DESCRIPTION: This course (pass/fail for 2 units) is designed to provide an
internship in All-Seminary Chapel at Fuller Theological Seminary. It will
expose students to models and methods of collaborative ministry, as well as
theoretical models of integrating worship and the arts. At the core of this
learning experience is the planning, leading, and evaluation of All-Seminary
Chapels as a part of the chapel team.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: The most public theological statement about
what a community believes is its expression of corporate worship. This course
exposes students to a collaborative and dialogical process of working through
the practical and theological issues of worship planning and its execution.
Further, it will expose the student to the challenges of working with members
of a team who do not necessarily work in direct contact with each other, such
as preachers, lectors, and musicians, for example. All these are essential
skills for worship ministry and for many other ministries as well.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: The course seeks the following goals for each student:
Students will (1) grow in their ability to engage in theological reflection
by having regular opportunities to think critically about ministry in light of
the Christian tradition; (2) deepen their understanding of the cultural
context of ministry by immersing themselves in a specific context and regularly
reflecting with their supervisor on the connection between context and
ministry; (3) develop toward becoming spiritually mature and accountable
practitioners by reflecting with their peers in a theological reflection group
and with their supervisor in their internship on the connection between their
faith and their ministry; (4) become better Christian leaders by having many
opportunities to practice the responsibilities of ministry throughout their
internship.
COURSE FORMAT: The student must first be interviewed by the Worship Coordinator
(Currently Ed Willmington) and be accepted into the chapel internship program.
Then the student should contact the Field Education and Ministry Formation
(FEMF) Office for preregistration materials and instructions on arranging an
internship. The course has three primary components: practical ministry,
supervision, and theological reflection. The student spends at least 10 hours
each week for nine months (three academic quarters) in All-Seminary Chapel
involved in specific ministry assignments agreed upon by the on-site supervisor
and student, and the FEMF Office. One hour each week is to be spent with the
approved supervisor. The agenda should address (a) professional direction,
evaluation, and overseeing the student's ministry; (b) theological reflection
and discussion of topics related to ministry as identified by the student and
supervisor; (c) mentoring, support, spiritual formation, and prayer.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: