A Little Epistle to My Pastoral Care and Counseling Students on Deep Learning (and a link to a re-usable “product” for the Spiritual Diagnostic Model)

My Beloved Students in the Gospel,

What an honor and joy to serve you as you prepare for a life of pastoral care and counseling. You will see a world I will not. You will minister Christ deep into the twenty-first century. Therefore, I must pray all the more for you. My theme verse for supporting you in this mission of teaching and learning is from Paul’s deeply moving words to the Thessalonians:

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy” (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 NKJV).

To my thought today: As you will learn, I am praying that you will depart our course with a biblically faithful, theologically informed, and Christ-centered model for pastoral care and counseling. The Spiritual Diagnostic Model is a six-step plan to identify the spiritual pathology of the human soul according to the Scriptures and to appropriate the Truth through the means of grace (Word, Sacrament, and Prayer). In pastoral counseling, we move from Assessment and Diagnosis to Pastoral Treatment, which can include a “pastoral plan of ministry.” I have written an article that includes a specific plan—i.e., a “covenant” for spiritual renewal—for a case study involving addiction. I ask you to read this brief online article (and feel free to subscribe for free) paying particular attention to the actual “covenant” for renewal. In this case, I felt the addictions were filling spiritual places for essential virtues and driving harmful choices in his life. Using scripture and prayer I sought to help the parishioner acknowledge the missing or corrupted “communicable attributes of God” and move to tangible expressions of practicing new life (”teaching them to be obedient in whatsoever” the Lord instructed) emanating from receiving God’s grace in Christ.

You might think, “Wo, horse! We haven’t even got to learning the basic outline!” I understand. However, throughout the course, I will seek to add practical elements, examples, case studies, and products that could be of help to you later. So, some ideas might come early and demand research just to put them in context. Precisely! And research and integration into your own life and ministry bring “deep learning.” And insights gleaned and applied from “deep learning”  will “stick to your ribs” like hot oatmeal on a cold morning.

Here is the link: https://open.substack.com/pub/michaelamilton/p/rooted-in-christ-embracing-a-life?r=1b9wpi&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

The Lord bless you and keep you.

In Christ,

Dr. Milton