The Institute of Pastoral Counselling & SupervisionThe Institute of Pastoral Counselling & Supervision
The Baptists Together framework for Continuing Ministerial Development asks all of us as ministers to practise the habit of accountability – to have someone outside our immediate ministry setting with whom we may share and review our experience of ministry. Pastoral supervision is a particularly pertinent example of this accountability, focussing as it does on our practice, well-being, working relationships and boundaries. It is suitable for all forms of ministry – for those acting as church pastors, pioneers, evangelists, chaplains, and for those in children’s, youth and families’ ministry.
Baptists Together are partnering with the Institute of Pastoral Counselling and Supervision (IPCS) to train a cohort of Baptist ministers to provide pastoral supervision to others. As a course participant you will grow in your skills of line management, supervision and reflective practice, drawing on theological and psychological insights in order to better enable others to survive and thrive in the ministries to which God has called them.
What is the format, venue, timing and cost?
The Professional Certificate in Pastoral Supervision course is delivered over six two-day workshops, each one spanning a Wednesday and Thursday, and in a hybrid format. For workshops 1 and 6, you will gather with other participants and tutors (some of whom will be Baptist ministers themselves) at a venue in Birmingham. For workshops 2, 3, 4, and 5, the course will be delivered online.
Dates of Workshops
Workshop 1 31 January – 1 February 2024 (in Birmingham)
Workshop 2 20 – 21 March 2024 (online)
Workshop 3 15 – 16 May 2024 (online)
Workshop 4 26 – 27 June 2024 (online)
Workshop 5 11 – 12 September 2024 (online)
Workshop 6 9 – 10 October 2024 (in Birmingham)
Course Cost
The course cost is £1000 towards which we will ask you for a £250 deposit before the course begins. The remainder will be due after workshop 3. This cost is subsidised by Baptists Together. You will be expected to attend all six workshops.
Venue
The venue for workshops 1 and 6 will be Yardley Baptist Church, Rowlands Road, Birmingham, B26 1AT. We will provide refreshments at the church, but meals and accommodation for the Wednesday night will be your responsibility. (If these dates do not suit you, please note that a sister course is delivered 100% online by Spurgeon’s College from November to May each year. More details can be found at www.spurgeons.ac.uk)
How will I learn?
The course operates as a multidisciplinary learning community, where your ministry experience is valued as the raw material for learning. Through a variety of activities such as teaching, seminars, small group tasks and demonstrations, you will learn first of all how to receive supervision and then how to offer it.
Your development as a supervisor will be monitored through written assignments, your creation of a seminar presentation, your practice of peer supervision with appropriate feedback, and summative assessment by group facilitators. Assignments are all designed to contribute to your practice and will combine to create a portfolio of evidence of professional competence in pastoral supervision.
What will I gain?
On successful completion of the course:
What do I need to do next?
If you have any queries about the course, please email the Ministries Team at ministries@baptist.org.uk.
To apply for the course, you should first book a free, online Taster Day for one of the following dates:
Monday 23rd October 2023 9.30am-1pm
Wednesday 29th November 2023 9.30am-1pm
Over a few hours, you will gain more information, try out some exercises and be interviewed for the course. Please download and complete the Taster Day Booking Form and return to kathryn.addis@pastoralcs.org.uk