DESCRIPTION:

This course (offered pass/fail for 2 units) is the required nine-month church internship designed to give students supervised applied experience in pastoral ministry in the local church.

This course is designed to provide a means for students to increase their skills and experience in a particular area of pastoral ministry, as well as to meet the requirements which many denominations have for a candidate's ministry preparation.

The course has three primary components: practical ministry, supervision, and theological reflection. The student spends at least ten hours each week for three academic quarters (nine months) in the local church involved in specific ministry assignments agreed upon by the supervisor and student, and approved by the Office of Field Education. One hour each week is to be spent with the approved on-site supervisor to discuss a) professional direction, evaluation, and oversight of the student's ministry; b) theological reflection and discussion of topics related to ministry as identified by the student and supervisor; c) support and prayer. Students will meet during the second quarter (FE501B) in a Reflection Group, led by a faculty member or experienced pastor. These groups ordinarily meet three to four times, for two hours each time. Each student participating will write and present one case study from their internship experience.

(1) Participation in a Preparatory Workshop during the first week of the first quarter in which the student is registered for a FE course. (2) Completion of a Learning Agreement by the supervisor and intern, to be turned in to the Office of Field Education by the end of the second week of FE501A (the first quarter of the internship). (3) Meeting during the first quarter (FE501A) with the Director of Field Education, or other Field Education staff as selected, for a progress report on the internship. (4) Completion of Evaluation Reports by the student and the supervisor, to be turned in by the end of the tenth week of EACH quarter. (5) Participation in a Theological Reflection Group during the second quarter (FE501B), including completion of a written case study to be submitted to the Office of Field Education the tenth week of the first quarter (FE501A). (6) Participation in a minimum of four Ministry Enrichment Seminars during the course of the internship, to be arranged with the Office of Field Education.

Before the student may register for this course, several steps must be completed, a process that may take up to a month, since the student is responsible to make arrangements for an internship site. The first step is to read the preregistration materials available at www.fuller.edu/sot/fielded or in the Office of Field Education. After the student has submitted internship and supervisor applications, he or she must schedule an enrollment interview with the Office of Field Education. If the internship is approved, the student will then receive a Course Approval Notification that must be submitted to the Academic Advisor prior to registration. The student must also participate in the Field Education Preparatory Workshop prior to actual involvement in the internship.

The three-quarter sequence, FE501A, B, and C, is required to meet the FE1 MDiv core requirement in Field Education (MIN 7). It is offered pass/fail for 2 units. It is an elective for the MA in Theology (General Format) and meets requirements for some MA in [a specialized ministry] degree programs.

None. Evaluation is through completion of the nine-month internship as specified in the individual learning agreement and through completion of all assignments listed above.