Personal and Spiritual Formation for Christian Ministry
Overview
Even with the most effective strategy, insightful theological understanding, and relevant cultural engagement, your ministry can fail for lack of self-awareness, relational competence, and effective self-care. This subject reflects on the importance of appropriate self-awareness and self-understanding for ministry, considers the relational and power dynamics in professional Christian ministry, and explores effective strategies for maintaining and developing personal and spiritual vitality.
The subject enables students to operate effectively in the professional practice of Christian ministry and pursue effective practices for personal and spiritual vitality.
Please visit the timetable by clicking here for current information on subject availability.
Subject Details
| Mode |
On-campus |
| Workload |
Extensive, 12 credit points |
| Status |
Elective |
| Subject code |
PC076 |
| Prerequisites |
None |
| Teacher |
Graham Stanton |
Content
- Self-awareness: personal identity; preferences of personality, spirituality, sexuality; family systems; sources of stress
- Personal and spiritual vitality: self-care; boundaries; spiritual practices
- Interpersonal engagement: listening; responding to conflict; assertiveness and humility; relationship with family and friends
- Professional practice: the importance and place of safe ministry; power differential in ministry relationships; working in teams; submitting to leaders and leading others
- Practices of well-being amidst adversity: acute stress and burnout; spiritual warfare and temptation; mental health; addictive patterns; complex relationships
Study Expectations
In this extensive subject, you will engage with online resources ahead of an introductory day together, following which you will complete some preliminary assessment work before the main teaching block of four days. The main block will guide you through a variety of learning activities designed to develop your understanding of and skills in the themes and passages related to the syllabus. Another assessment task is due before re-gathering for a final concluding day, after which the final assessment task is due. Students should allow 8-10 hours of study time per week for this intermediate subject.
