Author Archives: bukallifeministries

CPE Updates, May 2012

A.  The Manila group had the final evaluation on April 30, 2012 for CPE.

Completion of Unit Two –

Reverend Fr. Gorgonio Formoso Gepayo

Christopher Teng Chua

Victor S. Layug

Janice Patria J. Serafica
— Completion of Unit One

Reverend Fr. Leon P. Cadsap

Ms. Rose Sharon G. Yu

Congrats to all, including their supervisors Dr. Sim Dang-Awan and Sister Sofia Natama. The CPE Program in Manila has as its primary ministry and training site Philippine Children’s Medical Center, in Quezon City.

B.  The CPE Summer Intensive in Baguio is still going ongoing with two more weeks left. 17 trainees are working as three training groups and ministering at Baguio General Hospital, Benguet General Hospital, and Baguio Jail.

C.  We are continuing to move forward with setting up a CPE program in Cagayan de Oro. We are already accepting applications or CPE there and expect to have our first batch before the end of the year.

Bukal Life is a certified training center for Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) by the College of Pastoral Supervision & Psychotherapy (www.cpsp.org).

Late April Updates

UPDATE: Based on our staff meeting today, our annual symposium is being moved to October (based on availability of main speaker, and our own schedule).

UPDATE: Also based on the same meeting, Planning to move forward with Clinical Pastoral Education in Cagayan de Oro (CPE in CDO). Details to follow.

Training at Youth Camp

Bukal Life assisted with training at the CSBC Youth Camp in Nangalisan, Tuba. We led 4 of the 5 topics for break-out sessions.

Mid-April Updates

CPE is continuing with groups in both Baguio and Manila. Rev. Dr. Joel Aguirre, Exec. Dir. of Bukal Life returned from the CPSP Annual meeting in Pittsburgh, PA.

April 18 (morning). CSBC Youth Camp. Bukal Life will be providing training sessions.

April 18 (afternoon). CPSP-Benguet Chapter meeting at 2pm for quarterly meeting.

May 7. Planned Seminar led by Dr. Cesar Espineda (Baguio)

May 9. Planned Seminar led by Dr. Cesar Espineda (Manila)

May 12. Official end of CPE Summer Intensive.

New CPE groups are forming up for June and August. Contact us at info@bukallife.org for details.

Seminar April 14. “The Distinctive of Christian Counseling with Counselor Rudy French

Led by Counselor Rudy French. Explore the uniqueness of Christian Counseling as compared to other counseling disciplines. Explore case studies, engage in discussions, encounter experiential learning and guided imageries that will help you better understand, empathize, and care for those impacted by pain, grief, death, dying, and bereavement from a Christian perspective.

It is 8:30am – 12pm at West Baguio Baptist Church, Baguio City. Cost is P50 for preregistered, P75 for on-site registration. Please call Jehny at 0933-302-0373 or Christian at 0923-737-1054.

Tribute to Nars Dumalagan

The CPSP wrote a tribute to Nars Dumalagan regarding his great role in building CPE in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. Click on the link below.

Tribute to Nars Dumalagan

April 2012 Updates

Just a few updates.

1. Our Executive Director, Rev. Joel Aguirre is presently in Pittsburgh, PA attending the Annual Conference of the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (CPSP). He plans to return the first week in April.

2. The CPE Intensive has started again in Baguio. There are presently 17 trainees, including trainees from Philippines, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, and Haiti. We also have a number of trainees at our Manila Branch presently.

3. Planning to have our Pastoral Care Symposium is still being planned for the first week in May. This will be in Baguio, although it is possible to repeat it in Manila (we shall see).

4. Plan to have new CPE branches in June and August in Baguio. Will update regarding Manila schedule later.

5. Photos of Celia Munson’s Group for CPE Batch 2012 1A .

Northridge Academy Recollection

Northridge Academy held a Recollection Training and Service at Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary, led by Bukal Life Care & Counseling Center. Approximately 90 students, grades 6th through 4th year gathered. In the morning, training was by Bukal Life starting with self-understanding and working through group process and team-building to understanding of family role.

Banners by different student groups at Recollection service.

In the afternoon, students gave presentations based on different virtues and were given awards based on these presentations. Following this was the Recollection Service that included a message by Rev. Joel Aguirre (Exec. Director of Bukal Life) on the role of the person in relationship with God.

Northridge Academy is a private school based in Baguio City. We thank Principal Julie Sibucao and Ma’am Gay (guidance counselor) for working with us in making this a profitable partnership.

Denominational? Non-denomination? Ecumenical? Interfaith?

We get a fair bit of confusion regarding who we are with respect to issues religious denomination and faith. Maybe this will help somewhat.

1. Bukal Life Care & Counseling Center is “Non-denominational.” That means that we, as a group, do not ascribe to a single denominational creed, nor require our members to be a member of a specific denomination.

2. Members of Bukal Life Care & Counseling Center (staff, supervisors, board members) are members of different denominations/churches and are expected to serve within their faith communities. Thus, members are expected to serve “Denominationally” within their church setting, but are expected to serve non-denominationally with Bukal Life.

3. Bukal Life Care & Counseling Center is also “Ecumenical.” This term has different meanings to different people. We understand the term to mean sharing in a common Christian faith. For us, we ensure this by requiring members of Bukal Life to concur with the Apostle’s Creed… an early historical encapsulation of the Christ faith.

4. The College of Pastoral Supervision & Psychotherapy (CPSP) and Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) are “Interfaith.” Interfaith means that the CPSP and CPE does not limit themselves to those of the Christian faith. Rather involvement as trainees within this group and program can occur regardless of their faith/creed/religion.

5. Bukal Life Care & Counseling Center, is a non-government organization (NGO) based in the Philippines. The College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (CPSP) is a separate organization based in the United States. CPSP-Philippines is a separate organization linked with the CPSP but based in the Philippines. Thus, these are three separate organizations. Bukal Life is connected with the CPSP and CPSP-Philippines through mutual agreements, but are legally independent.

Since Bukal Life is a training center for CPE as certified by the CPSP, we provide CPE training to all and do not discriminate based on the religious faith of the trainees. However, Bukal Life carries out other ministries within the context of non-denominational historic Christian faith.

Clinical Pastoral Orientation (CPO) Graduation

Clinical Pastoral Orientation (CPO) had its graduation on February 20, 2012. The Graduation ceremony was held at West Baguio Baptist Church. We had 17 graduates, 15 of them attending Philippine College of Ministry, and 2 attending International Christian Colleges. Dr. Sim Dang-Awan, the president of the Board of Trustees of Bukal Life Care & Counseling Center was the graduation speaker.

Afterwards, everyone went to Riverview Park, for picnic, swimming, and final evals. Great time had by all.

CPO (Clinical Pastoral Orientation) is a program of approximately 60 hours or training, supervision, and practical work, to prepare for CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education)