The nature of theological education within the local missional community is examined. It explores and analyzes the intersection of communicative action, the relationality of the Triune God, and the interpersonal dynamic of adult learning, allowing the missional leader to create democratic and generative spaces for theological training.

Students will assess different approaches to integrating spirituality with missionality in current and past literature. They will explore various forms of spiritual development and soul-care that encourage participants in both their spiritual depth and missional practice. Students will experience creative spiritual practices and develop customized spiritual development plans for their missional context.

What does it mean to be a spiritual caregiver? How does one provide spiritual care in a world increasingly resistant to organized religion and institutional structures? This course engages what it means to be an instrument of Christ in a world with increasing meaninglessness and hopelessness. In this course, students will examine the biblical foundations of spiritual caregiving, the interpersonal development of spiritual caregivers, and the capacity of spiritual caregiving to generate personal and societal transformation. This foundational course prepares spiritual caregivers to go on towards a caregiving specialty.

In order to effectively care for others, the caregiver must also care for self. This course uses the concept of an ongoing development and maturation of a strong faith in God to explore multiple aspects of self-care for healthcare providers. Ample opportunities for developing and implementing a customized plan of self-care are included.

The course leads the student through an in-depth study of the tools necessary to integrate spirituality into the practice of group therapy. Upon completion the student will be professionally able to fully participate fully in psychological treatments an in-depth concentration on spirituality. The student will be a participant in a small group from week one through eight. Under the supervision of a licensed therapist, the student will lead a small group from weeks three through eight.

This course considers the dynamics of marriage and family relationships from a systems perspective. The emphasis is on understanding family and other systems theories, the structure and function of marriage from a theological perspective, various aspects of the martial relationship and family systems, and models of family and systemic interventions. Considerations from a historical and biblical perspective are presented along with current developments within marriage and family systemic models.