Christian Listeners USA
A Division of the Institute for Christian Healing
Christian Listeners USA focuses on helping people develop skills for listening to others with the heart of Jesus Christ. Listening is perhaps the greatest gift you can give to another. It is life changing. Christian Listening provides a safe place for people to come as they are and tell their story. It is designed to help them:
Identify their feelings
Express what is locked inside of them
Identify possible solutions to their concerns
We offer workshops and courses that teach Christian Listening skils to enhance personal relationships with family members, fellow workers and most importantly with God.
The courses we offer are taught by trained Christian Listeners. Levels One to Three courses may be taken consequtively as an intensive Christian Listening training program, or as a means to strengthen personal ministry skills.
Level One: Introduction to Christian Listening
This introductory course to Christian Listening focuses on the benefits of listening, exploring ways we have previously learned to listen, both helpful and unhelpful. Students are introduced to a model of listening that can facilitate relationhip-building, healing, and reconciliation with oneself, with others and with God. Level 1 can stand alone or run concurrently with Level 2. This is a three hour course.
Level Two: Learning to Listen
This course helps students improve listening skills in the context of daily life. Instruction and reflection of the students own life experiences help them recognize their various patterns of listening responses and learn how to improve their listening skills. They explore different ways of praying the scriptures through Christian meditation, journaling, music, reflection and silence. This is a four session course.
Level Three: Called to Listen
This is an intensive course offering a deeper level of listening based on the Christian understanding of the person as a child of God. Students draw on personal life experiences to further their listening skills and identify limits of competence (e.g. how and when to refer). This course offers opportunities with fellow students to experience enouragement and intercession. Completion of Levels One and Two are pre-requisite to this five day course.
Teacher Training
Students who successfully complete Levels One, Two and Three may be invited to take the Teacher Training course preparing them to be techers of Christian Listeners.
For more information or to enroll in a course please contact Joanna Zeiner, Director of Training, Christian Listeners USA, 3424 FM117, Uvalde, TX 78801, zeinerj@gmail.com.
Self Study Course
For individuals and groups that want a self study course we offer, Just Listen! This is a lively and practical way of beginning to develop effective listening attitudes and skills. This course offers foundational teaching on the value of listening to God, one other and ourselves.
Just Listen!
Just Listen! is available on a DVD with an accompanying course book. It is ideally suited for use within a small group setting spread across two 2-hour sessions or it can be used by an individual following it on their own. A 90 minute DVD is divided into 6 short modules, covering subjects such as: Tuning In, What kind of Listener am I? Developing a Listening Attitude, Identifying Obstacles, Doorways to Good Listening, and Ideas to Inspire You.
There are also film clips showing different ways of using listening skills within the community. The course is interactive, so participants are invited to pause the film at various times in order to take part in the discussions/activities. The course can be led by anyone accustomed to facilitating a small group, and guidance for the group leader is provided in the notes.
The cost for a Just Listen! Course Book is $10.00 and a DVD is $25.00. Orders may be sent to Rev. James Shelly at jashelly@comcast.net.
The Just Listen! course book and DVD were produced by the Acorn Christian Healing Foundation. To preview the Just Listen! DVD go to their website at http://www.acornchristian.org/listening/just-listen.
News and Updates
An exciting newsletter, The Listening Post, is published quarterly with the latest information on Christian Listening courses and training events.
The Listening Post
To view and download the most recent issue click The Listening Post. After viewing the newsletter you can return to this page by closing the newsletter link.
For the very latest updates and to hear testimonies from Christian Listeners USA participants go to Joanna's blog at: http://hearme-jozee.blogspot.com/.