Continuing Education for your BeFrienders
Program Leaders can purchase Trainer Guides on a variety of topics for BeFrienders’ continuing education. Each trainer guide provides all the materials needed to conduct a 2 hour continuing education session. The guides include session plans and master copies for participant materials.
Features
Each Trainer Guide is ready to use and includes everything you need to provide continuing education for BeFrienders.
- Plan for a 2 hour continuing education session
- List of materials needed
- Reproducible masters of handouts
- Scripture based reflections
Benefits
Cost-effective and affordable. This one time purchase is a cost effective way to offer quality continuing education. Once you have purchased a session, it can be kept on file and program leaders can repeat the session as needed for new BeFrienders or as a refresher.
Time-saving. You can spend valuable time as a program leader supporting your BeFrienders rather than taking time to designing your own continuing education session.
Easy to Use. The Trainer Guides are in the same format as the candidate training Trainer Guide.
Timely and Relevant. Select the topics that meet the needs of your BeFrienders. The sessions are developed for BeFrienders and reinforce the “Foundation Principles” that are essential to the ministry.
Quick and simple to order. Trainer Guides can be ordered online or by calling the national office. The trainer guides will be emailed to you in PDF format. For sessions with accompanying DVD’s, the DVD’s will be sent via USPS.
Accessible. The Trainer Guides are PDF files and require Acrobat Reader version 5.0 or higher to open. Acrobat Readers is available free at www.adobe.com.
Continuing Education Topics
Moving Forward Together
Processing Pandemic in our Lives and Ministry
In this session, BeFrienders reflect on the impact of the pandemic in their lives and ministry so they can be prepared to be a listening presence for others. Program Leaders facilitate the session utilizing questions provided in the following areas: “The Impact of the Pandemic in your Life, Transitioning/Moving Forward and The Pandemic and your Ministry. $35
Evaluating & Ending a BeFriender Relationship
Excellent first choice for continuing education for BeFrienders. This session provides guidelines and role-plays for evaluating and ending BeFriender relationships. Participants examine what is “in their cup” about ending a relationship and discuss strategies for easing transition that endings bring for themselves and those they befriend. $70
Power of Active Listening
Participants examine their beliefs about listening and being listeners and how their beliefs and behaviors impact their listening role. Through story, participants understand how to listen with their eyes and heart, as well as with their ears. $70
Listening Skills: Part 1
Participants examine and practice attending and following, two of the active listening skills used in Level One mutuality. They learn how to be present with another, create a listening space, and embrace silence. Participants practice verbal and nonverbal encouragers and appropriate questions to help the storyteller reveal his or her world to the BeFriender. $70
Listening Skills: Part 2
Participants examine and practice the skills of responding with understanding. They learn how to respond to the emotions, meaning, and thoughts of storytellers. Skills are practiced using a visit that is included in the materials. $70
Checking the Pulse of Your Group
In this session, program leaders gather information from BeFrienders to evaluate how the group is working together and toward the mission of BeFriender Ministry. This session is recommended for annual use for program evaluation, as well as at times of transition or challenge. $70
Dying & Death (includes DVD)
The session includes a 58-minute video that offers the personal stories of three people who share how they came to accept the fact that they are dying. Through these stories participants learn more about the journey toward death and how to support those who are dying. Participants learn how to approach and discuss sensitive issues about death. Letting go, acceptance, and spirituality also are explored. $95
Coping with Loss (includes DVD)
The session includes a DVD that shares the stories of family, friends, and caregivers of a woman who had died three years before the video was made (Cindy, from the video “Just Ordinary Days” that accompanies the continuing education session “Dying & Death”). Participants see how responses to loss are hampered by myths and clichés. They also examine how relationships with those who have died are transformed as the grieving process unfolds. $95