We Stopped Singing Songs to Heavy Hearts

Christopher G. Green (D.Hon.Causa)

I am reminded of a scripture the Holy Spirit whispered to my heart just before we held our first public gatherings in Harrisburg, PA.  It was the fall of 2004 and every morning, at around 5:30AM, I would go to our facility in Uptown Harrisburg to pray. I was desperately seeking God for wisdom in how to reach out in what was a foreign land for me. 

After serving for 17 very successful years in my home church, I was keenly aware that I would need a new strategy in this new season and new region of the country. I will never forget this simple, yet profound passage from Proverbs 25:20, 

"Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather, And like vinegar on soda, Is one who sings songs to a heavy heart." ---(NKJV)

"Like one who takes off a garment in cold weather, or like [a reactive, useless mixture of] vinegar on soda, Is he who [thoughtlessly] sings [joyful] songs to a heavy heart." ---(AMP)


I recall how I first shared this word with our team. I didn't quite know how to implement it, accept to tell them that we would change our strategy. We would no longer be placing emphasis on the typical church gathering. Instead we would place more emphasis on prayer and teaching to bring healing to heavy hearts.

This scripture had literally snatched away all of the strategies that worked for us in our home city. God was clearly telling me that if we tried to do what worked before, we would be like those who were taking away garments in cold weather. 

Our current strategy would be like pouring vinegar on a substance called nitre. Vinegar dissolves the nitre, and makes it useless and ineffectual. Our method would make our efforts useless. We would not be comforting the lost and hurting. Instead, we would be thoughtlessly agitating them and making things worse. 

It took several months and years for us to understand the weight of that scripture. As individuals and families began to attend, each person came with severe damage in their hearts and homes. Due to our change in strategy, we did not always start our sessions with joyful songs (praise and worship). Many traditional church goers struggled with this because they had always been taught, according to Psalm 100:4 that we must "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise."

But, something amazing happened as we followed the leading of the Holy Spirit. We found that when it came to heavy hearts, if we jumped right into a group discussion surrounding the issues of life, that the joyful songs came forth in the midst of their healing process.

Sometimes we simply started our gatherings with prayer, but by the time we came to the end of our sessions, we would somehow end with joyful songs. We found that when we started with conversation or even prelude music that spoke to the hurting souls, that it was like GIVING them warm garments on a cold day.

We look back over the years and we are amazed at how accurate that simple scripture was for our strategy in this community, and how appropriate it is for many devastated families across this nation, today. This Proverbs 25:20 understanding has forced us to stop following formulas and church traditions that no longer work. 

We are moving into the new seasons with great excitement and anticipation. Now we know how to better describe our work. We are a ministry that prepares and trains Believers to wisely bring healing to heavy hearts and homes. 

We now have open doors to work with a local employment service, a women's shelter, and a drug/alcohol addiction recovery center. We are teaming up with intercessors for monthly corporate prayer gatherings that will give us the opportunity to collectively stand in the gap for this city, region and state.

Many of the community outreach efforts in our inner cities have been established by Believers. Most of them are looking to the Church to supply the volunteers and resources to help them reach the lost in their neighborhoods. We believe that we are one of those ministries that is called to raise up and train Believers who can serve with various community outreach efforts. We don't need to start new community outreaches. All we need to do is prepare God's people to go and bring aid to the places that are already on the front lines.

One of the prophetic words that was spoken over us, when we were sent to Harrisburg in 2004, was that we would strengthen that which was already built. So, we were not sent to Harrisburg to start anything new. We were sent to build people, so they could be released to serve households, neighborhoods, ministries and outreach efforts that have already been established.

From year to year we are moving forward in the zeal and excitement in which we approached our assignment way back in 2004. We are seeking God for His wisdom in how to minister to heavy hearts. And whatever HE speaks and however HE tells us to do it, we will obey HIS word.

We look forward to singing songs to joyful hearts!

Chris Green

Where the Floods Overflow Me

Carol L. Green

Have you ever had a dream and wondered what it meant?  I’d like to share a dream I had several years ago. I asked the Lord for the meaning for a long time afterwards.

