The Church in Community - Pastoral Care and Counselling

This advanced third-year course, is designed to provide the professional Christian counsellor with a bio-psycho-social-spiritual understanding of congregational care and community counselling.  The course explores the theological concept of “church” (ekklesia) and the theological and psychological understanding of Community. Studying what makes a congregation a community where healing can take place, the social-justice responsibility of the church towards the local neighborhood is discovered. Emphasizing group dynamics, ethical considerations, and the use of care-groups in church, parachurch, and community settings, it explores how professional pastoral counsellors can foster the psycho-social-spiritual nurturing of community members. The church is seen as part of the “village” that is endeavoring to become a community of abundance. The course provides pastoral counsellors with the theory and tools to practice as professional Christian counsellors in their church and community. By the end of this course you should be able to:

• Define the theological and psychological theory and practice of congregational care and community counselling
• Explain what makes a congregation a community where healing can take place
• Describe the social-justice responsibility of the church towards the local neighborhood
• Illustrate how professional pastoral counsellors can foster the psycho-social-spiritual nurturing of community members
• Demonstrate an understanding of group dynamics, ethical considerations, and the use of groups in the church, parachurch, and community settings
• Illustrate how the church as part of the “village” can encourage a community of abundance.
• Plan the development of a professional counselling practice or Christian counselling clinic in the local church or community

You will be required to purchase the following textbooks in order to complete all counselling courses:

• Collins, G. 2007. Christian Counseling - a Comprehensive Guide (Third Edition). Thomas Nelson.
• Meier, Minirth, Wichern & Ratcliff. 1999. Introduction to Psychology and Counseling: Christian Perspectives and Applications. 2nd Baker Books.
• Tan, S. & Scalise, E.T. 2016. Lay Counseling: Equipping Christians for a Helping Ministry (Revised and Updated).
• Tan, Siang-Yang, 2011. Counseling and Psychotherapy: A Christian Perspective. Baker Publishing