In a groundbreaking shift in the approach to health education, the Lifestyle Coaching Skills Workshop held at the LifeStyleTV campus in Hagegården, Sweden, introduced a new paradigm for promoting behavior change. Led by Katia Garcia Reinert, General Conference Associate Health Ministries director, the workshop emphasized the importance of using a coaching approach based on biblical principles.
Reinert drew a powerful analogy between a travel agent and a tour guide to illustrate the difference in approaches. While a travel agent plans the trip and leaves before it begins, a tour guide accompanies the traveler on the journey, providing personal knowledge, connection, and support throughout.
Participants from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, and Scotland, many of whom are health practitioners, enthusiastically embraced this new approach. The workshop, held from 23 to 26 February, aimed to revolutionize how Adventist Health Ministries are taught and led, moving away from simply giving information or advice to actively traveling with individuals on their journeys to better health.
The LifeStyleTV campus, which houses a 950 square meter television studio, has been instrumental in supporting the ministry’s mission since its inception in November 2017. In addition to television programming, LifeStyleTV recently introduced LifeStyleSTAY, a holistic hotel experience in rural Sweden designed to provide a retreat from the stresses of modern life.
Claus and Theresa Nybo, founders of LifeStyleTV, lead the hospitality at LifeStyleSTAY, offering guests a glimpse into a holistic lifestyle with a focus on healthy living. The campus, located east of Oslo, Norway, serves as a supporting ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, providing a unique and transformative experience for all who visit.