• Fighting the Tiger: The Effects of Emotional Trauma Seminar in February
• Seminar on Films: Finding God in the Multiplex Offered in February
• Spiritual Assessment Seminar Offered again in February
• Register Now for February Seminars
• Program of Self Care for Army Reserve Chaplains Still Available
• Subscriber Bonus: "What Makes Counseling Pastoral" by Wayne Oates
  

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Fighting the Tiger: The Effects of Emotional Trauma Seminar in February

Modern day technology has placed wars, hurricanes, and sexual assaults in our living rooms. What used to be the unthinkable happens on a daily basis, leaving a path of psychological and spiritual trauma in its wake. Since clergy members must deal with these traumas spilling over into church, hospital, and counseling settings, we are offering again this seminar on how to understand the issues and how to deal with them.

Seminar on Films: Finding God in the Multiplex Offered in February

Offered as an online film festival, this seminar will engage participants in watching and reflecting on several popular films. The films--Chocolat, Babette's Feast, and Hotel Rwanda--will be viewed independently by the seminar participants in preparation for group discussion of the films' theological themes.

Final Call for February Seminar Registrations

Registration for the February 2008 online seminars offered by the Oates Institute goes through Wednesday, January 30. Each of these seminars will last three weeks, February 4-22.  Participants in any one of the seminars may earn at least 12 contact hours of continuing education credit. The online seminars are free to Oates Institute members and the tuition is only $60 per seminar for non-members.

Seminars offered in February include:

• Dreams, Journals, and Spirituality
• Exploring Celtic Spirituality
• Fighting the Tiger: The Effects of Emotional Trauma
• Finding God in the Multiplex: A Lenten Film Festival
• Finding Hope When There Is No Cure
• Spiritual Assessment: It's a SNAP
• Spirituality and Mental Illness

Program of Self Care for Army Reserve Chaplains

There is still time to register for the program, Self Care for Army Reserve Chaplains. This program begins on February 18.

Like all soldiers who experience combat, army chaplains may experience physical, psychological, and spiritual trauma.  As individuals whose role is to help others, it can be especially difficult for chaplains to find the help and the “safe” space they need to care for themselves.  Self Care for Army Chaplains is a unique program designed to help army chaplains care for themselves. 

Participants in this program will remain together online for approximately three months and, in addition, they will have a two-day retreat where they can come together in-person for peer support, discussion and relaxation.  

Subscriber Bonus: "What Makes Counseling Pastoral?"
from Pastoral Counseling by Wayne Oates

"Counseling," wrote Wayne Oates, "is a nonmedical discipline, the aims of which are to facilitate and quicken personality growth and development, to help persons to modify life patterns with which they have become increasingly unhappy, and to provide comradeship and wisdom for persons facing the inevitable losses and disappointments in life." In this chapter of Dr. Oates' book, Pastoral Counseling, he asks the question: "What is it that makes the work of the pastor as a counselor unique, that is, distinctly pastoral?"

We invite you to read this newly republished chapter in the Center for Oates Studies to discover what Dr. Oates identifies as the distinctive characteristics of pastoral counseling. To access this article click on the link below. If you are not a member of the Oates Institute, we invite you to read the full text of this article by subscribing to Lifelong Learning @ Oates.Org, our eNewsletter

Click here to read "What Makes Counseling Pastoral?"

Non-members