About the Life Coach Minister Program

Christian Leaders College, Christian Leaders Institute, and Christian Leaders Alliance team together to present an affordable Life Coach Minister program. Along with extensive life coaching minister training and licensing, the program offers ordination, and certifications. Dean Steve Elzinga leads the program.

Life Coach Minister Dean – Steve Elzinga

Starting in 2020, the Life Coach Minister program will be led by Master Life Coach Minister Steve Elzinga. Elzinga serves as the Dean of the program.

After serving at local churches and church plants within the Christian Reformed denomination for over 40 years, Rev. Elzinga was appointed for the role of Life Coach Minister Dean.

Education:

Calvin University – Psychology BA

Calvin Seminary –  Master of Divinity

Ordination:

Life Coaching Credentials:

Master Coach Training and Mentorship:  Master Life Coach Rich DeVos Sr. 1993-2010

Life Coaching Teaching: Professor of several of the Life Coaching courses at the Christian Leaders Institute, plus other 1 credit courses on Coaching Specializations.

Steve is married to Marie, who is an accomplished musician and singer. She has led music and worship programs in several churches. She serves with Steve in spreading the Life Coach Minister movement. They have four children and seven grandchildren.

About Life Coach Minister

What is a Life Coach Minister? The “life coach” role became a “thing” in the 1980s. Before the 1980s, coaching was thought of informally as mentoring, advising, and encouraging. Network marketing companies such as Amway, created sponsoring relationships. They functioned best when the principles of coaching motivated people to be successful business owners.

There are various pioneers in the life coaching field. From the network marketing sector of society, the late Richard M. DeVos (1926-2018) stood as a towering figure. By the time of his death, he helped millions of people become leaders. His approach was not just building their businesses but their lives as well.

First Life Coach Minister to Two Young Pastors

Rich DeVos impressed two young pastors in 1993. These pastors, Henry Reyenga and Steve Elzinga planted successful churches in the late 1980s. They were hungry for more mentorship in leadership training, especially as it applied to reproducible ministry.

Rich DeVos agreed to mentor them, starting in 1993, in reproducible leadership principles. They became the principles of what today is known as life coach training and practice. Their focus was on Christian ministry leaders.

Birth of Christian Leaders, NFP

Rich DeVos, Henry Reyenga, and Ron Parr started Christian Leaders, NFP, (Christian Leaders Institute) in September of 2001. Christian Leaders Institute was the first result of the coaching relationship and mentorship of Rich DeVos. By mid-2019, over 20,000 Christian leaders in over 180 countries have graduated with ministry training.

Life Coach Recognition

Their mentorship continued with phone calls and meetings until shortly before Rich’s death. Rich and his wife Helen received recognition from Christian Leaders Institute on September 20, 2016. It was the 15th anniversary of Christian Leaders, NFP (Christian Leaders Institute).

At that dinner, Rich commended Henry and Steve as creating reproducible leadership everywhere. He told them, “Our leadership mentoring is over; you both did it. I’m proud of you, boys!” The spark was lit to share these insights with future generations of Christian leaders. Henry and Steve began praying and dreaming about what an ordained life coach ministry program could be.About Life Coach Minister

After the death of Rich DeVos on September 6, 2018, the board of Christian Leaders NFP decided to launch an ordained Life Coach Minister program.

Life Coach Minister Launch

The board of directors asked Henry and Steve to share their 25 years of mentorship from Rich DeVos. They were also to develop an Ordained Life Coaching Ministry program to serve our graduates throughout the world. Therefore, lifecoachminister.com was launched to offer certification and ordination for those who wanted it.

In the first half of 2019, Steve Elzinga developed a free three-credit Life Coach Minister class. Steve and Henry will be the first master trainers for the Life Coach Minister program. This program will be through the Christian Leaders Alliance. The goal is to certify and ordain life coach ministers and raise up life coach minister mentors.