Christian
Ministry
DTS is committed to helping those in ministry develop a biblical philosophy of servant-hearted service as defined and modeled by Jesus Christ and other godly individuals depicted in Scriptures. Such ministry results from the gracious working of God through a person's identity, background, experience, training, spiritual gifting, natural talents, and the enablement of God's Spirit.
One of the Christian ministry-leadership paradoxes is that the leader is not a boss but a servant – someone who follows the footsteps of Jesus who washed the disciples’ feet (John 13:1-20; 1 Peter 2:21). The Christian Ministry value does not seek personal recognition or status; instead, it is to esteem our Lord Jesus Christ. A well-crafted goal for this value clarifies the goals God wants us to have, rather than those goals of our imagining.
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By August 2025, I will complete the Prepare–Enrich Facilitator Training modules and attain my facilitator certification
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By September 2025, I will secure at least one willing couple to engage in 6 free counseling sessions
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By October 2025, I will lead my first couple through their assessment and conduct our first counseling session
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By November 2025, I will complete the remaining 5 counseling sessions
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By December 2025, I will attain counseling reviews from each couple member and complete my own self-assessment
Student Christian Ministry Goal
DEFINITION: DTS values ministry that equips others for effective service emphasizing humility and sacrificial service.
RESOURCES
CM5101 Textbooks: Care of Souls and Strategic Pastoral Counseling by David Banner, and The Pastor as Minor Poet by M. Craig Barnes.
CM5101 Supplemental Readings
Prepare–Enrich Certification Training
STRATEGIES
I will complete all required training modules, readings, lecture viewings, workshops, and activities for the course.
I will offer free counseling to willing couples
GOAL
Because I want to learn how to counsel others in the body of Christ...
I will enroll in CM5101 for Fall 2025 and complete the Prepare–Enrich Facilitator Training for Christian couples counseling.
I will conduct my first couples' counseling
Recent Services
Artifacts for Christian Ministry
Overall Reflection Statement
Artifact 1: Prepare–Enrich Facilitator Certificate
This is the certificate I earned following the completion of the Prepare–Enrich Couples's Facilitator Training
For my competence in Christian Ministry, I am submitting my Prepare–Enrich Facilitator certificate, client reviews, and a couple's and facilitator assessment. These artifacts provide a picture of my training and service as a Prepare–Enrich couples counselor, which demonstrates my pastoral skills in listening, encouraging, counseling, and conflict resolution.
In our Pastoral Ministries course, we learn that the pastor or pastoral leader's role is multifaceted, encompassing many metaphors, including that of a physician. As a physician, the pastor or pastoral leader is tasked with the cure of souls, making it essential that they learn the skills to effectively hear the hearts of their sheep and become effective encouragers, counselors, and conflict resolvers.
In working with this first couple, I have learned the importance of being a gentle and patient listener who offers encouragement rather than judgment. I was challenged to recognize their individual needs and provide specialized counsel to help resolve personal stresses that were causing strain on the marriage.
"Your effectiveness as a facilitator was excellent. I appreciate how you used the assessment as a launching pad for a more engaging process to lead us to further discussion... You did a good job offering suggestions and balancing that with allowing us to interact with each other, and giving space to hear our voices.”
Wife
"What I appreciated most about you facilitating our conversation was your gentleness and how you were not quick to counsel but kept making sure that everything you said was suggestive... and not given as commands. You asked us both to accept accountability... You operated with a level of transparency and honesty that we could appreciate.”
Husband
What Clients Say
Artifact 2: Couple's Reviews
These are the reviews I solicited from my first couple as an honest critique of my abilities as a Christian counselor.
Artifact #3
This is the Client and Facilitator Assessment & Feedback report that I prepared as an honest critique of the couple's experience and my performance as a Prepare–Enrich facilitator.
Learning Reflection Statement
As I developed and demonstrated Christian leadership, I have learned that pastoral leaders must be attentive and equipped to tend the broken hearts of their flock. I counseled a couple that I would have considered very strong, but there were hidden stresses in the marriage that they hadn't brought to light with others or with themselves. As we worked together, it became clearer to me that when people come to counseling with one big or specific issue, there are usually multiple smaller underlying stressors that they haven't acknowledged. It is the counselor's job to listen intently, from an objective, non-judgmental perspective, to see the bigger picture and provide holistic counsel. This can only come from someone who listens with the physician's tender heart. As a pastoral leader, I must nurture this skill.
Lifelong Development
As a result of the experiences documented by these artifacts, I will continue to develop in Christian leadership by continuing to practice and hone my skills as a Prepare-Enrich couples counselor. I will also seek further certifications to become a well-rounded counselor. I want to be the type of servant leader that is equipped to confidently counsel and nurture others through their distress with biblical, practical, and compassionate care.