D306 FIELD EDUCATION

Fall/Spring 2006-2007

Roslyn A. Karaban, Ph.D., Director of Field Education

Enrollment: no limit

Pre-Requisites: students are eligible for field education after completing at least three courses of their program, although more theological background is preferred

Course Content

This two-semester, supervised experience introduces students to a particular pastoral setting in order to provide them with an opportunity to reflect critically on the minister they are becoming.  The experience consists of three components: participation in ministry, theological reflection, and evaluation.

(1) PARTICIPATION IN MINISTRY: the student is placed in a pastoral setting with a competent supervisor; a Learning Agreement for ministerial involvement is drawn up between the student and the supervisor; a lay committee (where appropriate) is set up to work along with the student.  Eight to ten hours per week is committed to field education related work.  The pastoral setting is decided jointly by the student, the Director of Field Education and the supervisor.

(2) THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION: this occurs in two ways.  The Student meets for one hour weekly sessions with the supervisor to reflect on ministerial experience in light of the Learning Agreement.  In addition, all students in field education meet with the Director of Field Education to converse together around the theological dimensions and implications of field work, using a model of theological reflection. Selected articles., chapters and case studies may be required as reading in advance of these sessions.  Full participation by all is expected in these sessions.  These meetings are scheduled for Wednesday evenings, 6:30-9:30 pm, September 13, October 11, November 15, and December 6. February January 17, February 14, March 14, and April 11.

(3) EVALUATION: the ministerial student and the supervisor prepare separate evaluations in writing at mid-year (January 1) and end-of-year (April 30), according to the criteria provided.

Grading: pass/fail 

PLEASE NOTE: for a full description of Field Education, see Appendix A of the Student Handbook.

Required Reading:

Roslyn A. Karaban.  Crisis Caring: A Guide for Ministering to People in Crisis.  San Jose: Resource Pub., Inc., 2005.