Teaching Parish/Site Committees

1. Teaching Parish/Site Committees A Training Module Andover Newton Theological School Last updated June 2009

2. The Mission The Field Education Program at Andover Newton Theological School provides transformative experiential education for ministry through: • Meaningful ministry experiences in settings that support learning, • Theological reflection opportunities that foster spiritual formation and vocational discernment, and • Academic courses that promote the integration of ministerial theory and practice.

3. Where do TP/SCs fit in? • Into every aspect of theological field education, but especially in our promise to provide: • “Meaningful ministry experiences in settings that support learning.” • What does it mean to create a setting that supports learning?

4. Welcoming Students • Make contact with the student either before or very soon after she or he begins service • Introduce the committee to the student • Introduce the student to the community • Orient student to the building, work space, surrounding town • Covenanting: How will we be in relationship?

5. Collaborating on learning goals • Student “in driver’s seat” in creating learning agreement; an adult learning model • But the student confers with many stake-holders in establishing goals • Special perspective the TP/SC can provide: What ministry opportunities are available? • TP/SC can help the community to under-stand that learning, rather than performance, is the main goal of field education

6. Planning meetings with care • Schedule uninterrupted time together for approximately 2 hours per month • Chair and student work together to prepare an agenda for each meeting • Begin with a time of prayer • Think creatively about where, such as... • Meet at church • Meet in homes over a meal • Meet once on campus

7. What might a meeting look like? • Invite members of the committee and the student to share their faith journeys • Discuss faith questions, such as… • What does it mean to have a calling? • What is ministry? • What does it mean to be church? • Discuss the student’s recent or upcoming sermon, program, event

8. Providing helpful feedback • Feedback should be given regularly, not just at formal reviews (Mid-Year, Final) • Focus first on strengths, and then gently tackle one or two growth areas at a time • Make sure the feedback focuses on ministry efforts and strategies, not just results • “Fitness” versus “Learning”

9. A note on confidentiality The TP/SC has power and responsibility. • Conversation in the context of committee meetings is confidential • Field Education documents are educational records = Federally protected • Information and impressions about the student may only be shared with the student’s express written permission

10. Month-by-Month Guide • September: Welcome student, begin discussion of Learning Agreement • October: Learning Agreement • November: Reflect with student on learning • December: Reflect with student on learning • January: Review Learning Agreement, write Mid-Year Progress Report TP/SC portion. • Discern whether to continue to employ a field education student NEXT year, new or returning

11. Month-by-Month Guide, Cont’d • February: Reflect with student on learning • March: Reflect with student on learning • Interview students for next year • April: Review Learning Agreement, write TP/SC portion of Final Evaluation • May: Intentionally discuss leave-taking, publicly recognize student’s ministry, and say goodbye • Select student for next year

12. Discussion • How might you support the student’s learning in between meetings? • … build in feedback opportunities? • … welcome a student into the ministry setting? • … send the student forth at the end of the field education year?