Mentored Practice Manual

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:

Requirements

The Mentored Practice program consists of a Director (Dr. Ron Baard), 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.

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

 

PREPARING FOR MENTORED PRACTICE

Student Worksheet for Planning a Mentored Practice Experience

On a separate piece of paper provide the following information and answers. Once you have completed the Worksheet, return it to the instructor who will review it and call you for an appointment.

Name_________________________

Date Submitted__________________

Address _________________________

             _________________________

Telephone _________________________(H)

                _________________________(W)   

E-mail __________________________

  1. Describe the type of ministry and setting you are exploring -- give a site name and provide a mission statement, if known. In addition, provide some brief historical data about the site (include staffing information and targeted population of service/ministry). Note: You may use printed material the site already has available.
  2. Briefly name one or two realistic expectations you bring to this experience.
  3. List two or three specific learning goals you want to address in this setting.
  4. List your objectives/tasks for achieving these goals in this placement as clearly as you can. For the final agreement, these will be discussed and finalized with the mentor and any on-site coordinator who is involved.
  5. Who could act as mentor in relation to the practice ministry you want to do? How well do you know this mentor and why have you considered working with this person? (Include number of years they have been at this site.)

    6. Is this person willing and able to meet with you once a week? ___yes ___no

    If your mentor is off-site, is there an on-site coordinator? ___yes ___no

  6. Indicate the month and year you would like to begin this Mentored Practice; and the month and year you intend to complete it.

    7. Begin: _______________ Complete: _______________

  7. List any resources and persons (in addition to your mentor) you plan to consult in connection with this Mentored Practice:

 

Bangor Theological Seminary

Mentored Practice Learning Agreement/Covenant

Student Information:

Name: ______________________
Address: ______________________
Phone: ______________________
Email: ______________________

Mentor Information:

Name: ______________________
Address: ______________________
Phone: ______________________
Email: ______________________

Site Information:

Name of Site Supervisor: _______________________
Address of Site: _________________________________
Phone: ______________________
Email: ______________________

Brief Description of Site:

Dates of Placement: Beginning: _____________End _________________

Use extra pages/space if needed for the sections below:

Learning Goals

Objectives/Tasks
(These must be concrete and measurable)

Resources Used
to Attain These Goals

1.

2.

    

3.

    

Basic weekly schedule (Please indicate days and approximate hours on site. Include additional special dates agreed upon. You are expected to covenant for 10 hours a week on site (not including travel time) and 1 hour a week consultation time with Mentor.)

 

Vacation period agreed upon (only if applicable):

Stipend or Travel Expenses (While all stipends are at the discretion of the ministry site, the Seminary encourages the giving of stipends when feasible.

Signatures

Student __________________________________ Date__________________

Mentor __________________________________ Date__________________

MP Director ______________________________ Date__________________

Site Coordinator (if applicable) ________________________Date__________________

This learning agreement may be renegotiated by mutual consent of student and mentor.
If substantial renegotiation takes place, the director of mentored practice should receive written notice of changes made.

This agreement should not be terminated earlier than agreed upon without a joint conference between all parties who have signed this agreement.

What is My Theological Template?

Your template is your own "embedded theology." It is how you tend to see the world, theologically, including: how you understand God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, human beings as the image of God, sin and salvation, the nature of the church, and so on.

Write your template in your Theological Reflection Journal. Try less to tell stories about yourself and your upbringing than to be clear about your actual current deep-set beliefs. You may choose to organize it by content (say by the statement of the Apostles' Creed), or by theme (the world is filled with grace and here's how...), or by method (if I am a liberation theologian, for example, virtually everything I believe and do may be seen through the lens of social or economic injustice).

The goal is to get some clarity on the "lenses" you wear everyday, not to impress denominational authorities or your seminary colleagues. Be honest with yourself and be self-critical. The deep temptation here is to be theologically narcissistic: to fall in love with the reflection you see and to only write the lovely things you know about yourself. But if you are honest you will be able to name the strengths and weaknesses in the way you see the world theologically.

Some questions to ask yourself as you write your template:

What other sources shape my theologizing? Political commitments? Feminist commitments? Lifestyle? Marital/Relational status? Wealth? etc. etc.

(C. Guthrie 2001)

Theological Reflection for Mentored Practice

 

Below is a simple 5-step process that can be used as a general guide for writing in your theological journal or responding to verbatim or case study. It is to be expected that each occasion for reflection will take you in different directions and lead to different questions.

Regina Coll, C.S.J. has simply called the process of theological reflection, "Making Faith Connections." Making faith connections is what separates ministry from mere activism.

1) Description

2) Personal Awareness

How did it feel to me when it happened? Did I have any bodily sensations? Was I anxious or excited about it? Sad? Afraid? Energized? Upset? Why?

How did I respond? What did I do? What did I say? Why?

