Lesson 11: Discussion and Assignment

Lesson 11. Live Discussion Questions

These questions are intended to be used to lead a live session at your organization. Clients should come having read the material prepared to answer the questions below. You may also want to use some of the online discussion questions as well as the assignment discussion questions in your live discussion.  

Chapter 18. Dealing with Difficult Clients

  1. Why do you suppose the word “dealing” is crossed out in the title? (No accident that the word “dealing” is crossed out but that is how we generally too often feel.)
  2. After reading the chapter, how are you most likely realistically to view the clients you work with?
  3. How is ministry affected by how we view clients?
  4. What has been the most challenging client you have had to work with and how did you improve in how you saw this client?
  5. Pick one of the listed guidelines that you know you need to grow in and tell us how you have come to that conclusion.

Chapter 33. Giving Effective Instructions

  1. Discuss what you learned from this chapter and how it might apply in your context.

Lesson 11. Online Discussions

If you are using this material to facilitate live group discussions, then these questions can be used as a guide. 

If you would like to receive credit for this course, then submit a 400-word response for each discussion group of questions (i.e. Lesson 1. Discussion 1). You do not need to submit 400 words for each question, but for each group of questions. If responding to a live meeting discussion, then share written work as you would in a live meeting.

Lesson 11. Forum 1: Giving Instructions

Discuss how some skill in giving adequate instruction has impacted the work you are doing with people you are serving. How have you yourself learned from yours or others mistakes in giving inappropriate instructions.

Lesson 11. Assignments

Lesson 11. Assignment 1. Developing Communication Skills

After reading the textbook assignment and the PDFs, and listening to the videos, write a two-page paper (minimum of 600 words) describing the issues of poor communication versus skilled communication in maximizing ministry especially with difficult persons. Include an analysis of how knowing how different personalities communicate best allows the ministry worker to be more effective in ministry.

Lesson 11. Assignment 2. Journal Entry

In this course you are required to keep a journal. In your journal, you should cover the following things:

  1. Reflect on how the concepts from this week and the rest of this course have applied in your personal and professional life.
  2. What are the primary areas where you believe God wants you to grow this next week, and what specific steps will you take toward that growth?
  3. Reflect on your past week in general. Variations of your entry may include describing how you have been blessed in the past week with either opportunities to see God’s grace, suggestions from a supervisor or fellow staff person, things that happened that you wish you could have a redo, or insights you gained for future work.
  4. You are required to have biweekly meetings with a mentor. For weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8 of this course write down the meeting date, and what you learned from your mentoring session.

Although there is no word count requirement for this assignment, a minimum of 250 words is encouraged (one double-spaced page).