the course before beginning this assignment.

Book Review Assignments (2)

The student will complete 2 book reviews. The first book review will be over the Webb text. The second book review will be over the Blackaby & Royall text. Each book review must be 4–5 full pages and include the following 3 sections: Overview/summary of author's key points, Personal response, and Application to the student as a life coach. The student must review the grading rubric and instructions provided within the course before beginning this assignment.

Case Study: Coaching Clients Through Transition Assignment

For the case study assignment, the student will write a 5–7 page case study paper (with title, abstract, and reference pages.) At least 4 scholarly references from within the past 7 years are required. For this written assignment, the student will identify 2 challenging transitions that people often go through at some point in their lives and explain how a coach could help individuals through such transitions. The student will also address how the topics and approaches covered will impact the student’s coaching ministry/business as well as the student’s personal life.

Quiz: Dispositions Reflection

This quiz will cover the Learn material for the assigned module: week. This quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 9 multiple-choice and 1 essay questions, and will have a 60-minute time limit.

Quizzes (2)

The student will complete 2 quizzes that are cumulative and cover the material presented in the lecture presentations and class readings in the weekly modules of Canvas. Quiz: Miderm covers presentation materials from Weeks 1–4 as well as the Webb text. The Quiz: Final covers presentation materials from Weeks 5–8 as well as the Blackaby & Royall text. Each quiz is open book/open notes and 25 multiple-choice questions. Both quizzes are timed and need to be completed within the allotted 60 minute time-frame. Points will be deducted for the student going beyond the allotted 60 minute time-frame.