Urban Community Life Coach Responds to Smear Tactics, Warns Other Community Leaders

We Forgive You 

How does one respond to a year-long series of attacks and harassment that include having the tree in your front lawn poisoned and three of your automobile's tires punctured? Then how do you respond when you discover that someone has opened a subscription to Playboy Magazine in your name?

Community Life Coaches, Drs. Chris and Carol Green chose to go public on social media to say, "We forgive you."

For over 12 years, this couple has served in the Harrisburg community as local pastors for 10 years and community life coaches the past two years.

"The attacks were just an annoyance at first," explains Chris Green, "In fact we thought it was just pranks, but each time, things began to get worse and more personal."

The Greens are certified master life coaches, urban family advocates, marriage and family advisers, community leadership consultants, the principal instructors of the Recapture Your Life online courses, the principal instructors of the Urban Potential Innovative Life Coaching Certification program, the founders of the Fruitful Life Network, and the creators of the Urban Life Family Connections resource website.

"I was very surprised to receive something in the mail from Playboy Magazine," Green stated "I don't have and have never had a subscription to Playboy or any other magazine like it.  I almost threw the envelope away as simply being random marketing, but the mailing was addressed to my nickname and not my full name. You don't usually get marketing mail to your nickname. So I became very suspicious right away. Plus, it had a POSTAGE STAMP on it instead of the presorted bulk mail postage, like you see on mass mailings. So I knew that THIS WAS PERSONAL!"

Green disclosed how he discovered that the letter was written as a subscription renewal and even indicated that he had already been assigned an identification number with Playboy.

"So I knew that this was a set up to destroy our reputation in this community," he declared.

So their first step was to GO LIVE on social media before the perpetrator could "LEAK" the false subscription to local news media.

Green reveals, "I'm very much aware of this tactic of creating false narratives, using false documents, releasing it to the media, and leaving the victim in a position of defending themselves, and losing their message and mission in a sewer of scandal."

Their other concern was that the attackers might attempt to use this strategy against other community leaders and pastors. 

'They should watch their mail!" Green advises, "Watch for odd or strange mailings. They should also watch their email inbox and be aware that there is online malware and viruses that can download pornographic images onto one's hard drive, similar to what happened to a gentleman in the U.K. This poor guy lost everything when he was accused of possessing child pornography on his laptop. It took 8 years for him to prove that it was all due to a virus on his computer.

"Another cyber attack to be aware of is called Swatting. This is where a hacker picks out an address, and then tricks the police to send a S.W.A.T. team to that location. We just want our colleagues, families, friends, and supporters to be aware of what we're up against in the 21st century."

The Greens decided to utilize social media and address their families, friends and supporters BEFORE their attackers could unleash their smear campaign.

"And we chose to take the road less traveled in our social media release," said Chris Green. "We chose to forgive them. We pray that our attackers find healing for the injuries that were inflicted upon them; that would lead them to attack us in this way. We pray that they find peace."

The Greens have built a solid reputation over 27 years of community service. This couple created and implemented a proven coaching model that empowers people to push past the temptations to give up, and instead, make intentional, thoughtful and positive responses in spite of the devastation and obstacles in their lives. 

"We volunteered our services as local pastors," Chris Green explains, "We never took a salary and the only time we received any personal compensation was if we were speakers in an outside venue, or if someone gave us something personally as a gift. The past two years, we volunteered our Life Coaching services in the PA Career Link's Job Club, offering free monthly workshops to help the unemployed. Then we started volunteering our Life Coaching services to the residents and staff of a local women's shelter."

World Peace Ambassador, Dr. Clyde Rivers calls Chris and Carol Green leading skilled experts in rebuilding, restoring and renewing hearts and homes; as well as innovators and pioneers in the empowering and equipping of today's community care, ready responders.

Chris Green is a social media veteran and an award-winning  producer of a local cable TV broadcast (1999).  He is the producer/ technical director of 70 social media video channels (1100+ online videos) and three audio podcast channels; creator of 15 social media brands; and the designer and host of several business and organization websites.

