PurposeofMP

The Purpose of Mentored Practice

Bangor Theological Seminary

Mentored Practice is a rigorous training program that allows students to engage in the praxis of ministry during the course of their seminary experience. Through theological reflection on the actions of ministry they learn to incarnate the wisdom of a practical theologian in a variety of ministry settings. In the course of this experience, students reflect on the skills and sensibilities necessary for ministry with a qualified ministry mentor. Concurrent weekly seminars also allow students to engage in theological reflection with their peers.

Through this experience the student is given an opportunity to grow and function as a minister in a local church community as well as other settings: Domestic Violence Shelters; Campus Ministry; Crisis Intervention Settings; Hospice; Hospital Chaplaincy Programs; Jail Ministry; Youth Detention Centers; Aids Ministry; Homeless Shelters; and Retreat Settings. Other settings (including some out of state placements) may be used with prior approval of the director.

Three possible tracks may be taken to fulfill the requirements of the degree:

Track 1, the parish: a student works two semesters in a local church.

Track 2, the community: a student works one semester in a local church and one semester in a community related ministry.

Track 3, the clinical: a student works one semester in a local church and does one unit of CPE, or CIP at Eastern Maine Medical Center.

Three specific goals shape the BTS Mentored Practice program:

1) to help students learn particular ministry skills (See below)

2) to help students develop their own ministerial identity

3) to help students integrate their classroom and book knowledge through theological reflection with the lived experience of their respective religious communities

The settings for Mentored Practice provide the context for formal theology and experiential theology to come into conversation. The locus of theological reflection is always the community of faith. The fundamental focus of this reflection process is integration, with the student playing an active part in shaping learning goals appropriate to their particular vision of ministry.

Four primary areas of development addressed in the Mentored Practice Seminar are:

spiritual formation

theological reflection

personal authority

self care

Requirements

The Mentored Practice program consists of a Director (Dr. Susan Davies), a qualified mentor, the student, and the ministerial practice site. An active lay teaching committee may or may not be involved. The Master of Divinity currently requires a minimum of 6 credits of Mentored Practice which includes on-site work and campus seminars.

Role of the Mentor

To be considered as a qualified mentor, an individual is expected to have experience doing theological reflection and feel at ease with the process. Ordination is not a necessary qualification for doing theological reflection with integrity. The mentor should also have at least two years experience in the type of ministry (if not the particular site) they are presently engaged in. An individual’s resume (or profile) should be supplied to the Director when they become a mentor; these are kept on file for students to peruse.

Mentor relationships evolve in a number of ways:

The student may have an established relationship with someone who has served as a mentor in the past; or the Director may suggest a site that has an on site mentor; or an individual may be recommended who could serve as an off-site mentor (in cases where a student is already working in a parish).

Both the Director and the Mentor help students clearly focus on their goals and narrow their objectives. The mentor’s role is intimately tied to helping students make these goals specific, measurable, and achievable in their respective field-sites.

Skills addressed in Practical Ministry

The following skills are ones that the MP program particularly seeks to cultivate in students, and therefore are appropriately related to the setting of goals in the MP placement. Of course, these skills are cultivated throughout the entire M. Div. degree program and not just Mentored Practice. It is assumed that before graduation each skill area will be addressed in the classroom and/or through Mentored Practice, and that after graduation these skills will be enhanced through continuing education.

the art of preaching the Gospel with clarity, conviction and enthusiasm

the art of presiding in a liturgical context

shaping worship experiences with such creativity and wonder that participants experience themselves as being warmly invited into the deeper mystery of God’s power and presence

the ability to teach and to encourage the educational process for all ages

the ability to assess the well-being of the community context in which they minister and promote communal well-being—by embodying sound self-care strategies that lead others to experience well-being for themselves

to know and implement sound principles of pastoral ethics and pastoral care

the ability to enact sound principles of administration and conflict management

to gain knowledge of and expertise in the areas of mission and stewardship

to embody a spirituality that leads others to encounter divine love in all dimensions of their faith and life. For Christians this means the embodiment of Christ through a ministry of healing love and table-fellowship

the ability to practice mutuality ( shared power) by relating to their mentor, other colleagues in ministry, and lay ministers with integrity and grace

the ability to understand the relational aspects of ministry and encourage an active laity in the church, and in the wider community in which they minister.