Foundations for Counseling Ministry

The entry course into the Associate of Arts and the Bachelor of Arts degree programmes in counseling. It is also open to non-degree students. The College/Faculty believes that respect for students means encouraging them to take responsibility, along with staff, for setting their own learning goals and evaluating their progress. Training programmes in counseling have broad learning goals in three areas, with particular emphases in each one. These areas are: Personal Development (grace, relationships, identity and self awareness); Skill Development (personal interactions, active listening, biblical belief renewal, prayer for healing, intercession); Cognitive Development (definition of counseling, counseling in the light of God's character, the work of the Cross and the Holy Spirit, the believer's identity in Christ, repentance and forgiveness, calling and gifts, stages of spiritual development, God's intention for the personality, authority through intercession, cross-cultural counseling, and the role of the counselor.)

Lectures, discussions, workshops, small group interaction, personal study, and one-on-one feedback opportunities with school staff are the means through which these learning goals are achieved. The community of students and staff provides a laboratory where applications in all of the above areas can be worked out. In addition, biblical counseling skills are modeled throughout the course by staff and visiting teachers. Students benefit from the expertise of resource teachers from different counseling and ministry backgrounds.

This course (CHC 250) is the first term of a six-month training programme. The second term (CHC 251) is the field assignment described below. It is expected that most students will do the two courses sequentially; time and financial commitments should be planned accordingly. Exceptions to this arrangement must be discussed with the school leader during the application process.