Author Archives: bukallifeministries

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)

Itinerary for Visit of Dr. Raymond Lawrence

Itinerary for Dr. Raymond Lawrence, General Secretary of the CPSP, while in the Philippines:
WEDNESDAY, 29 February 2012:
2335 H (11:35pm) – arrival at NAIA from USA
Lodge at Horeb Hotel, St Lukes’ Compound
THURSDAY, 01 March 2012:
0900 H – pick – up at Horeb Hotel for Tagaytay via Brent School in Las Pinas
FRIDAY, 02 March 2012:
1100 H – 1300 H – symposium: Phil Children Medical Center [PCMC], Quezon City
1800 H – Special Event With Dr. Sim & Co
SATURDAY, 03 March 2012:
0830 H – 1500 H: Peer review at ECP National Cathedral, Quezon City
SUNDAY, 04 March 2012:
0900 H: Guest preacher at ECP National Cathedral, SLMC Compound, Quezon City
MONDAY, 05 March 2012:
Symposium: ECP National Cathedral
TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY, 06-07 March 2012:
Central Philippines University Engagement, Ilo-Ilo
THURSDAY, 08 March 2012:
Flight back to Manila
FRIDAY, 09 March 2012:
1915 H [7:15pm] Departure for USA

Seminar on March 5 in Manila with Dr. Raymond Lawrence

ALL ARE INVITED!
Know “The Relevance of CPE in your Church Ministry”

Guest Speaker: Raymond Lawrence, CPSP General Secretary,
Time Monday, March 5. 8:00 – 11:30 AM
at the Episcoplian Hall (Back of St. Lukes Hospital) E. Rodriguez, QC.

Raymond J. Lawrence Jr. is the founding father and the General Secretary of the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy. He has been an Episcopal minister for almost half a century. Most of his career was spent training the next generation of ministers in the art and science of pastoral care and counseling. His most recent teaching position was as Director of Pastoral Care at New York Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University, a position he held for fifteen years. Previously he held positions at St Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, Houston, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Houston, and New York Methodist Hospital. He has published widely in scholarly journals, and his opinion pieces on religion, ethics, and social values have appeared in most major newspapers in the U.S. His previous book, The Poisoning of Eros: Sexual Values in Conflict, was published in 1989, and was the winner of the 1990 Book Award at the World Congress on Sexuality in Caracas, Venezuela. In 2007 Praeger Press (Greenwood Publishing) published his Sexual Liberation: The Scandal of Christendom.

Some Related Blogs

A couple of articles have been written by others on our (and other’s) work for the flood relief in Cagayan de Oro.

Article from Anatomy of a Hipster

Article from Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Blog

Feburary Updates

Things are getting back to normal after the Disaster Response trips to Cagayan de Oro. We are presently in the middle of 2011 CPE Batch 4A training. We have just started 2012 CPE Batch 1B training. We are also finishing CPO (Clinical Pastoral Orientation) training with PCM (Philippine College of Ministry).

Upcoming:
Feb 17, BBEG Meeting hosted by Bukal
Feb 19-20 CPO-PCM final evals and graduation
Mar 1-4, Dr. Raymond Lawrence joins us during his Philippine Trip
Mar 12, Recollection service at Northridge School
March 19, CPE 2012 Batch 2A (Summer Intensive) starts.

CPE Policy Change Notice

Date: January 20, 2012
To: All Staff and Supervisors of Bukal Life, as well as prospective CPE trainees.
Fm: Administrator, Bukal Life Care & Counseling Center, Inc.
Cc: Executive Director, Board of Trustees, Bukal Life

Subject: CPE Application Requirements

Effective this date, January 20, 2012, all applications for CPE require submission and acceptance of two forms rather than one. The two forms are:

CPE Application Form: CLICK HERE

CPE Scholarship/Finances Form: CLICK HERE

Application and Finances Forms must be received, reviewed, and accepted prior to the first day of class.

Failure to complete these adequately will result in rejection or delay of acceptance to the program. Failure to meet the terms dilineated in the Financial Application will result in termination from the program or receiving an INCOMPLETE on the unit.

All staff and supervisors are requested to practice and enforce this policy change for future applicants/trainees.

Sincerely,

Robert H. Munson, Th.D.
Administrator, Bukal Life Care & Counseling Center

Return trip to CDO for Typhoon Sendong Relief

Our team of seven returned to CDO last Thursday (Jan 5) They have been working with Kagay-an Disaster Evangelical Response Network, Oro Christian Grace School, and DEPED in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City.

Monday, Celia, Ryan, and Cindy returned to Baguio while the remaining 4 stayed in CDO. Tuesday, they were able to visit the evac center at City Central School and have ministered to victims there. The remaining team (Ptr. Joel, Jehny, Becky, and Alma) will travel Wednesday to Iligan City to hold a crash course in Crisis Response Stress Debriefing Workshop with Evangelical churches there.

Return to Cagayan de Oro

Our Disaster Response Crisis Intervention Team returned to Cagayan de Oro for training and crisis intervention. The team will start work with the Department of Education, as well as at some of the evacuation centers.

It may be worth explaining what we do. We are a religious organization and so some might assume that we focus on evangelism. That is not the case. When someone has gone through a major crisis, they should not make major decision, and should not be encouraged to. They need to be taken to a place of safety and security (physically, emotionally, and mentally). They need to be given a chance for ventilation and validation. They need a chance to plan and prepare for the future… to find a new normal.

We use NOVA (National Organization for Victim Assistance) for group intervention. We use Crisis Care Chaplaincy by the Southern Baptist Convention for training of chaplains, as well as Psychological First Aid by NCCTS (and others).

Day Three Disaster Response in Cagayan de Oro

Pictures of some of the stress debriefing/disaster response of our team in Cagayan de Oro can be seen at:

Cagayan de Oro Evac Centers

Bukal Life Disaster Response Team with former Senator Dick Gordon, Chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross