Christian Coaching Competencies
CCNI Competency #5 – Maintains Presence
Is fully conscious and present with the client, employing a style that is open, flexible, grounded and confident.
- Remains focused, observant, empathetic and responsive to the client.
- Demonstrates curiosity during the coaching process.
- Manages one’s emotions to stay present with the client.
- Demonstrates confidence in working with strong client emotions during the coaching process.
- Is comfortable working in a space of not knowing.
- Creates or allows space for silence, pause or reflection.
Christian Coaching Application
The ability to be fully present – heart, mind and body – with the client is known as the skill of presence. Many coaches view mastery of coaching presence as the hallmark of an excellent coach. The coach provides cues – through their use of tone, pace, openness, flexibility, unbiased inquisitiveness, and reflective comments – which convey that the coach is fully present with the client and the client is an important priority who is safe from judgment.
A biblically definitive example of presence was modeled by Jesus as he was traveling to heal a dying girl. Through the pandemonium of the crowd and the urgency of the moment, Jesus was able to separate himself and be fully present– heart, mind and body – with a sick outcast who had interrupted his journey. He displayed no judgment. There was no rush in his voice, no sense of irritation, no divided attention. Everything faded except his deep interest in what was occurring in the outcast’s life. (Luke 8:40-48)
By being fully present with her, Jesus conveyed two truths: she was important, and she was safe from judgment. He highly regarded the current state and future being of the woman as equally important as the competing priorities. It is with this same spirit of “high regard” and “deep interest” that we as Christian coaches become fully present with our clients.
In addition, the CCNI credentialed coach:
- Imitates God’s incarnational presence; as God is with us, we are fully and powerfully present with our clients.
- Places confidence in God’s goodness and provision.
- Believes the very best for the client and has confidence that God’s plan is good.
- Couples intuition with reliance on the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
- Expresses true Christian humility by remaining in a posture of not being in control or trying to control the client, the conversation, or the outcomes.
- Is open to not knowing everything and becomes sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s inspiration that could shape a question, observation, direct communication or designing actions.