Course Description

Am I able to hold my bundle of emotions (thoughts, feelings, visceral experiences and urges) so that I do not simply react to situations but respond in a way that reflect that I am a follower of Christ? Perhaps we struggle with this in stressful situations, with anger, sadness, anxiety and other emotional experiences in our day-today living. There is hope. We learnt from neuroscience that it is possible to regulate our emotions through new experiences.

As part of our self-care, we can tap on Christian spiritual disciplines to create new emotional experiences that make space for God in our life. In this space we open ourselves to be more aware of God’s presence, to notice and hold our inner experiences with more openness, to discern with greater clarity what God is saying to us through his Word in our situation, and to allow the Holy Spirit to enable us to act in a way that brings greater love, praise and service to God.

This course is experiential; it is for anyone who desires to experiment with embracing the Christian spiritual disciplines in their ordinary living towards greater emotional well-being. May we receive and experience God’s grace in our emotional self-care.

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  • Location

    BGST

  • Dates

    Saturday
    Jul: 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

  • Time

    9.30AM–12.30PM

Instructor

Ms Seah Chiew Kwan

Associate Lecturer

Ms Seah Chiew Kwan is a graduate from Biblical Graduate School of Theology (Grad Dip CS in Christian Education and MCS), TCA College (MA Counselling). Currently, she is an adjunct lecturer with BGST and Tung Ling Bible School. She was a facilitator for Core Clinical Skills with TCA College, School of Counselling for 2 years and a lecturer with Singapore Polytechnic for 20 years. In 2010, she and her late sister established Keeper’s Loft, a ministry of soul care. She has been facilitating silence and solitude retreats for churches and small groups since then. She offers professional counselling and Christian spiritual mentoring for individuals as a private practitioner. She integrates psychotherapy and Christian spirituality in her work and ministry. She is married to Roy and they with 2 adult children and 2 grandchildren. She is also a cancer survivor.

Course curriculum

  • 1

    General

  • 2

    Welcome and Lesson Handouts

    • Shalom :)

    • CS105-AY2223S1 Session 1 Handout

    • CS105-AY2223S1 Session 2 Handout

    • CS105-AY2223S1 Session 3 Handout

    • CS105-AY2223S1 Session 4 Handout

    • Beloved Prayer
  • 3

    Readings before Lesson 2

    • Session 1 Homework Sacred Chaos Chap 14 n 16 - Tricia McCary Rhodes

    • Session 1 Homework Liturgy of the Ordinary Chap 10 - Tish Harrison Warren

    • Session 1 Homework Mindfulness and Christian Spirituality Chap 10 - Tim Stead

    • Reference Text - ACT made simple 2nd Ed Chap 1 by Russ Harris
  • 4

    Readings before Lesson 3

    • Session 2 Homework Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Barten Chap 2 Solitude

    • Session 2 Homework As Kingfishers Catch Fire by Eugene Peterson Chap 1 and 2

    • Session 2 Homework Keeping the Sabbath Wholly by Marva Dawn Chap 3 n Chap 4

    • Session 2 Homework Subversive Sabbath by Swoboda - Chap 3 Sabbath and Health
  • 5

    Readings before Lesson 4

    • Session 3 Homework Ruth in Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work by Eugene Peterson

    • Session 3 Homework The Gift of Being Yourself by David Benner Chap 1 Knowing Self and God
  • 6

    Readings before Lesson 5

    • Session 4 Homework Compassion Chap 7 Nouwen McNeill Morrison

    • Session 4 Homework Desert Mothers by Mary Earle - Chap 7 Practice of Humility

    • Session 4 Homework God Many Splendored Image by Nonna Verna Harrison - Chap 4 Virtues and Humility
  • 7

    Assignment Submission

    • Due: 9 July 2022-Reflection Reports #1 on Spiritual Discipline Practices

    • Due: 9 July 2022-Reflection Reports #1 on Readings

    • Due: 16 July 2022-Reflection Reports #2 on Spiritual Discipline Practices

    • Due: 16 July 2022-Reflection Reports #2 on Readings

    • Due: 30 July 2022-Reflection Reports #3 on Readings

    • Due: 30 August 2022-Reflection Reports #3 on Spiritual Disciplines Practices

    • Due 1 Nov 2022-Final Integration Report

    • Course Evaluation Form