What is your Winebrenner program?
I’m in the Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling program
What was your immediate thought when you read the good news about the $300/month tuition rate being affirmed by the Board?
Thanks be to God!
What does this decision mean for you right now?
It means that I can continue in the program. I had committed to “no more school” because of excessive student loans. The fact that I can pay this out of pocket means that I can learn and grow in the direction I feel God is calling me without going into debt at the same time.
What does this decision mean for you after you graduate? What field do you hope to enter?
I am already a pastor (20 years!) but have always felt that my counseling skills were sub-par. My experience in ministry plus the additional licensure in counseling will allow me to serve the people God loves in new and needed ways. How God will lead is anyone’s guess! I’ve imagined what it would be like to work full time in counseling to pay the bills while serving a church who can’t afford a pastor. I’ve also wondered what it would be like to minister to pastors and others who struggle with mental health issues or simply have had a bad experience in the church. And then I’ve wondered if God might just continue to send me to the people who are longing to be loved and known and understood, using me in the local church as well as allowing counseling to reach those who will never set foot in a church. Ministry takes many forms, and I’m excited to see how this plays out over time.
Anything else you wish to share?
When the announcement came out that Winebrenner was going to continue with their $300/month program, my phone started buzzing as every member of my cohort started giving praise to God (who would have thought that buzzing phones would be praise songs?!) Thank you a million times over for this opportunity to build my skillset so that God can use me fully as I have been gifted!