formation certificate

Helping Relationships

with Ed Welch

sample lecture

How do we grow in walking alongside others? This course seeks to develop your ministry skills, whether in everyday friendships or more formal, counseling relationships. You'll grow in your ability to listen well, know people, interpret another person’s story from a biblical perspective, carefully and wisely apply Scripture, and offer biblically-based truth that will motivate others in their growth in Christ.

What to Expect

Course Work

Each week you'll listen to pre-recorded lectures, read articles and books, and engage with other students through online forums.
You'll complete various projects and papers, demonstrating your understanding and personal growth in the topics covered during the lectures and reading.
Your online instructor will give you feedback and interact with you throughout the course.
Throughout the term, you'll have the opportunity to participate in optional online engagements with your instructor.
Please note: you must have access to a computer to complete this course.

Unique Course Requirements

This course has two unique requirements. First, you will be grouped with 4–5 other students for a bi-weekly community group. This group will decide when they want to meet and what format works best (Skype, Google Hangout, Phone Call, etc.).
You will also meet weekly for an hour with someone (a friend, fellow church member, neighbor, etc.) to put into practice what you are learning in Helping Relationships. You will receive more information about these activities in your course syllabus and in the opening lecture.

Course Objectives

To connect ministry methods to its theological foundations
To establish a simple platform for all personal ministry that has unlimited potential to build and enhance ministry skills
To bring this model and the related skills into your church in a way that refines church culture

Course Schedule

Week 1: Foundations for Wise Methods
Week 2: Model of Care
Week 3: Skills for Knowing People
Week 4: Skills for Knowing People, cont.
Week 5: Skills for Knowing People, cont.
Week 6: Skills for Knowing Scripture
Week 7: Skills for Knowing Scripture, cont
Week 8: Skills for Knowing Scripture, cont
Week 9: Skills for Knowing Scripture, cont
Week 10: Final week

At a Glance

terms offered

Every January & June

course cost

$700–$750

course length

10 weeks

workload

6–9 hours/week

Formation Certificate

Helping Relationships is one of two courses in the Formation Certificate. Learn more about our current courses and certificates of completion below.

Certificate options

current students

Meet the Lecturing Faculty

Ed is a faculty member and counselor at CCEF, where he has served since 1981. He holds a doctor of philosophy in counseling (neuropsychology) from the University of Utah and a master of divinity from Biblical Theological Seminary. Ed is a licensed psychologist and has been active in local church ministry for decades. He has written numerous books, including When People Are Big and God Is Small (P&R Publishing, 1997), Shame Interrupted (New Growth Press, 2012), Side by Side (Crossway, 2015), and Created to Draw Near (Crossway, 2020).

Ed's resources