“We represent the God who is both with us and out in front of us calling us, inviting us, even challenging us, to move into the future. As Moltmann put it,
‘God is the one who accompanies us and beckons us to set out. And it is God who, so to speak, waits for us around the next corner…. Even on the false paths we take in life God continually opens up surprisingly new possibility to us.’
The living God does not beckon from behind us somewhere in history, but is pulling us toward the horizons of promise and fulfillment. Those hurting people with whom we sit are crying out for new horizon of hope. They need future stories that provide security, excitement and joy in the present moment. Pastoral caregivers enable despairing persons to gain the courage to lean into their future, to revision and reconstruct future stories that are connected to hope rather than despair. ”
-Andrew D. Lester “Hope in Pastoral Care and Counseling” Chapter 10
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April 2020 Updates
Not much news right now at CPSP-Philippines. Here are a few items.
1. Membership and Center fees are delayed until the second half of 2017. We have moved away from the calendar year, so when one pays one’s annual fee, it will be good for 12 months starting from time of payment.
2. Most training programs are on hold due to enhanced quarantine conditions. However Bukal Life Care is experimenting with online CPE. Hoping to learn from this.
3. Speaking of online services, CPSP (US) is holding online support groups for member chaplains. It can be a valuable place on Zoom for helping the helpers.
4. Bob and Celia Munson are working on a new book… Pastoral Counseling Case Workbook. Completion date? Unknown, but people are welcome to look at the books already done with CPSP Philippines (Check menu above).
March 2020 Updates
As I expect everyone knows much of the Philippines is under quarantine. As such, most non-essential activities are shutdown.
Bukal Life Care is planning to have CPE start on March 26, but that will b handled creatively, with some aspects online. As far as other training centers, please contact the individual centers as far as training and other pastoral care services.
We are glad that we were able to have our March 2nd Certification Board in Ipil, Zamboanga, as well as the CPE graduation of the Shalom CPE Training Center. Victor Navarro and Phanuel Buac were reviewed. We look forward to announcing the results soon.
For those stuck at home and seeking to learn, consider our bookstore on this page. All of them are available in Kindle right into your home.
An interesting article, “Pandemic Love” by Charles E. Moore, was written in response to one of the Avian Flu epidemics a few years ago. It is pretty relevant today. Consider clicking below:
https://munsonmissions.org/2020/03/17/the-church-and-pandemic-love/
New Book from CPSP-Philippines Press
The book, “Doing Christ’s Mission: My Ecumenical Journey” was recently published by Dr. Erlinda Nable Senturies, through CPSP-Philippines Press.
This book is a social biography integrating my personal and ecumenical life in line with doing Christ’s mission. It traces my faith journey from various influences of my childhood and growing up in a church that had conservative ideas of faith practice to my exposure to a liberal theological orientation from the university community and then progressive engagement based on the context of the times in the various decades of life. As a medical graduate and discerning how I can serve the people, my exposure to the ecumenical community enabled me to see a new way of doing medical practice. It brought me closer to the communities and congregations that informed me of the inadequacy of our health care system. This book explores my theological journey and my medical journey. And now, as I enter my senior years, and enrolled in Clinical Pastoral Education, this book explores my growth in deep listening and learning ideas in the accompaniment of the people in their various challenges in life, including facing death and dying. This is part of pursuing the fullness of life for all, for which our Saviour Jesus Christ came.
It is available online by CLICK HERE.
Updated Pages
Sometimes one forgets to check blog pages to make sure they are current. So here are some of our pages that have been recently updated. You can click on the appropriate tabs at the top of the page to see these pages:
- Books from CPSP-Philippines. Updated name of this page, and where some of these books can be purchased.
- Training Centers. Updated training centers to show ones that have transitioned from provisional to regular accreditation.
- Supervision/SITs. Minor updates.
- Accreditations and Certifications. Updated new structure of regular accreditation, as well as changes to Sub-specialties
CPE Course Starting in Bocaue, Bulacan
Impromptu Meeting and 2020 Plenary
Board Meeting was held in Baguio on October 26 for Bukal Life Care. The board has two Diplomates of CPSP-Philippines (Chaplain Celia and Dr. Sim), and four SITs (Chaplains Jehny, Renato, Lyn and Vo). The registrar of CPSP-Philippines (Dr. Bob) was also present as the administrator of Bukal. When Diplomate Dr. Cal decided to join Dr. Sim on his trip to Baguio, we ended up having a sizable gathering of CPSP-Philippines leadership, from four training centers.
As such, we moved into a number of CPSP-Philippines matters. Most clearly among them is the CPSP-Philippines Plenary. It is scheduled for May 2020 with the POSSIBLE dates of May 12 and 13, with probable venue being Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary in Baguio City. Like speakers will be Doc Sim and Doc Cal, with hopefully at least one Diplomate from CPSP (US) joining as plenary speaker.
More to follow.
Certification Board
On October 24, a Certification Board was held at Ellinwood Malate Church in Manila. It was hosted by the Malate Chapter and Jethro Guidance Center. The board was chaired by Diplomate Dr. Calixto Sodoy, with other boardmembers Diplomate Dr. Simplicio Dang-Awan Jr. (non-voting), Diplomate Dr. Paul Tabon, and SIT Dr. Merlita Montecastro.
Three were approved as certified Pastoral Counseling and Clinical Chaplain. They are:
Dr. Larry Paul Gusto
Rev. Ephraim Guerrero
Dr. Elvin Salarda
Congratulations to all three. They will be serving as Supervisors-in-Training under Dr. Sim.
Growing Library
CPSP-Philippines is committed to expanding books and other materials to assist in the areas of Pastoral Care and Chaplaincy, especially in the Philippines. At this time we have the books above:
Pastoral Care Response for Alcoholism in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, by Dr. Simplicio Dang-Awan, Jr. He is the Diplomate Supervisor at Jethro Guidance Center.
Recovery of the Soul: A History and Memoir of the Clinical Pastoral Movement, by Dr. Raymond Lawrence. He is the General Secretary of CPSP, and Mentor of CPSP-Philippines.
The Art of Pastoral Care, by Dr. Robert and Celia Munson. They are the co-founders of Bukal Life Care, and Celia is the Diplomate Supervisor at Bukal.
Dynamics in Pastoral Counseling and Training, by Robert and Celia Munson
Another book is in the works and should be done soon by Erlinda Senturias.
The above four books are all available online at Amazon, and many other online vendors. Three of the four books are available at the main office of CPSP-Philippines (which is shared by Bukal Life Care in Baguio City, Philippines). The fourth book, by Raymond Lawrence should be available at our main office in the near future.
New Book Released
A third book has been released for CPSP-Philippines. 
The book is Dynamics in Pastoral Counseling and Training. It is the second book by the Munsons to support CPE training programs.
Pastoral counseling is a form of counseling that draws from the social sciences, but far more from pastoral theology, metaphor, symbols, and rituals. This book seeks to explore aspects of pastoral counseling with special emphasis on the dynamic processes associated with training, supervision, relationships, life stages, faith development, and theological reflection.
The book is presently available on Amazon at This Location. Kindle version will follow, and paper copies will be available at the Bukal Life Care office (in Baguio City) in a few weeks.
Two other books are:
The Art of Pastoral Care by Robert and Celia Munson
Pastoral Care Response to Alcoholism in the Armed Forces of the Philippines by Simplicio Dang-Awan Jr.
CPSP-Philippines 