The Purpose of This Course
This course is designed to provide pastoral counselors with a comprehensive understanding of Temperament Theory and its applications in Christian counseling. By studying temperament’s biblical, historical, and scientific foundations, students will gain tools to assess and guide individuals toward emotional, spiritual, and relational well-being.
How to Approach This Course
To get the most out of this course, students should:
✔ Engage with the biblical and scientific principles of temperament theory.
✔ Apply the Arno Profile System (APS) as a counseling tool.
✔ Recognize temperament strengths, weaknesses, and needs in their clients.
✔ Learn how different temperament types respond to stress, relationships, and spiritual growth.
✔ Use this knowledge to provide personalized, faith-based guidance.
Temperament Theory: For Pastors in Congregational Care.
An enhanced course overview, including the unique benefits of Temperament Theory for pastors in congregation care, counseling, and leadership development.
Introduction
Temperament Theory explores the God-given design of human nature, helping individuals understand their inborn strengths, weaknesses, and emotional needs. This course is rooted in the Arno Profile System (APS) and the Five Temperament Model, providing insight into how temperament influences relationships, decision-making, communication, and spiritual growth.
For pastors and church leaders, this course offers a powerful tool for effective ministry, especially in congregational care, counseling, pre-marital and marriage guidance, and leadership development.
By the end of this course, students will:
✅ Understand the biblical foundation of temperament.
✅ Identify and analyze the five temperament types and their expressions.
✅ Apply temperament theory to counseling, marriage guidance, leadership, and administration.
✅ Recognize temperament strengths and challenges to minister effectively.
✅ Develop strategies for spiritual and emotional growth using temperament-based insights.
By understanding temperament, pastors can:
- Provide more personalized and biblically sound counseling to individuals and couples.
- Strengthen pre-marital and marriage counseling by addressing temperament-based communication and relational challenges.
- Improve church administration and team leadership by placing individuals in roles that align with their natural strengths.
- Navigate church conflict and member disputes with temperament-based conflict resolution strategies.
- Foster spiritual growth by guiding congregants in ways that suit their God-given temperament.
Going Deeper:
Why This Course is Essential for Pastors and Church Leaders
1️. Improved Counseling & Pastoral Care
✔ Helps pastors provide more effective, biblically grounded counseling.
✔ Enables pastors to understand the deeper emotional needs of their congregants.
✔ Reduces frustration and miscommunication in counseling sessions.
2️. Stronger Pre-Marital & Marriage Counseling
✔ Assists in identifying potential marital conflicts based on temperament differences.
✔ Provides tailored guidance for couples based on their communication styles.
✔ Strengthens marriages within the church by helping couples understand each other’s needs.
3️. Better Church Leadership & Administration
✔ Helps pastors assign ministry roles based on temperament strengths.
✔ Prevents leadership burnout by balancing team dynamics.
✔ Equips pastors to mentor and train future leaders with wisdom.
4️. Enhanced Congregational Unity & Conflict Resolution
✔ Helps pastors navigate church conflicts with wisdom and discernment.
✔ Prevents personality clashes among church staff and members.
✔ Strengthens teamwork and cooperation in church ministries.
5️. Personal & Spiritual Growth for Pastors
✔ Provides self-awareness to avoid pastoral burnout.
✔ Helps pastors identify their own communication and leadership style.
✔ Encourages spiritual development by working within God’s design.
COURSE UNIT/LESSON OVERVIEW
UNIT I: Foundations of Temperament Theory
Unit I lays the foundation for understanding temperament by exploring its biblical, historical, and scientific roots. It introduces the Arno Profile System (APS) and examines how temperament impacts human behavior, relationships, and spiritual life.
Lesson 1: What is Temperament?
- Defines temperament and differentiates it from character and personality.
- Explains how temperament is God-given and affects emotions, decision-making, and relationships.
- Examines biblical principles that support temperament theory.
- Explores how biblical figures demonstrated different temperaments.
- Helps students integrate scripture-based counseling techniques.
- Traces the development of temperament theory from early Greek philosophers to modern psychology.
- Highlights how temperament has been validated by research and counseling practice.
- Analyzes key books, studies, and writings on temperament.
