1. COURSE DESCRIPTION:
   This class provides basic preparation for the complex task of pastoral care and counseling. The focus is on the pastor in the congregational setting. Students will formulate a biblical and
   theological foundation for the practice of pastoral counseling. They will develop an understanding of the key principles of pastoral care and acquire the basic skills required for
   providing Christian care and follow-up. Numerous pastoral themes and practical challenges are addressed through outside reading, lectures, pre- and post-class projects, and peer interaction. Students will be encouraged to develop their pastoral presence in offering spiritual care.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Upon successful completion of this course:

1.  Students will be able to articulate a biblical framework for pastoral counseling and soul care;
2. Students will have engaged their own story and begun to understand how it impacts their ability to relate to and care for others;
3. Students will have learned critical skills to facilitate effective counseling;
4. Students will have begun to develop a biblical, practical, compassionate approach to the most common pastoral counseling situations.