The dream started with Chris and I standing on the corner of 16th and North facing east in Harrisburg.  The sun was going down, but there was still plenty of light in a cloudy sky. We walked down North Street headed toward 17th Street, passing a woman dressed like a hillbilly. She had a shot gun in one hand and was smoking a cigarette with the other.  As we passed her, she waved us on without a word.  I was relieved she didn’t try to shoot us.

We turned right onto 17th Street and walked south to the corner of 17th and State Street. As we stood on the corner, we looked for traffic, but there was none and there were only a couple of parked cars on the street.  We continued walking across State Street and came to the center of the 2nd block facing Market Street.

Suddenly water started flooding over the houses to our left and the water began rising higher and higher. We began holding onto a porch post and then a roof gutter. Once the water was too high to hold onto anything else, more water began cascading over the houses on our right. The water rose very quickly and it was moving violently. The water from the right side rushed in so fast that it caused us to be tossed into the air. I saw Chris disappear in a high wave to my right. The water was so high that I couldn’t see the top of mountains. As I was falling down from having been tossed into the sky, I thought “Lord are you going to let us die?” I woke up holding my breath in anticipation of splashing into the water.

One Sunday night I was doing my daily Bible reading in our Study Bible. The passage was Psalms 69-71: Songs of lament written by David.  Psalm 69 leapt off the page,

“Save me, O God for the waters have come up to my neck.  I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.  I am weary with my crying; my throat is dry; my eyes fail while I wait for my God. Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; they are mighty who would destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully; though I have stolen nothing, I still must restore it.'

This is a Psalm expressing David’s innermost feelings of deep distress regarding those who hated him without cause. I saw that the deep waters and floods were directly connected to those who hate without a cause. I believe God was showing me the kind of waves that have come and will continue to come against us (Believers) in this hour. We will be hated and opposed even though we haven't done anything wrong.

I watched the dream play out in the months that followed. The warfare against my husband was just as strong and violent as I had seen in the dream. While we were receiving promotions, distinctions and honors, my husband was being overwhelmed by the waves. I called in help and prayer from our overseer and family back in St. Louis.

I saw in the Psalm that David was very transparent with God about how he felt. God truly understands how angry and hurt we may feel, and how much we will need His help when people plot against and hurt us. We are going to have to be completely open with God by sharing our hurts, frustrations, anger and pain with Him, especially when someone speaks or acts against us without a cause.

This kind of transparency helps us remain open to the dealings of God in our lives; so that we don’t miss how HE wants us to respond, which is in forgiveness. This will leave Him free to deal with those who oppose us.

We need to recognize that if the opposition is from someone who is not in relationship with God, they are acting as a person would who has chosen not to live according to kingdom of God principles. Therefore we need to pray for their salvation and forgive them. 

Of course it may hurt us more deeply if the opposition comes from another Believer who we considered to be a trusted friend, with whom we may have worked with or had fellowship.

In this kind of flooding, it is even more important to spend time with the Father, sharing with Him our feelings, allowing Him to empower us to respond in forgiveness and prayer for the person; allowing Him to heal us.

The negative spiritual floods and high-water experiences that some of us will have, may be the result of envy because of what God is doing is our lives. It can be the result of misunderstandings and miscommunications. There might be a hidden agenda, where they are taking advantage of your gifting. Whatever the reason, we must choose to walk in forgiveness because it closes doors to the enemy in our lives.  Forgiveness is a process which requires that every time that person comes to mind, we must choose to release them.

Chris and I have experienced this type of flooding several times over the years. The Lord has taught us that the Believers who opposed us and/or tried to discredit us have been people who:
1.) need healing from past issues; or
2.) don’t know who they are in Christ and may not know or understand their purpose in God.

God has been faithful to us, through the years, to deal with those who hated us without cause. Some of the relationships have been restored, while others have yet to be healed, but we must keep our hearts clear so that we don’t miss the goals God has for us to reach.

Many people are turning against God in this hour. Many Believers are turning on each other. Many are beginning to fall away from the faith. I can see the tide rising now.

