This pass/fail course builds on the material offered in Boundaries & Bridges and is designed to expand students’ mastery of the practices essential to effective and ethical pastoral care. This course requires attendance either in-class at Wycliffe or on-site at St. John’s Rehab four days per week for 12 weeks. The course instructor and field education supervisor will work collaboratively and be in regular communication about students’ progress in the course.
The primary focus of this course is to provide students with opportunities to learn and demonstrate their ability to:
- understand and embody the principles of bringing themselves to ministry with skill, authenticity and integrity (i.e., competent use of self)
- articulate a pastoral image of themselves that is lived out in their pastoral functioning
- skillfully engage in a range of pastoral skills essential to providing pastoral care to diverse populations
- competently and accurately assess the strengths and needs of those they are serving pastorally
- integrate their conceptual in-class learning with the practice of pastoral care in the field education placement
The overarching goal of this course is for each student to gain the requisite skills involved in becoming a person who values and has the ability to offer sensitive and effective pastoral care, is committed to the ongoing task of developing their capacity for ethical thinking, and consistently behaves with authenticity and integrity.
Because this is a pass/fail course, consistent attendance and timely submission of course assignments are required in order to receive credit for this course.
The in-class component of this course involves a combination of theoretical/conceptual learning as well as role-played and experiential exercises designed to assist in the acquisition of skill. The class format is comprised of discussions of readings, short lectures with an emphasis on dialogue and discussion, experiential learning events, and the practice and demonstration of component skills. The field education placement is comprised of time spent visiting patients, time spent in group supervision, and time spent writing reflection papers about the experience of providing pastoral care and being in a supervision group.
