Counseling in the Urban Setting

MI 3273-01 3 C. Berkley Jr.

Counseling in the Urban Setting

Healthy Relationships and Conflict Resolution in Christian Organizations

Course Syllabus

Zion Bible College

MI3371-01, 2 Credits

Spring, 2011

Tuesday 1:45-3:35p.m.

Classroom Bldg, Room 109

Pastor Charles A. Berkley Jr., BS, Adjunct Professor

Office: Classroom Bldg, Room 211

Cell: 401-413-2791,

Office Hours: By appointment

Zion Bible College exists to teach and train students for excellent Pentecostal ministry, in fulfillment of the Great Commission.

Course Description:

The purpose of this course is to train leaders concerning the key elements for building healthy relationships both personally (at home) and organizationally (in the Christian organization). The issues of proper boundaries, time management, balancing life’s demands, and creating a healthy organizational culture will be addressed. Key principles, strategies and procedures for resolving conflict within the personal and organizational spheres will be addressed in this course.

Course Objectives:

• To understand, develop and articulate a biblically based philosophy for conflict resolution both personally and professionally.
• To identify key forces in conflict and conflict resolution.
• To understand and be aware of the organizational dynamics which will facilitate healthy relationships and minimize conflicts both personally and professionally.
• To understand the interplay between individual and organizational health.
• To develop an awareness of levels of conflict and their importance in conflict resolution.
• To recognize the barriers and signs of an unhealthy organizational structure.
• To know your own personal behavioral style, its strengths and weaknesses, and how that impacts conflict resolution, personally and organizationally.
• To have a basic understanding of other behavioral styles and how that impacts communication and conflict resolution as well as key strategies on how to approach different styles effectively for conflict resolution.
• To understand the essential elements of interest based conflict resolution.
• To understand how cultural, ethnic, and gender differences impact communication and conflict resolution.
• To develop key criteria for boundary setting.
• To recognize, embrace and practice the spiritual disciplines needed to be personally prepared for conflict resolution. In other words, the spiritual state of the person directly impacts one’s approach to conflict resolution.

Textbooks:

Sande, Ken. The Peace Maker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict. Baker Books, 1997

Susek, Ron. Firestorm: Preventing and Overcoming Church Conflicts. Baker Books, 1999

Requirements:

1. To be faithful, punctual, and involved.
2. Class attendance and participation will be assessed. The direct impact of the course material, the richness of the discussions and the application of said material are directly related to you being in class.
3. The student is to write a one page summary of each of the required texts outlining the strengths and weaknesses as well as the benefits received from each. These will be due the last week of class but is recommended you try getting them in beforehand.
4. For their mid-term, each student will be required to write a 4-5 page paper on their family history of conflict resolution. The purpose of this paper is for you to learn your family’s view of conflict and its impact upon your lifestyle. What are the rules in your family concerning conflict? How were issues addressed and resolved in your family? Were they resolved? What was the atmosphere like in your home concerning raising difficult issues? Was there more of an open or closed atmosphere in your home? What role did you ascribe to in your family—peacemaker, scapegoat or silent spectator?
5. Each student will give a 15-20 minute case study presentation in class concerning an organizational conflict in a Christian organization. The following five points must be covered:

• A basic narrative of the issue involved.
• The precipitating events which brought about the conflicts.
• A brief discussion of the underlying issues (personally and professionally).
• The key factors necessary in resolving the conflict and a corresponding strategy.
• The implication of not resolving the conflictual situation.

1. Each student is to write an eight page paper (Turabian format) outlining their view of conflict resolution from a biblical and practical perspective (My Philosophy of Conflict Resolution). The student is to cover key concepts of conflict resolution out of which stated principles will be formulated. The student will also give biblical illustrations (5 or 6) as well as life experience illustrations to demonstrate the principles and philosophy articulated.
2. There will be a final exam for this class covering the material presented and discussed during the lectures including handouts.

Grading Criteria for Written Work:

• Promptness
• Organization
• Comprehensiveness and context concerning the topic
• Writing style
• Practicality and evidence of personal impact of the information

Grade Evaluation:

Your grade will be evaluated as follows:

Attendance and Participation 5%

Book Reports 10%

Family History Paper 20%

Research Paper 25%

Final Exam 25%

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Course Schedule:

January 25:Class Intro

February1:Intro to Biblical Principles

8:Biblical Principles cont’d

15:Barriers to Conflict Resolution

22:Barriers cont’d/ Healthy Relationships

March 1:Healthy Relationships

4-13: Spring Break

15: Conflict styles Survey, Family History Paper due!

