Discussion: So What! & What’s Next

PACO 500

Discussion: So-What?! and What’s Next?! Assignment Instructions

The student will complete the Discussion: So-What?! and What’s Next?! in this course. The student will post one thread of at least 350 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday of the assigned Module: Week. The student must then post 1 reply of at least 125 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday of the assigned Module: Week. For each thread, students must support their assertions with pertinent citations from the Discussion prompt. Each reply must incorporate at least 1 scholarly citation. Your initial post and reply should follow current APA or Turabian standards.

This course utilizes the Post-First feature in all Discussions. This means you will only be able to read and interact with your classmates’ threads after you have submitted your thread in response to the provided prompt. For additional information on Post-First, click

here

for a tutorial.

PACO 500

Discussion: So-What?! and What’s Next?! Grading Rubric

Criteria

Levels of Achievement

Criteria

Advanced 92-100 (A- to A):
Satisfies criteria w/ excellence

Proficient 84-91 (B- to B+) :
Satisfies Criteria

Developing (C- to C+):
Satisfies most criteria

Below Expectations (F to D+):
Does not satisfy criteria

Not Present

Points

Earned

Content 70% (53 pts)

Thread

28 to 30 points
· All key components of the discussion prompt are answered in the thread.
· The thread has a clear, logical flow. All major points are stated clearly.
· All major points are supported by the forum’s required evidence-based sources and good examples or thoughtful analysis.

26 to 27 points
· All key components of the discussion prompt are answered in the thread.
· The thread has a logical flow. Most major points are stated.
· Most major points are supported by the required forum’s evidence-based sources and examples or analysis.

23 to 25 points
· The discussion prompt is addressed.
· The thread lacks flow and content. Major points are unclear or confusing.
· Major points include minimal examples or analysis.

1 to 22 points
· The discussion prompt is marginally addressed or not at all.
· The thread lacks content. Major points are unclear, confusing or not discussed at all.
· Major points are not supported by examples or analysis.

0 points

Reply

22 to 23 points
· One Reply directly addresses a specific point of reference within a related thread.
· The reply is a significant contribution that noticeably uses a required evidence-based source, thoughtful analysis of subject matter and thread.

20 to 21 points
· One Reply directly addresses a point of reference within a related thread.
· The reply is a contribution that uses a required evidence-based source, thoughtful analysis of subject matter and thread.

18 to 19 points
· One Reply addresses a related thread.
· The reply lacks flow and content. Reply is unclear or confusing.

1 to 17 points
· One Reply marginally addresses a related thread.
· The reply lacks relevancy or clarity.

0 points

Structure 30% (22 points)

Organization/ Style/Sources

14 to 15 points
· The thread is presented with appropriate headings in bold, annotated outline with concise sentences, and organizational clarity.
· Thread’s minimum word count of 350 words is met or exceeded.
· The reply contains a salutation and meets or exceeds 125 word count.
· The forum’s required sources are significantly employed; follows current APA standards or Turabian Form without format errors.

13 points
· The thread is presented with most headings in bold, annotated outline with sentences, but slightly lacking organizational clarity.
· Thread’s minimum word count of 350 words is met or exceeded.
· The reply contains a salutation and meets or exceeds 125 word count.
· All but one of the forum’s required sources are employed; follows current APA standards or Turabian Form with minimal format errors.

12 points
· The thread is presented with partial headings, without annotated outline and/or clear sentences, and/or lacks organizational clarity.
· Thread’s minimum word count of 350 words is met or exceeded.
· The reply does not contain a salutation and/or meet 125 word count.
· Insufficient use of forum’s required sources; marginally follows current APA standards or Turabian Form.

1 to 11 points
· The thread is presented without headings and/or clear sentences, and lacks organizational clarity.
· Thread’s minimum word count of 350 words is not met or exceeded.
· The reply does not contain a salutation and meet 125 word count.
· Missing required forum sources.

0 points

Grammar/

Spelling

7 points
· Spelling, grammar are correct. Sentences are complete, clear, and concise.
· Paragraphs contain appropriately varied sentence structures.

6 points
· Sentences are reasonably complete, clear, and concise. Minor issues with proofreading/editing are noted.
· Paragraphs contain appropriately varied sentence structures.

5 points
· Sentences are less complete, clear, and concise. More pervasive / significant issues with proofreading / editing are noted.
· Paragraphs marginally contain appropriately varied sentence structures.

1 to 4 points
· Writing is not at the graduate level. It was clear that the work had not been edited or proofread. Multiple issues are noted.
· Run-on paragraphs are observed. Sentence structure is not varied.

0 points

Total

/ 75

Page 2 of 2

The

Best Articles on Self-Care in the Church

· BY

APRIL YAMASAKI

·

· POSTED ON

·

JANUARY 26, 2017

last updated June 2019

Several months ago I asked,

Is Self-Care Part of Your Paid Employment, and Should It Be?

Of readers who responded to the interactive poll, 50% said yes, 25% said no, 25% it depends.

