MFM 501S-504S; 1 credit hour each semester

Fall, 2004

Steve Korch, Adjunct Faculty

408-356-6889 ext. 408, stevekorch@westernseminary.edu

This course is designed to help students gain greater confidence and competence in the actual practice of those ministry skills that will be needed in the student’s anticipated ministry role. Mentoring is provided through both individual meetings with an experienced practitioner and peer ministry reflection groups. Current involvement in field ministry is a prerequisite for enrollment. Students should plan on taking one unit of this course over four different terms to enable sufficient breadth of ministry experience and personal mentoring. 1 hour for each of four semesters.

This course contributes to the fulfillment of the core outcomes for the Master of Divinity degree by enabling the student to:

1. Be a person who understands his/her optimal role in the furthering of God’s purposes and has had experience in performing key elements of his/her intended ministry under qualified supervision.
2. Be a person who experiences healthy interdependency and genuine community with other believers. One who faithfully participates in, and contributes to, the ministry of a local congregation cooperates with other believers in advancing God’s kingdom.

Each 1 unit of Mentored Field Ministry typically involves at least four hours per week of ministry for at least 10 weeks. Time spent in normal church attendance and in commuting is ordinarily not counted. The details of each mentored ministry practicum are described in a Mentored Ministry Contract, which is to be developed by you and your Ministry Mentor. This document together with your Personal Ministry Goals contains the individualized learning and goals that the Mentored Field Ministry will address. Provision for meaningful evaluation is also described.

Meet with your Ministry Mentor for an hour at least twice a month. It is your responsibility to find and get approval for a Ministry Mentor. Use the enclosed copy of "What’s Expected of a Western Seminary Ministry Mentor?" when you explain what would be involved to a potential Ministry Mentor. New Ministry Mentors will be given a Ministry Mentor’s Manual. It is obvious that the quality of your field ministry will largely be influenced by the quality of the Ministry Mentor whom you select. Thus, take care to find an individual who is a mature, respected, effective model of the type of ministry to which you believe God is calling you. If the individual is a pastor, seek to become a contributing member of his/her congregation, if possible. Aim to be the kind of seminarian that you would appreciate in your church.

Meet with a reflection group for two hours every other week. Participate in group discussion and complete assignments as noted in the course schedule. It is expected that students will attend each of the six sessions. However, one absence is allowed without penalty. If additional absences do occur, the student will incur a 20% penalty for each absence. Since this is a pass/fail course, this means that it is very likely that the student will not pass the course if absent more than twice. In the case of emergencies where the instructor has been contacted, it is the instructor’s prerogative to decide what is a fair and just approach.

Write 1-3 case studies (depending on the size of the group and the direction of the facilitator).

When writing case studies, observe the following guidelines:

1. The case should relate an actual, not hypothetical, situation that you are facing or which you have faced recently.
2. The case should describe a situation that poses a dilemma because of multiple, competing factors. The situation must require a decision that is not obvious. It must not be a "no-brainer."
3. The case should involve matters of some consequence. It should not be focused on trivial or incidental matters. It is not necessary, however, for it to be about an extraordinary event. It may focus upon a common ordinary issue that ministers face.
4. Change names and details enough to protect confidentiality but still convey the situation accurately. If in doubt, err on the side of confidentiality.
5. Include enough description that you don’t have to add a lot of verbal clarification. Include relevant information on multiple facets of the situation: emotional, relational, spiritual, corporate, financial, etc.
6. Keep descriptions simple and brief.
7. Try to verbalize, clearly and concisely, the nature of the dilemma or the decision that must be made.
8. Leave the dilemma open-ended (even if, in fact, a decision has already been made). Do not attempt to interpret or solve the problem in your written description.

Please seek to limit your case study to 1-2 pages (single spaced). Please make enough copies for each person in the Reflection Group.

Mentored Field Ministry Paper (2 copies due at last Reflection Group)

Write a 3-5 page paper noting things you have learned this semester and want to remember from your ministry experience, ministry mentor, reflection group, and assigned reading. Also, assess how successful you have been in accomplishing each of your character and ministry skills goals. What goals do you want to set for the next six months?

A qualified and committed Ministry Mentor is a crucial component in a seminary student’s field ministry experience. We ask our students to seek out someone who is an experienced and respected practitioner of the type of ministry that he/she is anticipating; hence it is an honor to be approached to see if you would be willing to serve in this role.

To enable you to respond thoughtfully to a student’s request for ministry mentoring, here is a brief list of the responsibilities that you would assume:

1. Help the student design a structured learning experience that integrates his/her developmental needs with the needs/circumstances of your ministry site. We want our students to be a blessing to your ministry, not a burden! A learning contract form will be provided that should provide sufficient flexibility for a customized mentored field ministry.
2. Once the learning contract is formally approved, meet at least twice a month with the student for approximately one hour over a 10- 40 week period. The length is dependant on the student’s degree program requirements and the mentor’s availability. The "agenda" for these meetings is also flexible: monitoring his/her goals and ministry, offering your wisdom about various aspects of ministry, "debriefing" following aspects of your ministry that the student has observed, fielding his/her questions about life as a Christian leader, etc. This is where most of the actual mentoring takes place. If time pressures make an hour in your office twice a month to be problematic, we would encourage you to redeem other opportunities (e.g., meals, travel to and from ministry occasions such as funerals, weddings, etc.)
3. After ten weeks, fill out an evaluation of the student. We’ve designed this evaluation form to facilitate broad-based, meaningful data in a manner that doesn’t require a large time investment from the evaluator. We ask that you discuss this evaluation with the student (including comparing it with his/her self-evaluation) during one of your regular meetings before the student submits it to his/her Reflection Group instructor. The Reflection Group Facilitator will also likely be in touch with you sometime toward the end of each semester for a conversation about the student.

Essentially, that’s the role of a Ministry Mentor. You will be given a Ministry Mentors Manual, which is called Mentoring At Western Seminary, by the student you are mentoring. As a modest token of our appreciation, at the end of your first semester as a Western Mentor, we will send you a tuition waiver, which is good for any 2 unit course at Western taken for enrichment (not graduate credit) at no cost to you. We hope this helps to facilitate your life-long learning as well.