Online Event: Congregational Leadership Pastoral Care

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Designed for part-time local pastors and certified lay ministers but open to anyone, this course emphasizes the importance of pastoral care in small churches. It will address the expectations of congregants, how to manage the demands, the ministry of presence and the relationship of pastoral care to leadership. It also will introduce ways to involve laity in congregational care. Topics to be covered include what good pastoral care looks like; the relationship between caring opportunities and spiritual growth; the importance of reflective listening; and our role in maintaining the privacy of those we serve. Course content is delivered primarily through two interviews. One is with the Rev. George Patterson, senior pastor of a congregation with 300-plus in worship and who still visits hospitals five days a week. The second is with the Rev. Sheryl Allston, a hospital chaplain who has also served as a small-church pastor. There also are two live online sessions in which the instructor presents material and interacts with students. This course is one of the elective courses for the Certificate in Congregational Leadership (CCL) program and is also eligible for 1.0 CEU. ***This is an online course, meaning you can participate at the time of day that works best for your schedule. Course materials will become available at noon Central on the start day, and you should plan to spend an hour or two (whenever you choose) every day interacting with the course and on the discussion boards.***