The certificate program begins with a seminar in January, followed by another seminar during the subsequent January. The first five-day seminar focuses on the art and discipline of supervision. The second five-day seminar provides application and content in the field of the participant's choice: pastoral care or homiletics.
The first seminar addresses the fundamentals of the art of supervision. Participants will learn about:
The basics of supervision: program expectations, creating a supervisory relationship, establishing contract goals;
Important topics of listening: the discipline of self-awareness, the dangers of transference, advanced listening skills; and
Methods for supervision: role play, demonstrations by supervisors, individual and group practice of skills.
During the second seminar, greater attention is paid to the supervisor's specific area of ministry and those characteristics of supervision unique to this ministry. Topics include:
Supervisory skills: overcoming hurdles, addressing problems in supervision, advanced supervision;
Content and practice that relate directly to the specialization: homiletics or pastoral care.