He and his wife, Carol Green, are international columnists/ writers with the Global Journalism Award-winning team of Dr. Clyde Rivers and iChange Nations Social Media News™. They are the authors of 14 inspirational and life-building books, creators and principal writers of four blogs and numerous eNewsletters. They are also accomplished songwriters, having penned and produced over 150 songs since 1992.

They were commissioned as 'Community Ambassadors' and Urban Leadership Ambassadors by iChange Nations™ and appointed Goodwill Ambassadors of World Peace, as part of an interfaith peace-building initiative to the United Nations, by Golden Rule International.

They are both licensed and ordained ministers with conferred honorary doctorate degrees in Christian Leadership (Chris) and in Humanities (Carol) for nearly three decades of urban community service and innovations. Additional certification, training , education, connections, and endorsements have come from Metro Associates, Inc, the Urban Pastors & Leaders Alliance, American Association of Christian Counselors, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

They are currently based in south central Pennsylvania where they established a family-focused, small-groups outreach, along with several life coaching and community care initiatives through their Fruitful Life Network.

Please keep us in your prayers!

Watch the FULL Version of the Original Video Post on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/chrisandcarolgreen/videos/1922644171305363/?pnref=story

Community Life Coaches Honored with Doctorate Degrees for Decade of Innovative Service

Chris and Carol Green were publicly confirmed and acknowledged for receiving Honorary Doctorate Degrees in Christian Leadership (Chris) and Humanities (Carol), which were officially conferred upon them back on February 1, 2016, by the chief chancellor of the United Graduate College and Seminary International (UGCSI).

This public acknowledgment took place during a special evening of honor by iChange Nations™ who hosted their latest Golden Rule Award Ceremony on April 23rd at the United States Capitol Hill, Washington DC in the Washington Court Hotel.

iChange Nations™ recognizes Distinguished Leaders and those who are already part of their International Alumni who are effectively changing their community and nations through their efforts.

This is a recognized Ministry Degree that was conferred in acknowledgment of 11+ years of successfully implementing a new urban church model that produced an effective, family-impacting ministry in south central Pennsylvania. This innovative urban ministry model facilitates personal and relational healing. This new model provided the necessary training and preparation that helps attendees, students and seekers become effective community ready-responders who rescue hearts and homes.

"Exactly one year prior, April 25, 2015, Chris' job with the state of Pennsylvania came to an end," explains Carol Green. "This brought us face to face with the next step in God's plan and purpose for sending us and our family to south central Pennsylvania."

Afterwards they began working on a Master Certification for Life Coaching and expanding their work beyond the walls of the local church. Their practicum work, for earning their certification, included 60 hours of coaching individuals, but they immediately went well beyond that by taking their coaching into an unemployment center and a women's shelter. This led to opened doors for them to speak in other churches and organizations, including their home city of St. Louis, MO.

They started a non-profit, Fruitful Life Network, Inc, back in 2004, but they revived it to encompass their life coaching work.

Now plans are on the table to launch an urban leadership initiative that will train others in life coaching and equip them to go into and help various community outreaches that are already established and positively impacting the urban community.

"We are honored by this acknowledgement and we appreciate the kind words that are spoken about us," says the now publicly confirmed, Drs. Chris and Carol Green, "It is another key that we have been given to unlock doors that had been previously closed to us. Now we can go further in our mission to transform the lives of people from devastation to destiny."

World Peace Ambassador, Dr. Clyde Rivers calls Chris and Carol Green leading skilled experts in rebuilding, restoring and renewing hearts and homes. The Green are certified master life coaches who founded the Fruitful Life Network, Inc. an innovative community care and coaching outreach. 

***

Community Life Coaches Give Hope, Restore Dignity to the City's Unemployed

In October of 2015, Goodwill Ambassadors of World Peace and Urban Community Ambassadors, Chris and Carol Green began conducting a Life Coping Coaching workshop at EDSI - PA CareerLink® Capitol Region in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. 