In spite of those who may hate us without a cause, we must remain true so that the kingdom of God can continue to be spread in and through our hearts and lives.           

We Listen, We Lift, We Launch,

Coach Carol Green

Community Life Coaches Close 2018 by Commissioning SCS Leadership Life Coaches

Carol and Chris Green give words of gratitude and appreciation to the new Life Coaches

Harrisburg, PA ---Community Life Coaches, Chris and Carol Green, concluded the year of 2018 by commissioning seven Leadership Life Coaches at Sound Community Solutions, Inc. Also known as SCS, this human service organization was founded by Mr. Vladimir Beaufils (pronounced Bo - fees), who found himself in Harrisburg, PA in 1993, where he started a miraculous journey in the world of human service. He founded SCS and has since produced an army of mentors who help others who, like him, are ex-offenders or recovering addicts.

Beaufils and SCS brought the Greens on board to train seven staffers and mentors in their accredited Leadership Life Coaching program. The sessions started in the final week of October and concluded tonight with the prospective coaches each making an oral presentation, revealing how the program had impacted them.

"My mission statement is: Focus to succeed, guiding others toward the light," Vladimir expressed to Chris and Carol Green. "You helped me to be able to do that; able to define that. You gave me new tools and refined the tools that I already had; and you gave me structure and organization. You helped me to cross the t's and dot the i's. Life Coaching will help anyone, in any place, at anytime; and you guys are amazing!"

Comments from some of the newly commissioned life coaches included:

Edith Cook: "I've been in the human service field about 18 years and what this Life Coaching class has done for me is to allow me to pace myself, have patience for my clients. You gave me tools to utilize that will help me to stay in line, so that I can be patient, so that the client's breakthrough can be more rewarding."

Carol Dibetteto: "I enjoyed this course. There were a lot of wow-factors for me. I look forward to moving into 2019 with these new sets of tools, and working with people. Thank you for bringing this to us."

Doug Hollis: "I was most impacted by the Foundational Belief system upon which this Life Coaching Program was built.

Karen Thomas: "It's been a pleasure and a blessing to be part of this certificate life coaching program, grounded in Biblical principles. I'm shifting into the position in how to approach different situations, thanks to this course. The most impactful part was the definition of life coach, because it tells me that I don't have to have all the answers in order to help someone else."

Henry Wimbush: "I learned that Life Coaching is about getting an understanding. I was most impacted by the session "A Different View of People" because it talked about being committed to people, their process and their purpose. I was also impacted by the illustration that fallen and unfruitful vines are actually lifted up. You gave me a tool kit to help me do my job better."

At the conclusion of the presentations, the Greens officially commissioned each new life coach.

As the world's leading producers of CARE-Ready Leadership Life Coaches, Chris and Carol Green connect with community & government leaders, human service organizers, business visionaries, and neighborhood dreamers. They LISTEN to people,  LIFT people and LAUNCH people. Then they train, equip and empower them to do the same for others.

While most programs teach life coaches how to target potential high-paying affluent clients, and high-paying speaking opportunities, they train, equip and empower specialized Care-Ready Responders and Leadership Life Coaches, who are willing to take on the most often overlooked people of society, who live in under-served communities, who can least afford, but can benefit the most from professional guidance.

If you want to be trained and empowered to live for a purpose that's greater than yourself, ENROLL NOW at http://www.CandCconnections.com/lifecoachtraining

****

Chris and Carol Green Reach Milestone: 20 Life Coaches Certified in 2018

Instructors Chris and Carol Green issue Innovative Leadership Life Coaching Certificates to Traci Carter (top right), Joshua Smith (lower left) and Dred Scott (lower right)

Harrisburg, PA --- Community Life Coaches, Chris and Carol Green, reached a very special milestone with the completion of another class, as they issued three more certificates bringing their total to 20 Leadership Life Coaches released in 2018.

"We are extremely proud of this class," says Coach Chris Green. "They brought a lot of enthusiasm to each session and significant contributions of knowledge and experience to each discussion."

