The Art of Conversation 
in Caring Relationships

Over 40 hours of training (6 modules) . . .

. . . for anyone who wants to connect with others in more caring and meaningful ways.  If you’re a friend, spouse, parent, or even a minister or other church leader who would like to connect with others in your world in helpful ways, this class can give you the tools you need. You’ll be better able to

1. help others figure out and understand what drives their behavior,
2. help others be less defensive and more open to hearing different viewpoints (especially helpful for ministers in working with couples),
3. help people change behaviors they want to change, as well as do many other similar kinds of helpful things. 

When someone comes to you seeking help in your role as friend, or family member, or even as minister, you’ll be able to better help them.

Click here for Dr. James C. Savage Ph.D., Jewish and Greco-Roman studies; Ph.D., Psychology; and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC).

In our class you will begin to . . .

• Understand how you and others are put together emotionally and spiritually
• Understand where all behavior comes from and its role in communication
• Understand the power of engaging conversation relationally
• Learn how to use over 15 different skills to nurture caring relationships
• Understand why people drop out of church and other relationships
• Appreciate how life contexts contribute to why and how problems develop
• Learn when and how to refer when professional referral is necessary

I
Understanding the "Self" and How it Communicates (2 hours)

The starting point for understanding anything about communication and conversation is understanding how the “self” of each person is put together on the inside. And, the best place to begin our understanding in this regard is with our own “self.” The better we understand our own “self,” the better we will be able to understand the “self” of other people that we are relationship with.  But to understand our own “self” we must begin to understand the communication and conversations that go on inside us.  This segment of our Effective Ministry Series will help us begin the process of ministering to others in effective ways.

II
Understanding Conversation as part of the Communication Process in Relationships
(2 hours)

While most communication classes focus on things people can do to help improve the communication process, in this class we will tackle a couple of different questions:   “where does communication come from, and what does it reveal?”  Then, we will branch out and make some other helpful observations about communication, emphasizing that communication and conversation and not the same thing at all, even though most people assume that they are.  Clarifying this misconception will move us to our next class segment where we will learn how to help people turn their eloquent “communications” into conversation.

III
Understanding the Relational Nature of Conversation
(2 hours)

This segment of our class will suggest some ways that ministers might move the monolog nature of sermons into more of a conversational experience for listeners.  But more importantly, this segment of the class will give you ideas about the vitally important role you can play as a conversation partner with those that you really care about. The skills that we will introduce and practice in the next segment of the class will give you the tools for becoming a helpful conversation partner for those who need you most.

IV
Skills for Mastering
the Art of Relational
Conversation

This segment of the class (approximately 30 hours of material) is where you will learn how to use over 15 skills that you can use to help nurture the caring relationships in your life. In addition to hearing each skill explained and seeing it demonstrated in class, you’ll have time to practice each skill yourself to help you get good at using it.

V
Understanding Behavior in the Context of Life Span Development

When ministering to others, it’s often helpful to be aware of the problems that are often connected with our transitioning from one stage of life to another.  This segment of our class will help you be more aware of such      problems and how to help others deal with them.

VI
How to Refer when Professional Help Is Needed

As much as we often want to help others, sometimes we just aren’t qualified to do what needs to be done.  At such times, referring others to professionals who have prepared themselves through advanced training is the most caring thing we can do.  It’s kind of like having a friend who needs surgery.  Not many of us would be qualified to provide care in this way; the ACME Home Study Surgery Course just wouldn’t provide the training we need. This segment of our class will help you put what you’ve learned through these classes in perspective so that you don’t get into trouble by doing what you’re not qualified to do.