- Provides a comparative view of different theories on human behavior.
- Discusses different perspectives on how temperament develops.
- Reinforces a biblical worldview of temperament as part of God's design.
- Explores the practical applications of temperament in counseling.
- Shows how understanding temperament can enhance client relationships.
- Examines how different temperaments respond to stress, emotions, and social interactions.
- Prepares students to identify and address relational challenges.
- Introduces the three temperament areas:
- Inclusion (social interaction).
- Control (decision-making).
- Affection (deep relationships).
- Helps students assess how each area influences counseling dynamics.
- Explores how different temperaments connect to faith, worship, and spiritual growth.
- Provides insight into helping clients deepen their relationship with God.
- Differentiates between how people express emotions versus how they respond to emotions.
- Helps counselors guide clients toward healthy emotional expression.
- Introduces the APS assessment tool and how to interpret temperament scores.
- Prepares students to use APS results for effective counseling strategies.
- Breaks down the five temperament types and how they are measured.
- Shows how each temperament impacts decision-making and relationships.
- Examines how temperament influences a person’s faith journey.
- Guides students in developing personalized discipleship and counseling plans.
- Identifies how each temperament type excels and struggles.
- Teaches how to help clients harness strengths and overcome weaknesses.
UNIT II: Applying Temperament Theory in Christian Counseling
Unit II focuses on practical applications of temperament knowledge in pastoral counseling, conflict resolution, and ministry leadership. Students will learn how to identify pure temperament types and temperament blends while exploring their impact on spiritual and emotional well-being.
Lesson 15: Pure Temperament Types
- Introduces the five pure temperament types and their defining traits.
- Each lesson explores a specific temperament type:
- Melancholy: Deep thinker, perfectionist, private.
- Choleric: Goal-oriented, strong-willed, dominant.
- Sanguine: Outgoing, enthusiastic, social.
- Supine: Servant-hearted, indirect communicator, people-pleaser.
- Phlegmatic: Calm, steady, diplomatic.
- Discusses how each temperament serves a role in the Body of Christ.
- Explores how temperament combinations affect communication, leadership, and relationships.
- Covers common blended temperaments such as:
- Phlegmatic-Melancholy, Choleric-Sanguine, Supine-Phlegmatic, etc.
- Helps counselors navigate complex personality traits in clients.
- Identifies core emotional needs of each temperament.
- Equips counselors to help clients meet needs in a healthy, biblical way.
- Discusses how temperament influences struggles like anxiety, depression, and control issues.
- Explores how God’s intervention brings healing and transformation.
- Examines how birth order interacts with temperament traits.
- Helps counselors understand family dynamics in counseling sessions.
- Provides practical tools for recognizing behavioral patterns tied to temperament.
- Guides counselors in helping clients navigate personal and relational challenges.
Course Conclusion: The Role of Temperament Theory in Effective Counseling
By the end of this course, students will:
✅ Understand how temperament influences emotions, relationships, and spiritual growth.
✅ Be able to assess temperament profiles and provide tailored counseling strategies.
✅ Help clients navigate conflicts, strengthen relationships, and develop spiritually.
✅ Use temperament insights to assist with marriage, family, and leadership counseling.
✅ Recognize their own temperament and its impact on their counseling style.
This course empowers pastoral counselors with a biblical and psychological framework for guiding individuals toward emotional wholeness and spiritual transformation.
Final Thoughts
By mastering Temperament Theory, counselors will enhance their ability to provide compassionate, faith-based guidance that aligns with God’s design for each individual.
NOTE: This is an online course supported by faculty/student mentoring practicum which normally begins once the student has completed this course. This overview is provided to assist your understanding as you study the course. Students may submit questions they may have while studying via email. It is suggested that you study the lesson first and make a list of all questions at the end either by email or using the general document upload under the 'more' section of the website. Your questions will be answered as part of your practicum to bring clarity to insure you understand the text.
May God bless you as you continue on your journey to becoming a more effective pastoral counselor.
Temperament Theory course is a transformational tool that empowers pastors and church leaders to shepherd their congregations more effectively, counsel with wisdom, and build strong, spiritually healthy church communities.
TUITION FEES CHANGE EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2025 - SEE TUITION TAB