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Skills Development Resources
Competency-based
curriculum – for
ministry developers
For the past few years, experienced ministry developers (regional
missioners and vicars, bishops and other diocesan staff, consultants
and professors) have been working to articulate just what it
is we hope to find in those employed by the church to be ministry
developers. What should they know, and more importantly, what
should they be able to do?
LifeCycles – http://www.leaderresources.org
This
process of ministry formation has grown out of the experience
of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan, which has been
a pioneer in renewing the life and ministry of its congregations
by empowering them to call and train from their own membership
local ministry support teams. Each congregation identified the
ministry to which God called them and identified specific people
to lead them in various roles. After a time of preparation,
the entire team was commissioned in a liturgy which also included
the renewal of baptismal vows by the entire congregation and
the ordination of those called to ordained roles.
People from
around the country and the world were drawn to the simplicity,
the empowerment of every member and the renewal of the congregations
inherent in this process. Responding to the requests of many
around the globe, the diocese decided to revise their curriculum,
building on their experience.
The Episcopal
Diocese of Nevada also had years of experience in local ministry
development. They and the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming, active
participants in the national movement in ministry development
known as ''Living Stones,'' joined the project along with Harvesters
-- a ministry development partnership of the Episcopal dioceses
and seminaries of New England.
This program
draws from the experience and insight of people who have been
engaged in the process of ministry development for many years.
LifeCycles is being written and continually supplemented by
a team of people from these dioceses working with LeaderResources
as the editor and publisher. On one hand, it has been written
for ourselves -- it is another of the ongoing revisions we do
to improve our materials and keep the process fresh and relevant.
On the other hand, we are sharing our experience with you. We
do not presume that what works for us will necessarily work
for you. So, this program is being published electronically
to enable you to adapt and revise it to fit your needs. In fact,
we believe this process will work best when you make it your
own. So, we encourage you to see what we did, try it out, change
it and send us your improvements. We would love to learn from
you as we hope you will learn from us. Welcome to LifeCycles
-- a process of ministry development that has, is and will continue
to improve as a now global learning community lives and works
with it, continually sharing with one another ideas and resources
to enrich it.
LifeCycles
generally is used in one of three ways:
- As a
foundational program of spiritual formation and education
for
adults -- especially in congregations seeking to deepen their
members' faith lives and increase their members' participation
and leadership in the life and mission of the church.
- In the
context of that process, as a way to prepare and train local
ministry support teams, some of whom will be commissioned
to specific roles, some ordained.
- To support
the ongoing process whereby such local ministry support teams
continue to build skills, gain knowledge, increase understanding,
develop spiritually and support one another in the exercise
of their mutual ministry.
Presbyter/Priests -- Competencies
Deacons
-- Competencies
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