Foundation Certificate in Conversational Ministry
Church Pastoral Care
with Steve Midgley and Helen Thorne-Allenson
The Church Pastoral Care course explores how to establish conversational ministry into the life of the local church.
Next courses:
CPC 6 months: Spring 2027
CPC 10 weeks: Summer 2027
The registration form opens in a new window, and you need to submit the form within 60 minutes of opening.
Registration for CPC10wk Summer 2027, will open in February 2027
What to expect
COURSE WORK
What does conversational ministry look like in the life of a local church?
In Church Pastoral Care, students consider the nature and purpose of church, the history of pastoral care and the importance of interpersonal ministry of the Word.
Through a ministry project you’ll be helped to work out the part you might play in growing a culture of care in your local congregation.
Topics covered include:
Church as community; pastoral care and evangelism; praying for your church; a brief history of pastoral care and the modern biblical counselling movement; every member ministry in the local congregation; the role of pastors and elders; pastoral care structure; creating cultures of care; confidentiality; supervision; boundaries; church discipline and the role of parachurch organisations.
Pre-requisites: Dynamics of Biblical Change, Helping Relationships
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this course is:
- to enable students to better understand the nature and purpose of church
- to help students understand the nature of pastoral care and its development over the centuries to equip students to understand their ministry context and see opportunities for pastoral care to flourish
- to envision students with a range of ways in which conversational ministry could be embedded in their local church
- to see the importance of both public and private ministry of the Word and how they inter-relate
- to help students to play a part in growing a culture of care in their local congregation
- to encourage students to engage in conversational ministry in ways that are safe, collaborative and wise
COURSE SCHEDULE
CPC6m starts on 18th January with seminars in two online cohorts:
Online Monday evenings (7-9pm)
Online Thursday Afternoons (12.30-2.30pm)
CPC10wks starts 12th April 2027 and has seminars in 8 venues in geographical centres and online.
Belfast – Thursdays (7-9pm)
Cambridge – Tuesdays (7-9pm)
Exeter – Mondays (7-9pm)
Liverpool – Wednesdays (7-9pm)
Sheffield – Tuesdays (7-9pm)
Online Thursday Mornings – Thursdays (10am-12noon)
Online Thursday Afternoons – Thursdays (1-3pm)
Online Tuesday Evenings – Tuesdays (7-9pm)
Key facts
Venues and dates:
CPC 6 months includes seminars in 2 online cohorts (see below)
CPC 10 weeks includes seminars in 8 venues across the UK or online.
Course length:
CPC 10 weeks: 10 weeks of study from 12th April with one week half term break.
CPC 6 months: This half speed version of Church Pastoral Care, commences on 18th January where each of the 10 modules of study are fortnights rather than weeks. There is a month break around Easter.
Workload:
10-12 hours study per week
(10-12 hours study each fortnight in CPC 6 months)
Foundation Certificate
The Foundation Certificate comprises three courses, Dynamics of Biblical Change, Helping Relationships, and Church Pastoral Care.
The registration form opens in a new window, and you need to submit the form within 60 minutes of opening.
Registration for CPC10wk Summer 2027, will open in February 2027
Meet your teachers
Steve Midgley has been involved in teaching courses in biblical counselling at Oak Hill College for over 10 years, and leads the Biblical Counselling UK team. He is on the boards of both CCEF and the Biblical Counseling Coalition. Formerly the vicar of Christ Church Cambridge, Steve continues to serve the church family there. Before ordination he trained as a psychiatrist.
Helen Thorne-Allenson is an experienced speaker, counsellor and author whose recent books include A Church That Cares, Hope in an Anxious World, Walking with Domestic Abuse Sufferers, Purity is Possible, Real Change and Real Change for Students. She has completed CCEF’s certificate courses and holds an MA in Applied Theology.
