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“I am deeply grieved to the point of death,” Jesus told Peter, James, and John in the garden of Gethsemane. “Remain here and stay awake.” They couldn’t do it, of course. The disciples kept drifting off to sleep, provoking the frustration of a Savior just hours away from death. “Can you just stay awake with
In Their Own Words
Denver Seminary graduates have remarkable things to say about their experience in the Clinical Pastoral Education program.
“The CPE program at Denver Seminary is crucial in getting hands-on experience in the field, where we get to practice the skills developed through the CPE program. The ongoing evaluation process during CPE is invaluable in developing strong, confident, appropriate, and knowledgeable ministers of God’s love and care to the world. Without the oversight of the CPE program and the education received through it, our society’s ministers may miss the heart and purpose behind God’s Mission to the world through ministry to others. CPE not only helps me be an effective chaplain, but helps me guide the chaplains I oversee at my department towards appropriate care of others.”
Detective and Chaplain Dennis J. Sauter, MA in Chaplaincy
#0802, Crime Scene Investigator, Chaplain Program Coordinator
City of Arvada, Colorado
“Denver Seminary’s CPE program not only equipped me to be a better chaplain, but gave me tools I could walk away with to meet the needs of the diverse population I minister to every day. Being with a group of peers and supervisors every week who were able to see my blind-spots, encourage me in the areas where I am strong, and delve into the deeper questions of why I respond the way I respond in pastoral counseling situations, gave me exactly what I needed to be the chaplain I am today. CPE is foundational, life-changing, hands-on experience every person in ministry should be required to take.”
Chaplain Diane Kamin, MA in Chaplaincy
Chaplain, Julia Temple Healthcare Center
“I found my CPE experience at Denver Seminary to be invaluable. First, as an MDiv student with an eye toward pastoral ministry, I found the rigor of the peer review and site work to be deeply forming in terms of my pastoral and chaplain understanding and identity. Second, the CPE experience helped form habits within me and a model for the future, which highly regards continuing education and formation as a chaplain. Now, as founder and executive director of Soccer Chaplains United, my experience with CPE, both at Denver Seminary and later, have helped lay the framework for understanding the acumen and level of chaplaincy excellence that may be demanded from those who have undergone CPE. It has also led us to direct some of our chaplain candidates to further their own education and training by taking CPE or additional units in order to serve well in our unique environment of soccer and sport.”
Rev. Brad Kenney, MDiv
Founder/Director, Soccer Chaplains United,
Lead Volunteer Chaplain, Colorado Rapids
“Denver Seminary provides clinical supervision for students placed in a variety of institutions, and brings these students together for group and individual supervision. This broad range of experiences from which students draw provides an interesting diversity and learning experience. Supervision, both in the group and individual supervision sessions, is very supportive with a highly qualified clinical supervisor. The primary goals are to engage students in looking deeper into themselves with a view towards spiritual growth, and to learn the basic competencies involved in pastoral care and chaplaincy ministries. CPE at Denver Seminary requires courage and commitment with the reward being one’s development of pastoral care competencies. I believe I am a more capable chaplain because of my two units of CPE through Denver Seminary.”
Chaplain Denise Delaney, Certificate in Chaplaincy
Hospital Chaplain, Vail Health
“CPE training at Denver Seminary was the most pragmatic component of my pastoral education to prepare for service as chaplain for the Denver Fire Department. The opportunity to provide supervised pastoral and spiritual care, safely critiqued by peers and experienced supervisors, built listening, counseling, and pastoral skills I would not have learned otherwise, certainly not as quickly. Grief and loss over death, illness, injury, and unique stressors experienced by fire fighters and their loved ones is sometimes exacerbated by cumulative trauma exposure. My CPE experience provided me with incomparable insight, improved skills, and humble confidence to help serve people experiencing loss and crises.”
Chaplain Ron Biegler, MDiv-Chaplaincy
Denver Fire Department