Internship Supervisor Orientation

1
Internship Supervisor Orientation

• Welcome!

2
Internship Mission and Goals

• Nurturing personal spirituality
• Developing relational skills
• Developing ministry skills
• Reflecting theologically
• Learning through relationships
• Learning through ministry events

3
Course Objectives

• Students will learn
• to utilize case study reflection in ministry
• to apply practical theology methods for
  integrating experience and theology
• to develop a greater awareness of self and
  understand the resulting implications for
  ministry
• to apply the theology of their own tradition to
  their ministry tasks
• to focus on ministry action goals while gaining
  broad exposure to the scope of ministry
• to develop writing, presentation, and analytical
  skills by preparing, presenting, and reflecting
  on case studies.

4
Good Ministry Site Qualities

• Opportunity to
• Harmonize with vocational intent
• Opportunity to develop leadership
• Opportunity to relate to others
• Opportunity to integrate ministry and learning
• Opportunity to observe and to be mentored
• Opportunity to experience healthy personal and
  church models
• Opportunity to broaden ministry practices

5
Good Supervisor Qualities

• Realizes the internship has more cost than
  benefit for the ministry site
• Healthy model of a minister/leader
• Available
• Skilled in ministry
• Experiential theologian
• Team player
• Open and vulnerable
• Willing to invest time in intern
• Willing to facilitate ministry awareness

6
Benefits of a Learning Covenant

• Provides clarity for ministry assignment and
  relationship
• Builds trust between intern and supervisor
• Takes seriously the role and intern uniqueness
• Provides structure to get something done
• Provides a tool for evaluating faithfulness and
  extending mercy
• Learning Covenant form is provided

7
The Learning Covenant Design

• A key objective
• 3-5 action focus goals
• Evaluation standards
• A reference point and ministry boundaries
• Measurements of effectiveness

8
Supervisory Covenant Meeting

• A bi-weekly meeting of supervisor and intern
• A time for reflection, encouragement,
  accountability, support and mentoring and
  expressions of satisfaction and concern
• A place for healthy relationship based on
  freedom, trust, honesty and self-awareness

9
Supervisory Evaluation

• Feedback in meetings based on Learning Covenant
• Confirming intern ministry hours during the
  semester Forms provided
• Completing a Mid-term Evaluation form provided
  electronically
• Completing a Final Evaluation form provided
  electronically

10
The Course Learning Experience

• What happens in the class at APU?
• Small group processing with two leaders who have
  education and experience in pastoral ministry and
  psychology
• Extensive testing with available feedback and
  resources
• Case study-based approach to learning which
  results in theologically-informed ministry
• Participation Reading, writing, group
• processing, oral presentation
• Self-evaluation
• Confidentiality

11
Ministry Hours

• Each student is required to complete at least 100
  ministry hours each semester, about an average
  minimum of 8 ministry hours per week.
• Travel time and time in worship do not count
  toward ministry hours except for time spent
  leading worship at the ministry site.
• Approximately 25 of the hours should be
  ministry preparation (lesson plans, writing
  sermons, worship or teaching outlines, planning
  events etc).
• Approximately 20 of the hours can be for a
  one-time event such as a weekend retreat.

12
Ministry Site Requirements

• Nature In area of students potential future
  ministry
• Scope Preferred exposure to broad ministry
• skills and practices some opportunities to
  shadow the supervisor and/or other ministry
  leaders
• Length At least 8 years
• Distance from APU As close as possible
  preferred for ongoing involvement
• Ministry size Only important for quality of
  experience
• Quality of experience Student needs to have
• specific responsibilities and goals
• Remuneration Optional, but very helpful for
  students

13
Supervisor Requirements

• Ministry experience Clergyminimum 5 yrs
  Laypersonminimum 8 yrs On site for at least one
  year
• Supervision Period Sept. through April
• Style of leadership No preference
  self-understanding is important
• Lay or clergy Either is an option if qualified
  by experience requirements

14
APU and Ministry Site Agreement

• APU, its faculty, and staff cannot guarantee the
  results of the internship and cannot be liable
  for problems experienced by a student at the
  ministry site.
• The course professors reserve the right to remove
  the intern from the internship relationship at
  any time deemed necessary.
• Interns will write, process and reflect on case
  studies based on the ministry site experience,
  maintaining confidentiality and as much anonymity
  as possible.

15
APU and Ministry Site Agreement

• The site is required to have and administer
  policies including insurance) related to the
  intern role (transportation, liability, injury,
  etc.)
• When compensation is provided for the intern, the
  site must adhere to all labor laws.
• The site cannot require more intern hours than
  required by the course or agreed to by the intern
  unless compensation is involved.

16
Confirming Internships

• Fall interns are required to notify the
  professors of their qualifying internship by the
  end of the prior spring semester.
• Those seeking interns may post openings at
  www.apu.edu/careerservices anytime.
• Rev. Doug Stude, APU Internship Coordinator in
  the Office of Career Services, can be reached at
  626-815-2819.
• Contact Dr. Pritchard at dpritchard_at_apu.edu