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Rev. Louisett M. Ness, ACC, CPC
My friends call me Lou and I love the name Louisett. I was named for my brave and courageous Grandmother Louisett who crossed the mighty ocean with three young children, one a new born and still breastfeeding to join her husband, who had arrived here from Italy a short time before.
In my previous career, I was the executive director for 22 years, of a program that served battered women and children in McHenry County Ill. During that time I served on many community boards and state wide committees that developed policy for battered women�s programs. I received the Chicago Peace Museum, Community Peacemaker award in 1994. I was named Woman of the Year by the American Association of University Women and served as a fellow of the University of Illinois Midwest Leadership Institute. Currently I am the President of The Corporation for Affordable Housing in McHenry Council and I hold the position of Chair of the Human Relations Council of McHenry County. I was ordained to the Episcopal Sacred Order of Deacons on Feb. 5, 2005.
In the past three years I completed course work through The Academy for Coach Training in Seattle and I am certified as an Associate Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation. I hold a certificate in Mediation from DePaul University and I am in the process of completing course work to be certified as an Organization and Relationship Systems Coach. As a certified Healthy Congregation Facilitator I lead retreats and groups for churches of any denomination.
I love to dance and sing and I have the greatest of joy when playing with any one of my 12 grandchildren. I garden, read, draw and knit. I am filled with a deep and profound sense of living a full rich life, that I have re-invented three times in the course of living. Each time it reveals an even greater call to the world and a deeper commitment to be in service to people.
I am akin to the phoenix in the truest sense of the creature. Out of flames and fire, my life a total shambles and little hope left to help me survive, I have been given grace enough to take that first step forward, then again and then again, until I found that I have literally walked into my next call one step at a time. In the place of total breakdown and pain and suffering, I found a new and gentle presence in my life to urge me forward and hold my broken heart in love until the tears of the pain watered my spirit and in it place a marvelous and next adventure revealed itself to me.
Ordination is the highlight of my life and for each moment that I am granted to call myself a disciple of Christ, I will live in joy and service until I wear out this body and use up all my life and good thoughts until there is nothing left. I gave voice and life to my ideas and talents through coaching: this marvelous structure that has taught me that anything is possible and I know now that those are the truest words I speak. The only courage you need is to believe in yourself and give yourself over to being loved by the universe, to allowing God to embrace every part of you and then be ready to Sing! |
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In addition to what is there, I have completed the Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching, a year long rigorous formation process. It was amazing and at this point in time I am one of only 90 professionally certified ORSC coaches in the world.
After completing my course work through The Graduate Theological Foundation, I will receive my Masters in Mediation in May of 2010. I am currently completing my third of Clinical Pastoral Education at Lutheran General Hospital.
I currently serve on two boards, The Corporation for Affordable Homes of McHenry County, having been asked to return for a year long term and Families Empowered To Change (FETC). The mission of FETC is to support and educate parents and children where a child has a chronic illness. This newly forming agency is making a difference in the lives of children and their families and will impact how services are provided to families living in McHenry County.
In November of 2009, at the convention in The Episcopal Diocese of Chicago I was appointed chair of the newly formed Task Force to Prevent Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. The first goal is the design and implementation of a training curriculum for all clergy and lay leaders of the diocese. We are currently partnering with The Diocese of Milwaukee to Co-Collaborate on the training project.
I currently work at a newly forming multi-cultural project in Bloomingdale, forming three congregations as individuals with mutual ministries, out reach and evangelization. This is a new project for the Diocese of Chicago.
I have an active and thriving business, coaching churches, business organization and individuals and families and seeing the wonder and miracle of the ORSC work applied to systems and relationships.
Living Forward is currently offering �Coaching the Coach Within,� a coaching skills course for the non coach and planning a leadership course and a second level coaching course.
Contact Lou
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