Quick Info:
Number of weeks: 2
Price: $50
CEUs available: 1.0
Required books?: No
Live video session?: No
Part of a certification or series of courses?: No
New to BeADisciple?
Read how BeADisciple courses work
Use your spiritual gifts to help others! As Christians, “we follow Jesus and do what Jesus did — love, serve, reach, teach, pray.” This course is designed to help both laity and clergy develop their skills in caring ministry and will help Christians minister to one another. It introduces basic counseling and guidance skills and examines the counseling techniques used by Jesus. We’ll practice modelling the use of these practices when ministering to premarital couples, married couples, divorced couples, families, depressed and suicidal persons, sick, dying and bereaved persons.
If your church has or would like to start a lay caring ministry, this course is an excellent way to train volunteers. It will also help clergy brush up on their pastoral care skills. Of course, this course is not meant to replace professional counseling, and you may still need to refer individuals to a professional therapist for additional help.
This course is eligible for 1.0 CEU.
About the Instructor
Reverend Shirley J. Connally is a retired teacher/counselor/minister with a B.A. (English/French), M.Ed. (Counseling & Guidance), M.Div. (Theology) and additional studies on the Doctor of Ministry Degree. She retired from public education with 36 years’ experience as an English teacher and/or secondary counselor. She also taught freshman English at the Houston Community College for several years. Additionally, she served as an adjunct professor at the Charles Harrison Mason Bible College and owned a private practice counseling office for several years.
She has served in ministry in the local church and community for most of her life. She was ordained after completing seminary while serving as an associate with three Baptist pastors and went on to serve as associate and senior pastor in The United Methodist Church. Even though most of her training and service as an adult has been in The United Methodist Church, her childhood years were spent equally divided between three denominations (Methodist, Baptist and Catholic).
She has always been drawn to teaching and helping people, so, naturally using her gifts of teaching and counseling have been dominant in her life. She has offered courses in Christian care and counseling and Bible studies for children, teens, young adults, middle adults and senior adults, reaching all developmental stages of life. She has also offered courses on God’s purpose for the family and prayer retreats, providing time and guidance for those times when we need to go to a quiet place and spend time alone with God. Her prayer is that we can study and continue to develop additional skills and a basic knowledge of how we can use the Bible to help people live better lives.
She is the mother of one daughter in business and one granddaughter. She loves teaching Disciple Bible Studies, serving on the Scholarship Committee, Nursing Home Ministry, St. Stephens Food Pantry and helping wherever she is needed in her church and community. When relaxing she loves reading, crocheting and watching Houston’s #1 sports teams (Texans, Rockets and Astros) and helping people.
Past Students Said…
“I learned to be a better listener rather than a giver of advice. Let the professionals give the advice. Be a listener and a shoulder to cry on.”
“Shirley was always there for help when I couldn’t figure out how to do things at the beginning. She also gave feedback for everything I wrote. That was encouraging and helpful.”