Since then, I’ve done more reading on self-care as it relates to church employment, and today I share the most helpful articles I’ve found with the title/link and a brief quote—not to summarize each article, but to encourage you to read the entire post. Some specifically address pastors, others speak more generally, some offer practical suggestions, others challenge the idea of self-care, one article might seem to contradict another, but together they stimulate a thoughtful approach to self-care when you work for the church.

Wherever you see “pastor,” “clergy,” or “employee,” please feel free to fill in your own job title, and wherever you see “workplace,” substitute church or other Christian organization. If you have other articles to recommend, please add the link in the comments to expand this resource list.

1. Why Pastors Suck at Self-Care

I have been asked what seminaries teach now about self-care, having only graduated 5 years ago. Self-care was one of most common mantras of my seminary education, and it seems obvious to me that you can’t really care for others, or fulfill your vocation with integrity, if you are a burned out wreck… yet so many pastors obviously feel the opposite.

For so many professional ministers, a well rested, healthy pastor is a pastor failing at ministry. The

Duke Clergy Health Initiative

study on self-care among pastors, suggests that many ministers think self-care is selfish. My colleagues have told me that there was a day in seminary education when the message to students was that being a pastor meant giving your life to Jesus (or in other words, to your congregation 24/7). There is no room for self-care in ministry.

2. What Clergy Do Not Need

I do not think clergy need more lectures about self-care.

It seems that at every ordination or installation service I attend there is a charge given about clergy self-care. One minister stands up and tells another minister that they know they are about to work themselves to death, so resist the temptation. “Take your day off…set boundaries…don’t try to be all things to all people.” All this is done in front of an audience of lay people who are supposed to be impressed that we clergy would need such a lecture. It has become a cliché, and seems to have trumped prophecy, theology and the love of Jesus.

3. The Difference Between Selfish Care, Self-Care, and Soul Care

Quite simply, good self-care is attending to and respecting the limitations and needs that God has designed for humans. I find the analogy of caring for our car as a helpful starting point. Changing the oil and doing regular maintenance is simply being a responsible car owner. It is not selfish to ignore the flashing check engine light; it is not a measure of one’s strength to ignore our needs as a human, rather foolishness.

4. Self-Care and Self-Denial

The topic of self-care, particularly as it relates to physical and emotional health, has long confused and challenged me as a Christian. While I’ve deeply resonated with much of the common sense in the philosophy of self-care, other aspects have troubled me and seem completely incompatible with Christianity. I couldn’t agree with Scripture and at the same time agree with arguments encouraging me to pursue a self-focused, indulgent, comfort-based lifestyle. On the other hand, I heartily agreed in principle with discussions of self-care as stewardship. Still, I usually came away with more of a sense of heavy obligation than of freedom and gratitude. I often saw God as an auto mechanic pacing around, irritated and inconvenienced by my failure to get my car in for regular maintenance.

5. The Insanity of ‘Self-Care’

The closest the self-care movement can get to truly good news is to tell you to stare at something big:

· “Watch a sunrise.”

· “Hike in the woods.”

· “Go to the beach.”

· “Take a country drive.”

· “Watch a sunset.”

Each of these is an effort to put you in front of something bigger than yourself long enough that you forget yourself. The strategies hint at the Christian gospel because the sensations we feel gazing at bigness begin to uncover the God-sized cavity beneath our guilt, stress, and anxiety.

The care you really need is not buried somewhere deep inside of you, waiting to be unlocked by some dessert or diversion. No, you need the healing, forgiving, restoring, and transforming grace of a God who loves you.

6. What Does the Bible Say About Rest and Self-Care?

When I was really struggling to understand why rest and self-care were important practices for Christians I conversed with various mentors and friends and couldn’t get a satisfying answer. I know of so many faithful pastors and missionaries who work tirelessly for the gospel despite their own deteriorating health—there is just so much need and good work to be done that carving out time for rest seems selfish and counter-productive. That is our human thinking—but what does the Bible have to say about rest and self-care?

7. Self-Care and the Christian

If we look to the Bible for signs of Jesus taking care of His personal needs, we can see that He was able to recognise His own needs and tend to them accordingly. He was able to comprehend that He had limits and that God had allowed for Him to care for Himself. When He saw the need, Jesus would escape to nurse his heavy heart in prayer, indulging in time to Himself because He needed it.

Even Jesus had limits. This is humbling for us to remember. It’s so easy to hold ourselves to a level of perfection and feel shame when we struggle to meet our own expectations of what a Christian ‘should be like’.

8. Self-Care Is Not Self-ish

When the Rev. Jeanette Hicks graduated from seminary in 2010, a mentor cautioned her about overwork. A retired pastor, the mentor hoped that Hicks and other young clergy would do better at staying healthy over the long run than she and her contemporaries had done.

But just six months later, Hicks, a United Methodist pastor then serving in the Kentucky Conference, was a sleep-deprived wreck, surviving on sugar-fueled energy and calorie-dense church meals. . . .

Hicks’ experience is not unusual. Even with the best intentions and all the knowledge and advice in the world, clergy of all ages often find it difficult to take care of themselves, the Duke Clergy Health Initiative has found. On the long list of items that must be done every day, they often put themselves last.

9. Developing a Self-Care Plan

Workplace or Professional Self-Care involves activities that help you to work consistently at the professional level expected of you. For example:

· Engage in regular supervision or consulting with a more experienced colleague;

· Set up a peer-support group;

· Be strict with boundaries between clients/students and staff;

· Read professional journals;

· Attend professional development programs.

10. Do You Foster a Culture of Self-Care in the Workplace?

This article cites the work of professor Marie Asberg, who describes burnout as an “exhaustion funnel” and offers tips to foster a culture of self-care, including:

Create a healthy email policy – be mindful of the burden of e-mails on staff and implement ways to reduce it in order to increase productivity and efficiency. A new report by the London-based Future Work Center, which conducts psychological research on workplace experiences, found that two of the most stressful habits were leaving emails on all day and checking emails early in the morning and late at night.

Other Helpful Links

Four Gifts: Seeking Self-Care for Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength

My reading and reflection on self-care led to my writing this book, published by Herald Press, 2018. Table of contents, endorsements, and order information available here:
Four Gifts: Seeking Self-Care for Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength
.

See also this blog series of 100 self-care ideas for heart, soul, mind, and strength:

25 Self-care Ideas for the Heart: for singles, widows, married people, and everyone

25 Self-care Ideas for the Soul: for students, ministry people, and everyone

25 Self-care Ideas for the Mind: for intellectual and mental health

25 Self-care Ideas for Strength: for our bodies

_______________

Protect Your Counseling Ministry from Sexual Misconduct Allegations

In today’s increasingly litigious society, you need to know the legal risks associated with

pastoral counseling

and how to protect your organization and staff against allegations of sexual misconduct.

Preventing Sexual Misconduct

· Put your counseling procedures in writing.

· Offer only pastoral (spiritual) counseling.

· Develop a referral network of other professionals who provide help beyond the scope of spiritual counseling.

· Limit the length and number of sessions in which opposite-sex counseling is permitted

· Screen everyone who will be providing counseling.

· Consider conducting opposite-sex counseling by telephone. If this is not an option, consider having two counselors present.

· Conduct counseling sessions only on church premises when others are present in the building.

· Refrain from any speech or action that could in any way be construed sexually or romantically.

· Keep the door to the counseling office open or install a window in the counseling office.

Cautions Concerning Counseling

1. Using secular counseling methods without possessing secular credentials increases your legal liability. If you use such methods, you could lose your First Amendment “freedom of religion” protection.

2. Youth ministries are at high risk for sexual misconduct allegations. Establish rigid guidelines for youth ministers and youth activities. Plan youth activities in advance and ensure that adequate adult supervision is present.

3. A growing number of states deem it a criminal offense for a counselor to become sexually involved with a client. Consensual sexual conduct is not a valid defense if a court determines that such a law was violated.

CCEF Certificates

Join with other students from around the world to explore topics such as:

· How do we change through the person of Christ?

· How do we walk alongside others who are seeking to find hope and help in the gospel?

· What does it look like to help others in the context of the local church?

· How do we apply all of Scripture to all of life?

CERTIFICATE FAQS

Details of the Certificate

While CCEF is not an accredited institution, we do offer a robust certificate program. Certificates represent that a student has completed courses in our program. The School of Biblical Counseling awards three different certificates: Foundations of Biblical Counseling, Topics in Biblical Counseling, and Counseling Skills and Practice.

Students who are working toward a certificate represent diverse backgrounds and ministry goals–they are pastors, youth ministers, counselors, small group leaders, laypeople, missionaries, business men and women, retirees, and more.

Please note that CCEF is not a certifying agency. CCEF does not “certify” or “endorse” counselors who have completed one of our certificate programs. A significant part of any professional certification process is supervised counseling to observe if a student is appropriately applying what has been learned, along with periodic recertification requirements. At this time, CCEF only awards a certificate of completion from our organization, representing that students have completed coursework within that certificate.

If you wish to refer to yourself as a “certified counselor” or “certified biblical counselor,” you should pursue certification through an organization that provides this type of certification. Some organizations will accept CCEF courses as part of their training requirement. Licensure as a professional counselor is offered through state agencies and typically requires a graduate degree from an accredited institution. Some of our students do go on to be licensed.

Time Required for Completion

Effective Fall 2018, students are not required to complete certificate courses within a specific timeframe.

Order of Study

Students are required to complete

Dynamics of Biblical Change

prior to any other CCEF course. Once Dynamics of Biblical Change is completed, students may take courses in any order. They are not required to complete the Foundations of Biblical counseling certificate prior to enrolling in courses within the other certificates.

Students must complete a Foundations certificate before they can receive a Topics or Counseling Skills certificate. After completing the Foundations certificate, students may choose to complete either the Topics or Counseling Skills and Practice certificates in whatever order they prefer.