Making Money as a Christian Coach

⁉️ Do I actually make money, as a Christian coach?

The answer to your question, inquiring mind, is a resolute YES!

Here is why I decided long ago to make money, rather than just volunteer my services:

Five reasons I require payment as a Christian Coach

1. People appreciate professionals and take them seriously. When we pay for products or services, it means we value what we are acquiring, as an investment in something we want for ourselves. Paying heightens expectation for great outcomes.

2. Getting paid is clean. I know my job, the client gets what they need or want if we are doing most excellent work together, and each of us goes our separate ways until we meet again, to do some more positive outcome work. No after thought required.

3. Servants or product providers have expenses, seen or alternatively, invisible to the naked eye. Just like the client, service and product providers have to pay them bills, and how else can we possibly be available to you, your mom, your cousin Hank or brother Bill, if we don't have a place to invite people into to, to purchase what they want or need? 

4. It is Biblical to be paid for work. 

Leviticus 19:13

You shall not oppress your neighbour, nor rob him. The wages of a hired man are not to remain with you all night until morning.

The times clients have withheld payment for already rendered services, have made me very uncomfortable. Chasing a client for money damages trust, and I am disinclined to work with people that do not pay their bills. I also do not like taking money and never earning it, when a client goes MIA (missing in action). I appreciate work, and like to provide agreed upon services for cash already received: this too, as mentioned in #2, feels clean. 

NOTE: I have in the past, had slippery clients that would "forget", to bring a cheque or cash, when we met. This type of client conveniently disregards original service agreements, and will take as much as they can get away with, as long as the service provider allows this deviancy. I would rather eat dirt than work with a grifting scam artist, which is exactly what this type of person is. 

5. Another reason I require payment for my services, is credibility. If I don't value my offering enough to earn money when I perform coaching duties, then should I really be considered worthy of a clients trust? Being insecure about charging fees renders a would-be-professional useless, because they don't believe what they have to offer is good enough to take cash in exchange. Clients need trained professionals they can work with to actualize their potential. Insecurity must be worked out of the system in order to serve, and serve well. Payment is required if you are doing for someone, what they cannot do for themselves alone. 

This is a wrap

After years of self-employed experience, I am confident in this statement: 

Sessions paid for in advance, say a pre-paid package of five to ten sessions, increase commitment for both client and service provider. Once the money for services agreement has been established, the relationship and tone of partnership can commence. The expectation is that we both show up and get the most of our time together, with the client and coach having the satisfaction of a job well done.

One of the very worst experiences we have all had, is having to pay for a thing or service we neither enjoyed, nor wanted. This said, I always offer potential clients a sample coaching session to ensure we are a match, and if they walk away after this without hiring me as their coach, hopefully nothing has been lost, and at the very least, the client leaves with valuable and helpful insights.

To pay or not to pay, is a question to be asked and answered, before the actual works begins!