CBCOU
Certificate in Biblical Counselling
Department of Pastoral Ministry · 1 year · 10 courses · 100% online
About this programme
In most churches the person people bring their troubles to is not a trained counsellor. It is the pastor, the women's leader, the unit head, whoever was still standing at the back after service. A marriage is failing, a young man is drinking, a mother has buried a child, and someone has to sit down and help.
This certificate puts that work on a proper footing. The study joins two things: what Scripture teaches about the human heart and how people change, and the practical craft of listening, asking the question behind the question, and keeping a conversation on ground you can stand on. Much of the thinking is about discernment, since counselling well depends on telling one kind of trouble from another and on knowing where your competence ends. Ethics and confidentiality are treated as part of the skill rather than an afterthought.
You will be able to sit with a hurting person without flinching, open the Bible on the actual problem, and recognise when a case belongs with a doctor or a lawyer. Imagine the next person who knocks on your door finding you ready for them. That readiness can begin now, and we would be glad to receive your application.
10 courses across 2 semesters, about 1 year of study.
Who it is for
Believers who want a solid grounding in one area of ministry without committing to a degree. It suits workers already serving in a local church, and anyone returning to study after a long gap.
What you will be able to do
Speak and serve with confidence in this area of ministry, understand what Scripture teaches about it, and put that understanding to work in your local church.
How you will study
Every course here runs the same way, so you always know where you are.
- Six study modules a course, each with a handout you can read on screen or download.
- Video and audio of the same teaching, for studying while you travel or work.
- A short refresher quiz to open each course. It is not scored, and you may retake it.
- Two tests along the way, then a final examination. The pass mark is 50%.
- Results appear as soon as you submit.
Study is entirely online and at your own pace. Everything works on a phone, and handouts can be downloaded to read without data.
Entry requirements
Open to all. No previous study is required. You must be at least 14 years old.
Fees
Your fees are set out in the admission letter issued to you.
What you will study
10 courses across 2 semesters, drawn from these areas.
- Department of Biblical Studies
- Department of Pastoral Ministry
- Department of Theology
The full course schedule is issued when you are admitted.