What It Is
The Lutheran Visitation Education program equips professional church workers with enhanced skills for visitation, integrating helpful caring techniques with the historic Lutheran approach to spiritual care. The program accepts three to six students per cohort.
Who It’s For
This program is open to all rostered LCMS church workers and graduate-level professional church work students who are interested in growing in the art of spiritual care and are interested in serving in chaplaincy roles.
Application Requirements
- Candidate is a rostered LCMS church worker or enrolled in a graduate-level church worker program (i.e. M.Div., deaconess, etc.)
- Completed admission packet (including interview with instructor)
- Desire to learn and grow in the art of spiritual care
- Commitment to complete the entire program
Where You Serve
- Candidates will complete their 300 hours of practical ministry experience in the location that they are presently serving (i.e. parish pastor, deaconess, hospital chaplain, etc.). These hours consist of the work that the church worker usually engages in.
- Graduate students will complete a portion of their 300 hours of ministry experience at a nearby senior living community, hospital, or other institution.
Program Requirements
- A total of 400 hours is required (100 educational hours, plus 300 hours dedicated to practical ministry experience).
- Students will be expected to spend at least four to five hours per week on educational training.
- The program will be administered online. A reliable internet connection is necessary to attend sessions on Zoom.
Cost
- $750 per student
Benefits
- Growth in spiritual care from a Lutheran perspective
- Engage with and learn from LCMS church workers across the Synod
- Graduate students may receive course credit towards the completion of their degree
- Lutheran Visitation Education is recognized by the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) as a CPE equivalent course, meaning that this course would be recognized as 1 unit of CPE towards the required 4 units of CPE for participants seeking APC Board Certification.
Interested?
Contact LCMS Specialized Spiritual Care Ministry for more information.