3) Religious Insight (Embedded Theology).

Your entry here will probably only include responses to one or two of the following questions.

4) Theological Reflection: (Deliberative Theology)

Your reflection then would move in at most one or two of the following possible directions. Primary theological sources are named in parentheses.

5) Pastoral Response, Concluding Thoughts

(C Guthrie 2/15/01)

 

How to Write a Verbatim

General:

Set the paper up as follows, noting that no more than 4 pages may be used for the entire report

I. Introduction:

Give the date this experience took place. Note: the experience should be personal, your own, and current. Provide the reader with a sense of the factual information you had prior to this experience. Describe the person(s) involved, the situation as it presented itself and the occasion for the conversation. If you had a long-standing relationship with anyone involved please describe this briefly.

2. Verbatim:

Sit down as soon as possible after this experience and jot down a stream of key words that will help you remember the sequence of the conversation. Take time to recall your feelings during and after this exchange with as much detail as possible.

Enter only direct quotations when you begin to type up the encounter. Use a separate paragraph for each speech, which is identified by the initials of the person speaking, and the number of the speech: i. e. , M1, P1 or P2 (where M is you and P1 or P2 etc are the other persons you are relating with). Place all non-verbal communications in brackets as well as significant thoughts and feelings of which you are aware. Note periods of silence and places where you cannot remember the exact words spoken.

Note: Only provide the most critical aspect of the "conversation" under reflection. It is understood that you will not be able to remember a conversation word for word, but try to restate what you remember, as best you can. What you remember is significant regardless of whether it is literally what was said or done.

3. Personal Awareness:

What was on your mind before this interaction? Were you aware of any anxiety or excitement? Was there anything that was unrelated to the experience that may have affected your behavior during this experience? Are there socio-cultural or ethnic factors that influence how you process this verbatim (language, economic, racial or ethnic differences, age, education, etc.)? What motivated your responses in this particular situation?

4. Theological Analysis:

Use this section to reflect theologically on your ministry encounter. To do this exhaustively would take many pages, so focus on what you think offers the most insight or perplexes you the most. Our group discussion will respond and fill in from there. Think through the questions below and refer to Stone and Duke's How to Think Theologically for insight.

  1. What is the call of the gospel in this context? What would salvation look like here? Was any aspect of divine activity revealed in this experience for you?
  2. What does this encounter reveal about the human condition? Sin? Structural evil? Grace?
  3. What does this encounter say about vocation? What course of action is fitting after this situation? What aspects of your own faith were explored, challenged or reaffirmed? Now that you have reentered this experience, what faith response is called for by you or by the others involved? What have your learned already from this experience? What might you be able to do to help this person grow, socially, emotionally or spiritually? How did you or will you follow up on this situation?

5. Learning Goals:

What do you hope to learn from having your classmates discuss this experience?

 

 

 

LEARNING FROM A SITE VISIT

 

Please take a few moments to reflect on your experience of the visit in terms of what you learned about your own preparation and participation in the service and write these reflections out in two pages or less.

How pleased were you with your worship leadership?

How engaged was the congregation in worship?

What role did music play in the worship?

Where did you feel most excited or most nervous?

What choreography and technical issues arose for you?

How was worship assisted or hindered by the architecture and furniture arrangements?

How did the congregation enter into prayer?

What did you learn about your ability to communicate the Gospel?

Did your delivery of the sermon meet or exceed your expectations?

Is there anything you think you would do differently?

How might the faculty member be helpful in reflecting on this experience with you?

Summer Requirements for Fall Seminar

 

For Students doing Summer Mentored Practice or CPE/CIP as Mentored Practice

  1. Theological Statement: Please submit by the end of June a short statement (one page single space) or brief outline of your present theology of ministry (see manual). This statement serves as the basis for one of two final papers (5 pages). Submit the goals and objectives you were required to make for your CPE/CIP program
  2. Journals: Each student will keep a journal of their summer experience that will be shared confidentially with the Director at the end of the summer. The Director will review the notations and offer appropriate responses when indicated. Journals will be submitted by the first day of class in the Fall. Notations are not to be directly interpersonal in nature. The journal notations should center on theological, ethical, and practical implications arising from your work, i.e. What questions are raised theologically, ethically, and/or practically in a particular situation that has occurred in the past week? What questions did a visit with a dying patient raise for you? Etc. Please try to enter notations at least twice a week.
  3. Verbatims: Two verbatims should be completed during the summer experience but only one will be presented. Doing two allows you to have some choice when fall rolls around. Please be sure you do not process MP verbatims in your CPE/CIP seminar. Pick one you still have an interest in. The exact date of your presentation to the class will be worked out when the seminar meets. Note: Please pay special attention to the theological analysis of this report.
  4. Final Papers and Mentor Evaluation: Due at the first Fall Thursday Seminar. See instructions in Manual. CPE and CIP people should use the second paper to address their theological perspective on suffering.

