A CPE Pastor Reads the Bible to a Patient

Meeting Your Ministry’s Requirements

CPE is not just for chaplains. Taking CPE as an academic, ordination or faith community affirmation requirement develops pastoral identity, competence and reflection for clergy of all kinds.

If your seminary or ordination board requires a unit, you may be wondering why and how to best complete a unit during work or studies. There are several options at our Orlando CPE System Center that may assist you in completing this requirement.

Many students in a full-time academic program choose to devote themselves to the summer intensive CPE program. This full-time-plus, 12-week program is a full-immersion experience of CPE and chaplaincy ministry that offers multiple days of class each week and multiple daytime, overnight and weekend clinical curriculum opportunities. The summer intensive CPE fills a summer between two academic semesters, completing the requirement with focus and timeliness.

Part-Time Intern Program

Part-time CPE is like picking up an extraordinarily meaningful part-time position for the semester that will change you and your ministry for years to come. At AdventHealth, our part-time internship program:

  • Incorporates CPE as part of an academic semester
  • Typically runs from late August or early September until mid-December and from January to May
  • Involves one day of class each week
  • Requires 15 to 20 hours a week of clinical curriculum, which is a combination of active and on-call clinical experience

The mixed-mode program, like the part-time one, has the added flexibility of online, synchronous, small-group class time each week. Mixed-mode CPE is offered to students who live outside of Central Florida but near another AdventHealth location where clinical curriculum can be practiced. Mixed-mode CPE is on the same schedule as the part-time programs, but with online and flexibility in the location of the clinical curriculum.

A Group of Young Professionals Having a Group Discussion in a Class.

How CPE Develops Pastoral Identity, Competence and Reflection

Pastoral identity is the development of the pastor through the integration of multiple factors in their life. This includes reflection on one’s life and faith journey, significant relationships and life events. It’s also the development of competence in skills that support meaningful spiritual care of others in a variety of situations where personal meaning-making is needed for healthy coping.

In CPE, this development is invited through the use of the action-reflection-action learning method in small groups. This method provides a creative and dynamic learning space that utilizes the clinical curriculum and the personhood of the minister as the primary vehicle. The action-reflection-action model invites participants to learn by doing ministry, reflecting personally and in small groups on the encounter, and returning to ministry with a deeper understanding and professionalism in providing spiritual care.

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Explore the Latest ACPE Outcomes and Indicators

While it's a very personalized learning experience, CPE training utilizes the ACPE outcomes and indicators as a structure to begin and focus your learning toward pastoral ministry. View the most recent ACPE outcomes and indicators on their website.

Visit the ACPE Site

Level 1, 2 and Certified Educator Clinical Pastoral Education at AdventHealth Orlando CPE System Center is accredited by: ACPE: The Standard for Spiritual Care and Education, 1 Concourse Parkway Suite 800, Atlanta, GA 30328 www.acpe.edu 404-320-1472