Course Summary:
As humans, we are faced with countless decisions every day. Many of these decisions are mindless, like what to have for lunch and how early you need to leave home to get to an appointment on time. Other decisions are ethical in nature and require a level of discernment to bring about a positive outcome.
Clergy members and other ministerial leaders face these decisions as well, but the challenge lies in the nature of their job description. Clergy and ministerial leaders are often expected to make all the right decisions AND have all the right answers. An ethical clergy person who maintains healthy boundaries can move a congregation forward to do its best work. On the other hand, unethical behavior coupled with unhealthy boundaries can create a ripple effect that is felt in a congregation for years to come.
Ethical behavior and healthy boundaries are grounded in biblical truth, and your job as a clergy or ministerial leader is to draw from this biblical truth as you live out an ethical code of conduct. Those who live up to this challenge are rewarded many times over.
In this 7-module, 2-hour course, we will take users through the top issues challenging today’s clergy and church leadership, and how they can navigate these ethical conundrums. The course is $29 per user.
Learning Objectives:
- Define ethics and how it relates to a clergy or ministerial leader
- Explain healthy boundaries and their importance in all aspects of faith life
- Recognize how decisions you make as a ministry leader can affect a congregation
- Learn how a code of conduct can be helpful when challenged with ethical predicaments
- Learn about the top ethical issues facing clergy members today: technology and addictive behaviors; sexual abuse and misconduct, and boundary awareness/abuse prevention; dual relationships, confidentiality and accountability; plagiarism, use of church resources and abuse of power
- Identify how to evaluate your own behavior and decision-making skills
- Recognize how to evaluate one’s own behavior and decision-making skills
- Learn about the importance of self-care for clergy
- Recognize the rewards for ethical behavior
Key Topics Include:
- Module 1: Ethics and Boundaries. Explore the definition of ethics and how it relates to clergy, including how the decisions made by clergy can affect a congregation both positively and negatively. Learn how a code of conduct can be helpful for clergy when challenged with ethical predicaments.
- Module 2: Ethical Challenges: Technology, Addictive Behaviors Some of the top ethical issues faced by clergy today include technology and addictive behaviors. This module explores these topics in-depth and includes reflection points for deeper consideration.
- Module 3: Ethical Challenges: Sexual Abuse and Misconduct, Boundary Awareness/Abuse Prevention. This module discusses more ethical conundrums facing clergy, including sexual harassment and other forms of sexual misconduct. Also, clergy will learn about boundary awareness and appropriate behaviors when dealing with children and youth.
- Module 4: Ethical Challenges: Dual Relationships, Confidentiality, Accountability. In this module, clergy will delve deeper into the topics of dual relationships, confidentiality and accountability and supervision.
- Module 5: Ethical Challenges: Plagiarism, Use of Resources, Abuse of Power. This module discusses plagiarism and copyright, responsible use of resources, and narcissism and abuse of power, and how the role of clergy can magnify this behavior.
- Module 6: Ethical Challenges and Consequences. It is important for clergy to have the skills to evaluate their own behavior and decision-making skills. This module includes questions to help guide behavior in challenging ethical situations, as well as recognizing the important of self-care. In addition, this module examines the rewards for ethical behavior.
- Module 7: Conclusion and Final Exam.
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