22:Family Dynamics

29: Healthy Organizational Culture, Case Study Class Presentations

April5:Case Study Class Presentations cont’d

12: Listening Inventory; systems, Power

19: Movie

26: Discussion, Ethnic and Gender Issues concerning conflict

May3:Review for final, Philosophy Paper/ Book Reports due!

May4-10: Final Exam! Date and Time TBA

Policies:

Attendance: Students are expected to attend all class periods. Please be aware that absences are granted for illness, personal matters, or for emergencies. It is important for students to keep track of their own absences and late arrivals carefully. Please see the Student Handbook for the Absence Policy. There will be a very short (10 min.) mid-class break. Students are expected to remain in class at other times except for medical reasons.

If a student arrives late to class, it is their responsibility to inform the teacher after class that they are present. Otherwise, they may be marked absent for the class. It is a good idea to date your notes each class in case attendance discrepancies should arise.

In order to be declared present in class, students must present themselves in an appropriate manner, following the guidelines of the Student Handbook.

Assignments: All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date. All others will be considered late. Assignments should be written in Turabian format.

All late assignments are to be turned into the instructor, not placed in campus mall. There are no exceptions to this policy unless mandated by the Office of the Academic Dean.

Examinations: any missed exam may be made up if the exam was missed due to illness or other excused absence (see Student Handbook). A make-up exam will also be allowed if the circumstances are urgent and approved by the instructor prior to the exam.

Extension and Late Paper Policy: The paper is due at the beginning of class on the due dates as noted in the syllabus. There no exceptions. Extensions will only be granted for the following four reasons: 1) hospitalization for illness. A doctor’s note confirming such is required; 2) extended serious illness that prevents a student from attending class. This requires a doctor’s note and signature of verification from the student’s Resident Director; 3) funerals or family emergencies granted as an approved absence by the Academic Dean and Dean of Students; 4) school-approved activities. If the student meets one of these exceptions, a “Request for Extension Form” must be filled out. The form can be obtained from the Office of Admissions or the Office of the Academic Dean. If your paper is turned in after attendance is taken on April 9, you will receive an automatic point deduction of five (5) points. For each twenty-four hour period (this included Saturday’s, Sunday’s and school breaks) the paper is not turned in, there will be a forfeiture of five (5) points from the total points. If the paper is not turned in within five twenty-four hour periods after the due date and time, an automatic score of zero (0) will be entered for the grade with no chance of making up the paper/grade. If a hard copy cannot be presented by the specified time and hour, an email copy may be presented for verification of completion with a hard copy following.

Plagiarism: A student who submits written material as his/her own work which has been copied in whole or in part from another person’s work without acknowledgement is guilty of plagiarism. Material, whether published or unpublished, copied from another writer, must be identified by the use of quotation marks and documentation with specific citation of the source. Paraphrased material must likewise be attributed to the origin author.

Copying another student’s paper, with or without permission, or using his/her ideas with only minimal reworking, is plagiarism, as is the copying from printed books and magazines without giving credit to the original source. Any student who submits a plagiarized paper or who permits another person to copy his/her work is subject to any of the following actions: a grade of “zero” or “F” for the work, failure in or expulsion from the class, being reported for further disciplinary action.

Cheating: a student who engages in dishonest behavior such as: using unauthorized notes or material when taking an examination, copying answers to examinations questions, or engaging in securing unauthorized copies of examination questions

(including aiding another person in doing so), is subject to the action or penalty indicated above. Copying another person’s class work and/or homework and submitting it as one’s own, or having another person perform an assignment and submitting it as having originated from themselves personally is guilty of plagiarism—which is cheating. Such students will, therefore, be subject to the above discipline. Faculty members are to submit all such cases on the appropriate “Plagiarism Form” to the Office of the Academic Dean.

Bibliography:

Crabb, Larry. Connecting: A Radical New Vision. Nashville, TN; W Publishing Group, 1997.

Elston, Craig W. and Maynard, Edward S. Healing for the City: Counseling in the Urban Setting. Eugene, Oregon; Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2002.

Halverstadt, Hugh F. Managing Church Conflict. Louisville, KY; Westminister/John Knox Press, 1991.

Sande, Ken. The Peacemaker: A biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1997.

Susek, Ron. Firestorm: Preventing and Overcoming Church Conflicts. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999.

Spring 2011

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