Pastoral Studies

3405-Q Spirituality at Midlife: This course explores the major spiritual tasks encountered during mid-life with reference to developmental psychology, contemporary spirituality, and Christian belief. Students will be given the opportunity to reflect on their own spiritual journey in light of their particular spiritual tradition. Weekly readings, active participation in classes and journaling will be required.

3415-Q: Religion in the 21st Century - Major Trends and Movements: This seminar offers an overview of some of the major influences affecting religion in our contemporary culture. Attention will be paid to the influences of science, the Gaian principle, the Holiness Movement, liberation theology, feminism, spiritual quest, spiritual marketplace, tensions between fluidity and groundedness, and moral vision and values. Their impact and significance to traditional religious affiliation and practice will be explored and critiqued.

3420-Q Conflict Management Skills in Pastoral Ministry: This course focuses on the issue of conflict management. The topic is explored from the perspective of the pastoral worker as a community leader and the types of problems that cause personal and community conflicts. Theoretical and practical approaches to conflict management are examined and practiced. The course content blends current management skills and practices, Gospel values and personal development.

3435-Q Christian Religious Education Mid-life and Beyond: An exploration of the challenges to the faith life of the church as congregations mature and age. This course will pay particular attention to the spiritual nurture and development of mature and senior persons.

3440-Q Christian Religious Education in the Parish: An introduction to the theory and practice of Christian Religious Education, with application to the broader parish setting.

3442-Q: Adult Faith Development: Challenge and Opportunity for Today's Church: This course will examine the major challenges to the Christian churches which arise from the normal developmental process whereby adults move from a faith based solely on the authority of their religious tradition to a more personally owned and nuanced understanding of what it means to be a believer. Attention will be paid to the challenges and opportunities this presents to today's churches. Weekly readings, active participation in classes and journaling will be required.

3444-Q : Youth and adults Working Together: The course provides adult faith communities and youth groups a means of re-visioning their mission and ministry so that they can find ways to minister together and so build up the Kingdom of God in the context of their own communities. The course will examine a model of evangelization and catechesis (Christian Education) that has (1) separate and combined educational elements for the adult and youth faith communities and (2) an approach for bringing both together in a ministry of service.

3445-Q: Introduction to Pastoral Counseling: This course offers an introduction to pastoral counseling. Emphasis will be placed upon the development of basic pastoral counseling skills. The course will examine issues and opportunities for pastoral counseling interventions in the parish context.

3447-Q Core Pastoral Counseling Theory and Skills: This course presents an overview of pastoral counseling as a ministry that utilizes counseling and pastoral skills. Emphasis is given to the history, purpose, basic concepts and principles and available services. Through lectures, experiential activities and class presentations, students explore the role of the pastoral care worker as counselor. The course will also familiarize students with some specific types of counseling and therapies. Role plays and other experiential activities provide opportunity for practice in assessment and counseling.

3450-Q Theology & Pastoral Care: This is a study of basic theological concepts that give direction and meaning to pastoral ministry. The course is foundational to the “general practitioner” in ministry and allows one to understand and appreciate the uniqueness of pastoral ministry as a vocation and helping profession.

3460-Q Parish Administration: This course will explore the dimensions of leadership required by Christian leaders in a congregational setting with particular reference to Parish Administration. Students will be challenged to reflect critically upon their own understanding of leadership as well as their strengths weaknesses when it comes to assuming leadership in today's church. The course will investigate how clergy relate to organizations and people, perform administrative functions, and exercise pastoral leadership. Presentations by skilled and experienced individuals engaged in parish and diocesan ministry will enhance the discussion. The final part of the course will focus upon the relationship between Parish Ministry and Christian Stewardship.

3465-Q Pastoral Ministry to the Grieving and the Bereaved:This course introduces students to theories on grief and bereavement. Major emphasis is placed on pastoral ministries to grieving people. Students will become familiar with various types of support programs. Role plays and other experimental activities provide opportunity for practice in grief assessment and counseling.

3470-Q Clinical Pastoral Education: A twelve week period of Clinical Pastoral Education (C.P.E.) taken at an accredited institution under the direction of a supervisor certified by the Canadian Association of Pastoral Education (C.A.P.E.).

3472-Q Supervised Practice of Ministry: A twelve week supervised placement in an institutional setting in which the student participates in an instruction and a pastoral placement in a model of supervised spiritual direction. The focus is on self-awareness, pastoral presence, and theological reflection under the direction of qualified facilitators.

3475-Q Pastoral Ministry to Families: This course presents students with an historical overview of Christian marriage. It examines individual and relational dynamics in marriages and families. Students develop an understanding of family systems theories and the potential to enrich marriage and family life through effective pastoral ministries.

3480-Q Parish Internship: The Parish Internship Program is a fifteen week unit of training with a supervisor and lay support group within a parochial setting.

Pastoral Studies 3483-Q Growing in Christ: Fostering Faith within the Christian Community This course provides an excellent opportunity for parents, educators, catechists, Sunday School teachers and clergy to explore how they can best encourage adults and children to grow in faith. Three faculty members, with specialties in education, worship, spirituality and theology, will help participants explore the connections between how we teach, what we believe and how we worship.

3490-Q Directed Study and Research: The student selects a topic in the field of Pastoral Studies and pursues a course of reading and research in consultation with an instructor.