Some of you are Type A and have been dying to plan something. I’m here for you. As a part of Summit Counseling, we are going to begin a new training series of webinars. This series of webinars will occur twice per month on Thursdays at 1pm EST and last for about 45 minutes.This is an opportunity to be trained in pastoral care and counseling in a way that recognizes unique roles that are played across the spectrum of formality – from friend to vocational counselor.

I know that raises questions, so let’s take a look at those.

What is the cost? Free

Who is the intended audience? These webinars will focus on equipping the “helper,” that is – friend, pastor, lay counselor, or vocational counselor. The two primary audiences are (a) leaders in Summit Collaborative Churches and (b) counseling students at Southeastern Seminary. BUT every one who finds the topics interesting is welcome to attend.

Do I have to commit to attend them all? No. Each webinar will be a self-contained unit. You won’t feel lost if are only able to attend a few.

Is there a scope and sequence? (Sorry, that’s my inner educator coming out.) Each month, the two webinars will be a tandem (see the topics below). The first webinar of the month will cover a counseling skill or concept. The second webinar of the month will explore a case study where that month’s skill or concept is highly relevant.

What is the style of interaction in a webinar? Webinars are highly interactive. Poll questions allow for participants to influence the direction of the discussion. Consideration is given to the unique roles that exists for a friend, lay counselor, pastor, or vocational counselor. Each counseling skill / concept and case study will be examined from the perspective of these various roles. Note: This is an educational forum, not a consultation. Participants will not get to bring up questions from their ministry setting. Anonymous case studies for discussion will be posted on my site a week in advance for participants to consider.

Do I need to do any advance study for a webinar? No, you can just log-on, interact, and learn. For case discussions, it will be helpful to read the 1-2 page case study before the webinar. Follow up resources will be recommended for those desiring further development.

What are the topics? For the first six months, here is our schedule.

  • Month: July
    • July 9 // Topic: The Focus of Counseling – Problems in Living, Mental Health, Meaning of Life? [RSVP Link]
      • Note: You can select “register for all future events” on each link if you plan to attend many/most of these events and do not want to register for each one individually.
    • July 23 // Case Study: Designed to Help Identify the Focal Point of Counseling [RSVP Link]
  • Month: August
    • August 6 // Topic: Counseling Triage – Where to Begin in a Complicated Situation? [RSVP Link]
    • August 20 // Case Study: Designed to Help Identify Starting Points in Counseling [RSVP Link]
  • Month: September
    • 10 // Topic: When Someone Doesn’t Want to Change – Motivation and Counseling [RSVP Link]
    • 24 // Case Study: Designed to Help Identify Levels of Motivation in Counseling [RSVP Link]
  • Month: October
    • 15 // Topic: How “Spiritually-Focused” Should My Counseling Be? [RSVP Link]
    • 29 // Case Study: Designed to Help Identify How Much Character Formation Should Be at the Forefront of Counseling [RSVP Link]
  • Month: November
    • 5 // Topic: The Importance of Rightly Interpreting the Person, Situation, and Bible in Counseling [RSVP Link]
    • 19 // Case Study: Designed to Help You See the Importance of Rightly Assessing All Three [RSVP Link]
  • Month: December
    • 3 // Topic: Helping with Grief and Depression Prompted by Seasonal Factors [RSVP Link]
    • 17 // Case Study: Focused on Grief and Depression Heightened by Winter and Holidays [RSVP Link]

Anther Upcoming Event

If you have not already signed up for the July evening webinar “Sorting Our Anxieties,” here is information about that event as well.

There are many reasons to be anxious in light of COVID. It would be unwise to lump all those anxieties into one basket and assume they have one remedy. That would be like assuming every  stomach-ache had the same cause and same remedy. In this presentation on anxiety, we will seek to sort out the various kinds of anxiety we may be experiencing and get initial guidance on how God would encourage us to alleviate that anxiety.
  • RSVP by Clicking Here
  • Date: July 2, 2020
  • Time: 7:30 pm EST
  • Cost: Free
  • Can I invite others? Absolutely.