Transformations to offer

    Do you find that friends and family often come to you for help with their problems? Do you have a desire to help people, care for them, and provide encouragement in their time of need? Do you wish you had a better understanding of the issues facing people today?
     Transformations, a local ministry providing Christian counseling, education, and ministry support services, is pleased to offer a certified lay counselor training program which will be available beginning Jan. 27.
    This timely training program will integrate curriculum from transformations and the AACC (American Association of Christian Counselors) with practical application. All teachings and methodologies will be based on Biblical principles and will provide enhanced training opportunities for members of local ministry teams. Sessions will be held one Saturday per month from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Presque Isle and/or Houlton (depending on the needs of participants). Attendance at sessions 1-30 is required for certification as a Lay Counselor. Trainings will be offered on a monthly basis with program completion in 15 months. This training is offered on an open basis – participants may attend one or all sessions in the series. Certificates for contact hours will be provided upon request. Registration is $45 per person, per 7 hour training.
    Completion of this training program does not guarantee participants in a ministry role in any church setting. Upon request, Transformations will assist local church leadership in developing and implementing an individualized Lay Counseling Program designed to meet your specific ministry needs.
    Anyone who is actively involved in a ministry role in your local church, a stay-at-home mom ministering to friends and family over the phone or a cup of coffee, or a professional care-giver helping hurting individuals and families is welcome to participate. It is the goal of Transformations to educate and equip a group of helpers within the local faith-based community to offer biblical truth, acceptance, hope, and wisdom to hurting people. Throughout this training, participants will be supervised by Christian professionals and have regular educational opportunities in the area of people helping. This training is designed to equip laypersons to provide distinctively Christian one-to-one care to members of their local congregation and to the community at large. Participants will gain a biblical perspective of people and the problems we face. In addition, participants will also receive training in a variety of specialized topics designed to sharpen and enhance their knowledge and skills in helping people deal with common life issues.
    The first training will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27 at the Wesleyan Church in Presque Isle. Topics to be discussed include “An introduction to Lay/Biblical Counseling” and “The Use of Spiritual Gifts in Lay Counseling.”
    To register, or for more information regarding this series of training programs, please contact Nancy Nichols at 207-488-4904, Lois Flewelling at 532-9906, or log on to www.transformmegod.com.