Note: The CPE/CIP evaluation may substitute for the Mentor’s evaluation.

Pastoral Care, CPE, and Chaplaincy Sites.

 
To Read More about Family Systems Theory, try these sites:

http://trfn.clpgh.org/wpfc/theory.html 
http://www.clinicalsocialwork.com/systems.html 
http://cbpa.louisville.edu/bruce/rflct600/hoskins2.htm 
http://www.homestar.org/bryannan/family.html 
http://www.mediate.com/articles/taylor.cfm

Other Sites:

MENTORING

Dear Prospective Mentor:

This information is offered to you as an introduction to the Mentored Practice Program at Bangor Theological Seminary. Because sound mentor relationships are a critical component of our teaching program, we are grateful for your willingness to consider participating in this important educational ministry. Please take the time to read this material thoroughly before making any final commitment to a student.

I hope this material will answer any questions you might have regarding what is expected of supervising mentors. If not, please feel free to be in touch with me directly. If, after careful reflection, you are moved to say yes and become an active partner with the Seminary in the Mentored Practice Program, I would be pleased to meet with you to assist you and the student in developing plans based on the student’s goals and objectives. Additional support for your work, along with collegial networking and accountability, is offered in the mentor lunches which are held three times each semester.

The Seminary is also pleased to provide mentors with the opportunity to audit a course without cost (exclusive of an application fee) at the discretion of the respective faculty member. If you are interested in this possibility, please talk with the Registrar and indicate you are with the Mentoring Program.

Important aspects of the program

  1. The Seminary does not encourage students to carry out their Mentored Practice requirements in a parish setting where they have previously attended regularly or have their membership. It is better for the student to find a neutral setting, so that they can be themselves and focus on pastoral identity issues unencumbered by their past history in this setting. It is also easier for the student’s pastor to continue to serve in that capacity without dancing around role confusions that would not be helpful to either party.
  2. The Seminary hopes that all students who seek a parish site for their practical work will have an opportunity to participate in worship on a weekly basis in some capacity -- leading in prayers, reading scripture, preaching, etc. It also is helpful if the student can be introduced to the congregation in a formal way on a particular Sunday so that the congregation understands what you and the student will be doing, and how that will effect the student’s relationship to the individual members. Finding an appropriate way to signify the end of a student’s time with you is also important.
  3. It is important that the student have an opportunity to meet with the appropriate church or community board such as the Church Council or Diaconate as a way to be introduced formally into the life and work of the church or community ministry site.
  4. To assist your understanding of the work involved, we recommend reading Regina Coll, Supervision of Ministry Students (MN: The Liturgical Press, 1992). The book is available through the Bookstore and is on reserve in the Library.

Please understand that even though you have been asked to consider the possibility of serving as a Mentor, you may feel free to decline if you do not feel you can give this work the time and energy it will require, or if your sponsoring body will not support your commitment to this ministry. Each student needs and deserves your full support and cooperation. Again, my thanks for taking this initial step. I look forward to meeting you in the near future.

Sincerely,

Ron Baard, 
Associate Professor of Mentored Practice

The 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; the Director may suggest a site which has an on site supervisor; or a mentor may be recommended who could serve as an off-site mentor.

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

Mentors will be asked to attend three lunch meetings at the seminary each semester and stay in touch with the Director when questions or issues arise.

At the end of the semester, Mentors provide their own evaluation of student placement work. Students also complete an evaluation of their experience in the MP placement as a part of their final course requirements.

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.

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

Evaluation of a Mentored Practice Experience

To all Mentors:

  1. A summary evaluation of the student you have been mentoring should be prepared at the close of each Mentored Practice experience. The following points are meant to be suggestive as you shape your remarks:
  1. Please describe how your mentoring sessions were carried out and to what extent you and the student dealt with any difficulties that arose.
  2. Please add any other comments you wish to make in general and indicate whether you have had an opportunity to review, discuss, and sign the student’s final paper.
  3. Please review your report with the student involved and have him/her sign it to indicate his/her awareness of what has been shared, before you send it to the Mentored Practice office.
  4. This report is only one instrument for assessing a student’s readiness for ministry; please be as honest as you can be about this student’s level of maturity and progress in the practice of ministry.
  1. If you have any serious concerns you need to address before you share your assessment with this student, please contact me and make me aware of your concerns, especially if you have not done so earlier in the semester/or summer experience.

Note: No grade (Pass/D/Fail) will be given until the Director of Mentored Practice has received this evaluation. Please address all correspondence to Dr. Ron Baard (rbaard@bts.edu).

Guidelines for Students and Churches
Seeking Student Pastorates

Bangor Theological Seminary seeks to connect local church needs with student gifts to the benefit of both. We receive job descriptions for position openings and advertise them in our weekly newsletter, Update. We also keep a file of those positions for students seeking appointments. However, BTS cannot promise to find a match between church leadership needs and our current student population or vice versa.

