Disaster Relief Chaplain Graduation

Congratulations to the graduates of the 2-week Disaster Relief Chaplain class. They are Ptr. Joel Angiwan, Miguela Beltran, Ptr. Arsenio Dayrit, Rowena Flores, and Celia Munson. As we seek certification to work in disaster areas we pray that they will use their training and heart to provide comfort and hope for those in suffering.

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April 24 Symposium

Pastoral Care Symposium at University of Cordilleras on April 24 (all day). Lead speaker will be Chaplain Charlie Benton of the Virginia Baptist Disaster Relief Team. This symposium will focus on counselors, while the May 1st event (at Calvary Baptist Church, Baguio City) will focus on Church leaders.

More details to follow.

New Office

Shepherd’s Oikos will be busy with training this April. But we are going to be opening our new office for pastoral care services. Can’t give to much details at this time, but if things go as anticipated, we will be opening up our new office in the next few weeks. While it will be used for some administrative work, and for training materials, its main purpose would be provide pastoral care and counseling services to those dealing with life crises in the Baguio area. Will tell you more when the plans are solidified.

What Does Shepherd’s Oikos Do?

Training:

1. Shepherd in Every Pew. Provides a simple format look at pastoral counseling with the goal of having helping church members be an effective part of the pastoral care ministry of a church.

2. Disaster Response Counseling. Provides training for counselors to effectively provide relief to disaster victims through counseling leading to stress mitigation and finding “a new normal”. Focuses primarily on the NOVA model.

3. Introduction to Pastoral Care and Counseling. Somewhat like Shepherd in Every Pew, but less targeted. Provides a basic understanding of the purpose and methods of pastoral care.

4. Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). We work with Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary (PBTS) and the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (CPSP) in this. Rev. Joel Aguirre is the head of Shepherd’s Oikos, as well as the CPE Supervisor at PBTS.

4. We are regularly expanding in this area… adding new training as the need arises.

Symposium:

1. Our first Shepherd’s Oikos Pastoral Care Seminar was in 2009 with Dr. Raymond Lawrence (General Secretary of the College of Pastoral Care and Psychotherapy) as our lead speaker. This year, our 2nd annual symposium will be on May 1st (2010) with Rev. Charlie Benton (Virginia Baptist Mission Board Disaster Response Trainer) as the lead speaker.

Literature:

1. We are hoping to begin developing materials contextualized for the Philippines. We are also looking to develop an electronic journal.

Practical Ministry:

1. We look to help people who are suffering by providing pastoral care services. We started this by working with hospitals and shelters (through CPE) as well as with Disaster Relief (after Typhoon Pepeng in November 2009).

Disaster Response Counseling Class in April

Chaplain Charlie Benton, Counselor with the Virginia Baptist Disaster Response Team, will be teaching “Disaster Response Counseling” (PC-377) during Summer Institute at Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary. The class will meet 3 hours daily from April 13 – April 24. Registration will be on the 12th. Chaplain Benton …will be here as a joint effort of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, PBTS, and Shepherd’s Oikos

Additionally, Rebecca Pasaporte will be teaching “Family Counseling” from 1pm to 3pm at Summer Institute.

Check with PBTS for details of cost and accommodations. http://www.pbts.net.ph

May 1st. Pastoral Care Symposium

Shepherd’s Oikos and PBTS CPE program will jointly hold its 2nd annual Pastoral Care Symposium. It is expected to start at 8am and continue to 5pm. While the exact venue in Baguio City is still being worked out, our lead speaker will be Reverand Charlie Benton (see photo). He is a crisis counselor and trainer with the …Virgina Baptist Disaster Response Team. Pastor Charlie joined us as a Crisis Counselor during the Typhoon Parma (Pepeng) disaster response here in Benguet Province. He will lead the two plenary sessions. Additional break-outs will occur as well. More information will be coming. Hope to see you there.

Crisis Care Chaplain

Crisis Care Chaplain, Charlie Benton

A New Old Name

Report from our December 2nd Meeting… Well, we can’t make up our minds sometime. Back last May, the CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) program at PBTS called itself “Shepherd’s Oikos” (household of the Shepherd). But when we decided to form a “real” organizaiton, we came up with the name “Asia Association of Pastoral Care and Supervision” (AAPCS). While that sounds really impressive… somehow “it just ain’t us”. Therefore, we are going back. The Pastoral Care program at Bukal Life Ministries will again be called “Shepherd’s Oikos”. It is headed by Pastor Joel Aguirre of West Baguio Baptist Church (and PBTS). Assisting him is Celia Munson of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board. It will be focusing on three major ministries at this time. They are: CPE … See Moretraining (9 week practicum), Disaster Relief Care Chaplain training (1-3 days), and Shepherd in Every Pew Seminar (1-2 days). Hope to do some symposium work, and an electronic journal (if we have time).