EDSI operates the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) program, serving the unemployed and underemployed populations in Pennsylvania. Their core services include job readiness workshops, job search, job club and other career development topics. 

This is the area where the Green's life coaching workshops enter the picture. This is where they seized the opportunity to give hope and restore dignity to those who are unemployed in the city.

After that first workshop, several people said the presentation gave them a new way to view themselves as they face a very tough job landscape. Most seemed to be very encouraged. 

"It's pretty hard to maintain your dignity when you're unemployed and dealing with one job interview rejection after another," Coach Chris Green said. "We had to think about how we would want to be treated if we were in the same situation. From our perspective, we were just thrilled to be able to move out beyond the walls of a church building and reach people who needed hope in a time of great despair."

After that first uplifting workshop the life coaches were invited back to the Career Link facility the next month. 

"Our second workshop was just before Thanksgiving so it was kind of tough for the participants," Coach Carol Green explained. "That month, we had a wonderful, engaging conversation as we explored various workplace personality profiles. We offered tips on how to work with conflicting personality types and how to improve one's own responses to others."

The session came alive with conversation, questions and comments.  During the session, the Greens introduced their Life Coaching website and offered the opportunity for participants to attend their weekly group sessions. 

The Career Link site-administrator sat in on part of the workshop and later proposed that the Greens return to conduct a session for her staff. Afterwards, the Community Life Coaches were placed on the PA CareerLink regular monthly schedule, establishing another step in their Golden Rule approach to uplifting lives in urban culture.

World Peace Ambassador, Dr. Clyde Rivers calls Drs. Chris and Carol Green the leading skilled experts in rebuilding, restoring and renewing hearts and homes. The Greens are certified master life coaches who founded the Fruitful Life Network, Inc. an innovative community care and coaching outreach. They are international columnist/writers with the award winning team of Dr. Clyde Rivers and iChange Nations Social Media News™. 

***

Life Coach Nugget: Gift of Resilency

A Father's Day Video

I have some very fond memories with my dad. He was a fun-loving dad who always threw caution to the wind. It got him in trouble many times, but it also gave his children a sense of adventure and daring that proved to be very helpful for us when we found ourselves called in to the ministry.

My dad saw my love for sports and took me to my first baseball game. The St. Louis Cardinals were playing the Montreal Expos and Jose Cardenal hit a two run double in the seventh inning that gave them a 4-2 victory. I couldn’t believe I was actually there, in a 50,000 seat stadium, looking at the high tech scoreboard, the massive crowd, and experiencing all the sounds I always heard when I listened to games on the radio. I had become a devoted fan; and dad gave me a chance to experience the real thing; to actually see my heroes live and in person. I have cherished that memory all of my life. 

There were many other games in the years that followed. I especially loved the day I sat between my dad and his dad and watched Bob Gibson, my all time favorite Cardinal baseball player, pitch on Labor Day. I actually realized I was experiencing something very special that would never happen again; three generations, sitting together, enjoying our favorite sport.

Those were the times that established something in my heart that I have tried to give my children. There are once-in-a-life-time opportunities that come your way, and I try to open the door for them to experience some of them. Then there are some things you cannot wait for, because some memories you simply have to make.

Through the years, I hope my children have had special moments that they recall with the same kind of fondness and deep impacting love that I feel when I think back on special moments with my dad.

My dad didn’t always put his arms around my shoulder, or say 'I love you' in those moments. He wasn’t that kind of man. He gave us nicknames and he always told us he was proud of us. When I was struggling in arithmetic, he started calling me 'math major' and it built my confidence to try harder and I found success. I became a straight-A student in math.

My dad is not perfect. He had his issues with his children from time to time, like any father. I was sort of a middle child. He married my mom, who already had a precious little girl, and they had three sons before I came along. One son died while my mom was pregnant with me. Then they had two more children after me. 

