Comprehensive Review, Part II
CONG-530 Family Ministry for 21st Century Families
This course explored communication and social dynamics within the family. I wrote the following paper during Family Ministry for the 21st Century. This paper helped me to summarize and effectively communicate what I had learned in this course and how to apply that learning to my ministry context of Honduras.
A key take-away from this course for me was the importance of the family serving as the primary spiritual educators in a child’s life. I had always assumed that this was the church’s responsibility in general; though I felt it was my husband and I’s responsibility within our own family. The Church plays a critical role of preparing and educating the parents so that they can in turn lead their family’s spiritual development. This course was critical in changing the way I approached ministry within my ministry context in Honduras and state-side.
CONG-550 Child & Adolescent Development
As a nurse, I have taken Child & Adolescent Development from a biological standpoint, and a neuro-cognitive angle. I really enjoyed Child & Adolescent Development from the Christian perspective that this course provided. While the exploration of classic and contemporary developmental theories was very similar to the previous two courses I had taken, what engaged and challenged me most was the application of these models to ministry with children, teens and families in relation to curriculum and program development.
The final paper written, for this course, provided an opportunity to discuss all that I had learned and how I applied that learning to missions work in Honduras, particularly with children and teens, but also with their families. I have been amazed and blessed time and again throughout this program how the courses are lined up with exactly what I need to learn to be more effective at the point of ministry that I am currently involved in. I praise God for His timing, for divine providence and for the wisdom and direction of the Holy Spirit in this journey, which for me is the major take-away from this course.
CONG-540 Programming & Management in Ministry
Programming & Management in Ministry provided an eye-opening experience for me. While I have experience in this area, I had a lot to learn. This course delved deep into the importance of policies to provide safe programming for youth and their families.
The Final Project, a Missions Ministry Manual, provided me with the opportunity to focus on my State-Side Ministry Context as the Associate Minister of Missions at Florida Station Church of God. This is the only course that I did not focus on my ministry context in Honduras at the request of an incredibly wise professor. I discovered as I created this project, that I had spent so much time planning and creating the ministry plan for missions work in Honduras, that I had neglected, albeit inadvertently, programming and management planning and incorporation into my role here in the States.
The major take-away from Programming and Management in Ministry was the need to develop policies that protect children and the disabled from harm within our ministry programming. I was shocked and dismayed to discover that our church as an organization did not have a significant number of policies in place in general and had almost no polices in place related to children, teens, and their families. The final project allowed me to create and present effective ministry policies and strategies to the Minister of Missions, Lead Pastor and Church Board for their consideration.
PROC-525 Effective Communication with Children, Youth & Families
Effective Communication with Children, Youth & Families investigates practical and efficient communication in family ministry and the way that culture, personality and learning styles affect communication.
I learned that while I can effectively communicate with others, I need to listen better. I have been working on my listening skills. Though this is a challenge for me because I have MS and it has affected my auditory processing which means I sometimes need to hear something several times to fully understand what the person is saying. This is frustrating to my family because I am always asking, “what did you say?” It is at times embarrassing with strangers because they think I am not paying attention to them. I have discovered that seeing the person’s lips helps me reduce the need to have someone repeat something. I have also learned to move closer to others to hear others better.
In the attached Final Paper, my Personal Strategy for Effective Communication, I explored communication within my ministry context in the States and my ministry context in Honduras. I had the opportunity to explore the similarities and differences in communication with both cultures and learn new skills which I could incorporate in my ministry. The single most important thing that I learned is that communication doesn’t just happen, it is so much more than I speak you listen, you speak, and I listen.
PCNS-510 Intro to Pastoral Care
Intro to Pastoral Care is the only course that I scored a “B”, instead of an “A” as the final grade. It was the single most challenging course for me to complete because it started 3 days after my Dad had major abdominal surgery and awake with a damaged spinal cord and no ability to move on his own. A scheduled two-day hospital stay turned into 6 days of Intensive Care and 17 days at a Rehabilitation Hospital for my Dad. I am his primary care giver and only child. I spent the entirety of this 5-day Intensive Course with the following schedule: 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. with my Dad in ICU, 10 a.m. to 12 noon online with class, 12 noon to 1 p.m. sleep, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. online with class, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in ICU room with Dad, 8 p.m. to 12 midnight completing reading and written assignments for Intensive in a hotel room across the street from the hospital. I prayed, visited Dad, prayed, studied, and prayed some more. My classmates and Instructor were extremely supportive and lifted my Dad and my family up in prayer throughout the week. Praise God, as I write this 4 months later, my Dad is walking again and doing much better. God is still in the miracle working business and I bless His name!
The Final Paper was a group effort, and the parts that I contributed the most to are the sections subtitled: Opening Vignette, Community Resources and Conclusion. I was also involved in the editing and review of all the other sections. This was the first time I had an opportunity to work with a group and I really enjoyed the communication, fellowship, and sense of camaraderie that we developed in such a short period of time. The single most significant take-away from this course was the importance of adjusting our ministry approach to meet the needs of our congregations in light of the pandemic and mass church closures here in the U.S. While the doors of buildings, called churches, are closed. The church is alive and well and has been deployed!
PCNS-610 Marriage & Family Counseling for Ministry
This course allowed me to practice Pastoral Care using scenarios throughout the week, incorporating theological and biblical foundations for family relations. Additionally, break-out groups allowed discussion of important concepts, strategies and effective Pastoral Care techniques. The attached Family Case Conceptualization is the culmination of all the skills that I learned during this Intensive.
The major take-away from this class was the use of genograms to understand generational issues such as depression, alcoholism, domestic violence, etc. and the impact that these challenges have on successive generations. Genograms allow the Pastor to grasp the impact of family’s past on their current concerns.