Recipients, Traci Carter, Joshua Smith and Dred Scott, who started the course on November 1st, are each board members for local community outreach organizations.

"I was blown away by this class!" said Joshua Smith during his presentation/overview. "I've never felt this way by any program that I've gone through; and I've been through two master degree programs and a bachelor degree program."

"The CARE-Ready Leadership Life Coaching Program gave us the essentials," Traci Carter endorsed. "We were given master craftsmen tools."

"I love the style and way the Greens impart knowledge," expressed Dred Scott. "And that knowledge is presented in a way that develops a love of learning. I found that their presentations, the way in which they accommodated us, the way they spoke to us, and the way they interacted with us, makes that learning piece not only applicable to being enriched, but gave us balance in the way we would should look at things."

This was the Green's 2018 Fall Session of their Innovative Leadership Life Coaching Program.

This accredited program:
* Equips students with the foundations of life coaching
* Provides ice-breakers to open dialogue
* Provides essential tracking and strategy tools
* Provides techniques to navigate various personality types
* Helps coaches identify and overcome negative thinking
* Provides tools to help clients develop a successful thinking plan
* Presents the best practices for helping clients establish a life plan.

Upon completion of the courses, students create a customized coaching field manual for their potential clients.

This Life Coaching Certificate Program is administered by Fruitful Life Network, Inc, iChange Nations and United Graduate College Seminary International. It is accredited by the United Association of Christian Churches and Ministries International.

As the world's leading producers of CARE-Ready Leadership Life Coaches, Chris and Carol Green connect with community & government leaders, human service organizers, business visionaries, and neighborhood dreamers. They LISTEN to people, LIFT people and LAUNCH people. Then they train, equip and empower them to do the same for others.

While most programs teach life coaches how to target potential high-paying affluent clients, and high-paying speaking opportunities, they train, equip and empower specialized Care-Ready Responders and Leadership Life Coaches, who are willing to take on the most often overlooked people of society, who live in under-served communities, who can least afford, but can benefit the most from professional guidance.

Community Life Coaches Speak at Zonta International Local Club Meeting

Chris and Carol Green answer questions about Life Coaching at Zonta Club meeting

Harrisburg, PA  ----Community Life Coaches, Chris and Carol Green, were the guest speakers of the November session of the local Zonta International Club. Carol was the main speaker while Chris handled the visual aspects of the presentation.

The Greens were invited to speak at the November session by its President, Elaine Weinert, having been recommended by the executive director of the Shalom House Women's Shelter, Denise Britton. The Greens have been providing life coaching support for the staff and residents of Shalom House since January of 2016.

"We had an amazing session with the Zonta Club of Harrisburg-Hershey," Carol commented. "The Club's president, Elaine Weinert, welcomed us with open arms and set the stage for us to express our passion for life coaching in under-served communities."

Speaking from the title 'It's All About Life Coaching', Carol chronicled the couple's lives as Life Coaches, dating back to the 1990's when they were youth leaders in St. Louis, Mo.  She built the journey around their experiences with four women: Tiffany, Carlette, Traci and Mary (Carol's mother).

Then she carried the audience through their work with Pennsylvania Career Link and Shalom House Women's Shelter.  Afterwards, Chris joined her at the podium to answer questions about the finer points of Life Coaching, explaining how they differ from other models in their CARE-Ready Leadership approach and strategy.

"This was a wonderful evening with the awesome women of Zonta International", stated Chris Green, "They are working diligently to empower women and children all over the world. They support the efforts of Shalom House, which means they have been supporting our work there as well."

As the world's leading producers of CARE-Ready Leadership Life Coaches, Chris and Carol Green connect with community & government leaders, human service organizers, business visionaries, and neighborhood dreamers. They LISTEN to people, LIFT people and LAUNCH people. Then they train, equip and empower them to do the same for others.

While most programs teach life coaches how to target potential high-paying affluent clients, and high-paying speaking opportunities, they train, equip and empower specialized Care-Ready Responders and Leadership Life Coaches, who are willing to take on the most often overlooked people of society, who live in under-served communities, who can least afford, but can benefit the most from professional guidance.