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Canyon College

online Pastoral Care and Counseling course at Canyon College

COURSE SYLLABUS: Pastoral Care and Counseling


Course Title:
Department:
Instructor:
Prerequisites: 		Pastoral Care & Counseling
Divinity
Rev. Dr. Gerald M. FitzGerald, BD, MDiv, DMin, PhD TH (Candidate), E-Mail Vita
None


PURPOSE OF THE COURSE

This course is an introduction into the foundational issues of pastoral care in the church. Emphasis will be placed upon the personal and professional self-understanding as a theologian and care-giver. We will seek to find a workable nexus between theory and practice and to equip students with a variety of skills which can assist them in carrying out their day-to-day activities as pastor and care-giver.

Students, by the end of the course, should acquire an understanding of the difference between pastoral care and counseling and how these differences impact the manner in which students "do" ministry. Students should also be bale to formulate appropriate responses to, and interventions in, specific crises and problems people experience, as well as being familiar with the resources offered by their church and local communities.

DOCTRINAL STATEMENT

Canyon College is a non- sectarian, non-denominational school committed to the study of God in all the richness and diversity of God's revelations to humanity and an exploration of what those revelations mean to the everyday lives of finite human beings. Canyon College does not advocate any particular belief, creed, doctrine or idea other than the reality of God and does not require that its students and faculty subscribe to any particular belief, creed, doctrine or idea other than a willingness to be challenged and a commitment to an investigation into truth and the pursuit of academic honesty and excellence.

INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE

Students should strive to use inclusive language in their writings. By inclusive language is meant language that is not gender specific and which attempts to include as many people as possible. For instance, instead of writing that "God wills that every man obeys His will," inclusive language would suggest that we write, "God wills that everyone obeys God's will."

REQUIREMENTS
  1. Readings. The required texts are: Online Bookstore
  1. Clinebell, Howard, "Basic Types of Pastoral Care & Counseling," hardcover, Abington Press, 1984. ISBN#: 0687024927 (“Clinebell”)
  2. Peterson, Eugene H., "Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work," softcover, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1992. ISBN#: 0802806600 (“Peterson”)
  3. Fitchett, George, "Assessing Spiritual Needs: A Guide for Caregivers," softcover, Academic Renewal Press, 2002. ISBN#: 078809940X (“Fitchett”)
  1. Conferences. Students may schedule up to two Internet Conferences with the professor by sending an e-mail to the professor with a proposed date and time and the reason for the conference. Of course, students may ask questions of the professor at any time by sending an E-mail to the address at the link above or by posting them to the message board.
  2. Exams. There will be two exams: a mid-term examination which must be taken by the end of the third week and a comprehensive final examination which must be taken by the end of the sixth week. The exams will cover the assigned readings.
  3. Papers. There will be a short paper of no more than two single-spaced pages or 1,250 words, due at the end of each week=s readings in which students will answer the discussion questions and give a reaction to their readings. There will be a two to five-paged paper due during Week 4. These papers are to be e-mailed to the professor. Those who do not feel comfortable with e-mailing the papers can contact the professor for a mailing address. The papers should conform to the latest edition of Kate L. Turabian's, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations.
  1. Grades. Course work will be weighted as follows:
Weekly Papers
Week Four Major Paper
Mid-Term Exam
Final Exam
TOTAL 		500 points
200 points
200 points
300 points
1200 points
  1. Grading Scale.
1080+ points
960-1079 points
840-959 points
720-839 points
719 points or below 		A - Excellent
B - Above Average
C - Average
D - Below Average
F - Failing Grade


A = Clearly stands out as excellent performance. Has unusually sharp insight into material and initiates thoughtful questions. Sees many sides of an issue. Articulates well and writes logically and clearly. Integrates ideas previously learned from this and other disciplines. Anticipates next steps in progression of ideas.

B = Grasps subject matter at a level considered to be good to very good. Is an active listener and participant in chats, message boards, e-mails and conferences. Speaks and writes well. Accomplishes more than the minimum requirements. Work is of high quality.

C = Demonstrates a satisfactory comprehension of the subject matter. accomplishes only the minimum requirements, and displays little or no initiative. Communicates at an acceptable level for a college student. Has a generally acceptable understanding of all basic concepts.

D = Quality and quantity of work are below average and barely acceptable.

F = Quality and quantity of work are unacceptable.
WEEK 1

Read Clinebell Chapters 1-5.

Discussion Questions:

Write a paper on your working theology of pastoral care and counseling which includes the primary image or metaphor you have for yourself as care-giver. You might want to read "Some Personal Reflections About the Book," on pages 9-12 of Clinebell.

WEEK 2

Read all of Fitchett.

Discussion Questions:
  1. Which of the models reviewed by Fitchett do you find the most helpful? Which one will you use in your own ministry?
  2. A member of your church's son is killed in a drive-by gang shooting. The son was not a gang member. The mother of the son comes to you crying and says: "Pastor, why did God do this to me? I prayed for that boy several times a day every day. He was a good boy. The best son a mother could ask for. Why, pastor, why did God do this to me?"

    Assess this member's spiritual needs using one of the methods discussed by Fitchett and outline your plan for intervention.
WEEK 3

Read Clinebell Chapters 6-9.

Discussion Questions:
  1. What services are offered by your church in terms of counseling and pastoral care? Have any of the sermons of your church over the past six months addressed such issues as stress, suffering, tragedy, body politics?
  2. List the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and a one or two sentence description of at least 10 services in your area on which you might rely as resources for referral of members of your church. For instance, are there services which provide medical care on a sliding scale, food, utility bill payments, rental assistance?
PLEASE COMPLETE THE MID-TERM EXAM BY THE END OF THIS WEEK.

WEEK 4

Read Clinebell Chapters 10-12, and 14-15.

Discussion Questions:

You are visiting a 75-year-old man who is a member of your congregation in his home. He retired from the postal service 10 years ago and his wife died that same year. His children and their families live out-of-state and he sees them once or twice a year. He had been active and attended church occasionally until a year ago when arthritis and complications from diabetes left him with impaired vision, unable to drive a car and moving about with considerable pain. You have visited him on a regular basis for several months and have wondered what will happen when he's no longer able to care for himself, though he still manages on his own.

After some conversation about last night's Dodgers game, he says, "Pastor, it gets lonesome here sometimes but I've had a good life. I've been lucky compared to some folks, you know? Boy, I wouldn't want to be starting over now, I tell you. Like my son--he lost his job, you know. What a worry; 49-years-old with a family to support and no job. I don't know what will happen to them. Then those baseball players and their millions. Can't blame them for making it good, I guess, but it's hard to make sense of it, you know? I still love listening to it. I've loved it all my life. Sort of keeps me company, I guess."

Write up to a five-page paper in which you focus on the helping relationship and the theological perspective which informs your approach. You should discuss at least the following matters in your analysis of the above situation:
  1. How would you assess the spiritual needs of this individual?
  2. Describe briefly what is going on and your feelings.
  3. Identify what you would say next and why.
  4. State how your primary metaphor's strengths and weaknesses might influence your response in this situation.
  5. Discuss how your response reflects your understanding of the nature of God as related to human suffering.
WEEK 5

Read Peterson Chapters I-II.

Discussion Questions:
  1. Write a pastoral prayer in which you speak to the spiritual needs you discerned in the individual in Week 3.
  2. What is salvation? Why is it important to pastoral ministry?
  3. In what ways can story telling assist the work of pastoral ministry?
WEEK 6

Read Peterson Chapters III-V.

REMINDER: THE FINAL EXAM MUST BE TAKEN BY THE END OF THIS WEEK.