There were many times when life was very hard. It was downright harsh and cruel. I was angry with him many times, mainly because I had no idea what it took to be the head of the household. I learned from his mistakes and failures, as well as his resiliency. And maybe that’s the greatest thing my dad gave us; resiliency.

Just like my dad’s journey, as a husband and father, life has been hard, sometimes harsh and downright cruel for me, but I learned from my dad how to get up and go to work every day, no matter how you feel. When I lost jobs, opportunities, homes, friends, and loved ones, I knew how to get up and keep going. Dad demonstrated to us that you should never give up, even after a failure. You never stop, no matter how you feel.

So in honor of my dad and ultimately, God, my heavenly Father, I wrote a song many years ago that expresses thanks. I gave it an informal title: Thank You Daddy.

I just want to share that song with you this week. 

The lyrics are:

There’s so much I take for granted, 

Like the rising of the sun

Every time I see the morning, 

Never thankful for the dawn

Like a father who’s always there, 

With the same things every day

So consistent and expected, 

Sometimes I forget to say

(Chorus)

Thank you daddy

For the blue that’s in the sky

Thank you daddy

For the light that’s in Your eye

Thank you daddy

For the life beat I’ve been handed

I get so busy

I'm taking you for granted

There’s so much you’re always doing, 

You watch my life and keep me safe

Sometimes you throw in extras, 

Giving me a little bit more grace

You take the time to listen, 

When all I bring are complaints

You carry me on your shoulders, 

And you sing to me in the rain

I can always recall 

The discipline you gave

All the nights you spent with me

And the path that you have paved

You’ll give more love tomorrow

Than all my yesterdays

So please forgive me daddy

I never take the time to say 

Thank you, thank you

For every single day

Thank you, thank you

For every breath I take

Thank you, thank you 

You made us sons and daughters

Thank you, thank you

Because you are our Father

Thank you

© Green, Christopher 2002

Life Coach Nugget: Daddy, Where are You?

As I’m writing, prophetically I see children who are lost in a toy store. Have you ever been in a store when a child suddenly realized that their mom or dad is not standing next to them any longer? They ignored the gentle command, “It’s time to stop now. Let’s go.” They were caught up in the moment because they were surrounded by so many toys. They’ve been playing with the stuff for a while, so they didn’t notice that daddy is not in the same aisle. The child’s first call is a casual, “Daddy?” They don’t hear a response so they ask again, “Daddy?” 

That’s when they drop the toys and start looking around. They see strangers all around them and the panic sets in. Where is my daddy? The world is huge and nothing is familiar. The toys are forgotten as the temporary distraction disappears. The all-consuming thought is, ‘Where is my daddy?’

That’s when the cry comes up out of the child’s heart and they don’t care who sees or hears them. The only thing that matters is finding daddy. So they scream with all of their might and at the top of their lungs, “DADDY, WHERE ARE YOU?” They search aisle after aisle and they don’t see the video games, the bicycles, or the coloring books. Even though all of these things are still at their finger tips, they begin to run past all that stuff and cry, “DADDY!”

There is a cry in the heart of God’s people in this hour. No, God has not abandoned us, but He’s had to allow us to experience what it’s like to find ourselves caught up with our toys. I realize more than ever, that I’d rather have my Daddy, than having all of the stuff He can give me. The toys, games and gifts are okay, but nothing replaces Him.

It's difficult to express how important it is to fight against the distractions that are increasing all around us. I once heard a preacher say that the biggest hindrance to a believer can sometimes be the last victory or the last success they just had. They get settled with that moment and don’t want to keep moving with God. 

We know we’re writing to many different people, in many different stages of life. From teenagers to senior citizens, many of us have so many regrets and unsettled issues in our memories that it makes it difficult to believe God in our present circumstance. That’s because we can recall the prayers we have lifted before the Lord and the requests for Him to change our situations. 

Yet, everything seems to remain the same or it’s not changing the way we envisioned. However, Carol and I boldly declare to you that the ultimate prayer of sincerity and trust is not a request for God to do something for us, but it is the prayer for God to do something within us."