The following are the seminary's guidelines for student eligibility for student pastorates and for churches seeking student pastors:

General Eligibility Requirements for Students

In order to be eligible to apply for a student pastorate, a student must satisfy the following criteria:

Once the above requirements have been met, the student may request a "Pastor-in-Training Profile" and submit it to the Director of Mentored Practice.
Students may use their church site as a Mentored Practice Site with the approval of the Director.
Exceptions to any of these criteria must be requested by petition to the Curriculum Committee and approved by the Committee before a student may apply for a pastorate.

Responsibilities of the Church Seeking Assistance

The student and those among whom the student ministers need to recognize that the student has entered seminary to prepare for ministry and, therefore the student’s educational commitments are primary. The student should be allowed to have at least four days per week for his/her academic studies.
Churches or other employing groups who seek a student minister should prepare a job description that includes the following:
Send this description to the Director of Mentored Practice for review. The job description will be advertised in our weekly newsletter, The Update. If you send it in HTML format, the description can be placed on the Internet as well. Churches may also submit a congregational profile or any other information that may be useful to have in their file.
Students will contact churches directly.
As a consideration, please contact the seminary if the position is filled. Job descriptions will be kept in the file no longer than six months.
Please send a copy of the final contract (signed by church and student) to be placed on file with the Director of Mentored Practice.
Local congregations are expected to use their denomination's placement processes.
Send all information and inquiries to: Ron Baard, Bangor Theological Seminary, 300 Union Street, Bangor, ME 04401. Send attachments to rbaard@bts.edu

Misunderstandings and Conflicts

Occasionally misunderstandings or disagreements arise between student ministers and the churches they serve. When a student and congregation experience a disagreement or conflict, either can request the Director of Mentored Practice to meet with them. When appropriate, denominational staff may also be invited to such a meeting. Student ministers and official leaders of congregations that employ a student minister are obligated to inform the Director of Mentored Practice when they are unable to resolve disagreements, and to invite the Director of Mentored Practice to meet with them to mediate any unresolved disagreement.

In all instances, the student and congregation are expected to abide by the written contracts they have mutually entered. Failure on the part of the student to abide by the covenant may be grounds for dismissal by the church. However, written evidence of any such failure should be sent to the Director and a meeting with all parties involved should take place prior to any vote for dismissal.

Since its inception, Bangor Theological Seminary has enjoyed wonderful relationships with churches serving as "Teaching Parishes." Because of this long and significant history, we strongly suggest that all congregations using current students as pastors consult with the Director of Mentored Practice before removing a student from pastoral leadership. Experience has shown that future students will be hesitant to work with churches known to have broken covenant with students unless due process is observed by all parties.

Please feel free to consult with the Director of Mentored Practice (rbaard@bts.edu) if you have any questions about employing Bangor Seminary Students for pastoral leadership.

MINISTER-IN-TRAINING PROFILE

BANGOR THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

This profile is for all students who want to be considered for a salaried position in a local church while they are still working on their M.Div. This profile will be kept on file with the Director of Mentored Practice and is not a substitute for denominational profiles. This form should be typed. Save it on your computer and fill in the form, using additional pages, as per instructions below. When completed, send to rbaard@bts.edu.

Full Name____________________________________________________

Current Address ____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Current Phone ____________________________________________________

E-mail ___________________________________________________

Date of Birth ____________________________________________________

Marital Status: S  M  W  P

Children, if any (Name & Age)

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Seminary Class Standing ______________________________________

Expected Date of Graduation___________________________________

Plans After Graduation________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Denominational Affiliation______________________________________

Denominational Standing (Licensure, In Care, Postulant, etc.) __________________________________________

Education (list):

Previous Work Experience (Past 5-10 years):

Previous Church Experience (use separate sheet, if needed):

List name, address and phone of three references (at least one reference must be from the current permanent faculty).

Profile Information

(Please attach a separate sheet for your answers to these questions. Keep your answers brief, no more than 100-200 words each.)

  1. Briefly state why you have chosen ministry as a profession:
  2. Briefly state your view of the nature and mission of the church
  3. Give three Biblical references that sustain your call to the ministry and indicate their meaning for you.
  4. How would you like the local congregation you will serve to think of its relationship to churches within their denomination as well as other churches in their community and world?
  5. State three or four pastoral responsibilities that you believe are central to good ministerial leadership
  6. Share any other comments which might help introduce your view of ministry, your commitments and interests, your personal qualities, etc.

Please attach a clear, typewritten copy of a sermon (type should be dark enough for legible copies to be made). A taped sermon may be substituted for a typewritten manuscript.

Recommended Resources in Pastoral Theology

Books

Articles

Journals