Continuing Education Ideas and Suggestions
While not required, members are encouraged to complete at least 150 clock hours of supervised study during each triennium of membership.
"Clock hours" should not be confused with "quarter," "semester," or "credit" hours often assigned to courses of study at a college or university. For APC purposes a "clock hour .. is one hour of time spent in study, research, classroom attendance, or other activity consistent with the guidelines of this paper. Normally, one CEU (Continuing Education Unit) awarded an APC member is credited as ten clock hours.
Report forms provided by the APC should be used to report all continuing education. Each new member entering the program of General Studies receives an initial supply upon joining. Thereafter, for each report form completed and sent to the Dean of General Studies, a new form will be returned to the member. All three copies should be submitted to the Dean, who will sign and return the original to the member.
It is recommended that the minimum 150 clock hours be equally divided between in-parish studies and away-from-parish studies. One of the founding principles of the APC has been that clergy are in need of continuing education both in academic settings such as universities and seminaries and in practice-oriented settings, the local parish in particular. A single set of criteria for both kinds of study addresses the question, "What actually comprises continuing education that meets APC requirements?" The following criteria represent an attempt to set standards for disciplined and structured study while allowing flexibility in the nature and context of the study.
- Adequate Resources for Learning: An instructor, lecturer, or mentor may provide the resources, or they may be from a library (print, tape or other media). Resources may also be through participation or observation.
- A Qualified Person to Supervise the Process and Help Evaluate the Process and Results: This person could be an instructor or a colleague (lay or clergy) who has an adequate knowledge of the field of study.
- A Demonstration of Learning: A member must be able to clearly identify what has been learned that will contribute to his or her competence as a parish leader. This may take the form of a written statement included in the report to the Dean.
- A Self-Evaluation of the Learning Experience: A lengthy and detailed evaluation is not required, but it is important that the member reflect on the experience, its process and the learning that resulted, in an evaluative manner.
The most important single criterion for consideration in determining what is continuing education is whether or not the member has learned something that will bring personal or professional growth and enhance the individual's practice of ministry.
Varieties of Educational Programs
AWAY-FROM-PARISH PROGRAMS
Examples:
- Classes and courses offered by colleges, seminaries, and universities: These normally meet the criteria.
- APC Annual Convocation.
- Lectures, workshops, and seminars: The member must be sure that the four criteria are met. Attendance in itself is not satisfactory.
- Clinical Pastoral Education and related training under supervision.
- Travel, observation, internships: Again, care must be taken to meet the four basic criteria.
- Independent study projects.
In-Parish Programs
Examples:
- Participation in a colleague group using the case method to learn from examination of events taking place in the parishes of participants.
- Use of the APC's Guide for Continuing Growth.
- Conducting an independent study project in the parish on some aspect of parish life.
- Serving as advisor or consultant to another APC member or an independent study project or the Guide for Continuing Growth.
- Correspondence study, or directed reading programs under the auspices of seminaries or universities.
An important and sometimes difficult question frequently arises: "What is the difference between an in-parish program of study and normal parish activity?" Essentially all sermon preparation and leadership of study and discussion groups entail study, as do many other parish activities. What, if any, of this is "continuing education?"
Stated simply, the four basic criteria must be met. Another way of making the determination is to ask, "Am I developing new skills that will be helpful in the future (continuing education), or am I reusing skills previously learned?" Some examples:
- Doing a detailed exegesis of a biblical passage in Greek for a sermon series is not continuing education. Renewing and developing one's skills in Greek and exegesis methodology can be continuing education.
- Preparation to lead a parish study on a biblical book would not qualify. A project could be designed, however, in conjunction with such preparation and could qualify if, for example, the member consulted with a knowledgeable biblical scholar, reviewed current literature on the book, identified ways in which the study could be used in a number of areas of parish life, and shared conclusions in a paper or with a colleague group.
In other words, an in-parish project does not necessarily require that the parish practitioner begin performing a new task, but it does bring attention to such a task with a new purpose or goal. Its aim is to enhance and upgrade what he/she is already doing.
The APC stresses the value of in-parish studies because learning is the activity of the student. We can think of the parish as a "laboratory" in which the clergyperson experiments by projecting and testing hypotheses. Following this analogy, we suggest an outline for doing in-parish studies.
How to do In-Parish Studies
Understanding Self/Situation
The first step in doing an in-parish study project is for the clergyperson to analyze where he/she is, to understand something about the parish "laboratory" and the areas that need to be explored as well as something about himself or herself as a person. What questions are surfacing in the minds of the pastor and/or members of the congregation? For example: "Why is there so much conflict in the church?" "Why can't I seem to get my work organized efficiently?" "What's the point of some of the things we do in the worship service?" "How can we attract more people to our church? How can I encourage our people to become more concerned about social problems and community outreach?" "How is the AIDS scare affecting our parish?" "Is my preaching faithful to the biblical story?"
Designing the Project
1. Selection. In the light of discovered needs, select one of the questions that seems to be the most pressing, of greatest interest or promises to be of highest value. It could be that you will select two or three projects and be working on all of them at the same time. The choice may be based either on the point of weakness in your ministry, or at a point of your greatest strength if' you wish to become further equipped or a "specialist" in a certain field.
2. Explore Available Resources. Look through your own personal library for books that you have on the subject. You may have available in your community, public libraries, college or seminary libraries where you can look for books or periodical literature. If you have no library in your own community, most theological seminary libraries or university libraries have lending services. In every community, there are persons who may serve as resources, e.g. experts in business and finance, social workers, psychologists, educators, doctors.
3. Hypothesize. For the purpose of clarity of your own thought, write out in one sentence what you intend to test in your working situation. For example: "A detailed time study of my workweek will enable me to accomplish administrative detail in much less time." "A study of social problems which directly impact the lives of our parishioners will open doors to better understanding of them, and suggest forms of ministry related to them." "A study of narrative theology and narrative preaching will enhance my pulpit ministry."
4. Read, Reflect, Explore. With your hypothesis clearly in mind, begin to read, reflect on your own ministry and explore through the periodicals and with the persons that you have selected under (2) above, to isolate those resources that are going to be most useful to you in testing your hypothesis.
5. Plan a Reasonable Goal. When you come to this point in your process, be careful that you limit yourself to a workable program as far as available time is concerned. Jot down the number of books, magazines and periodicals that you wish to use, how many interviews you are going to have and with what persons, etc. Determine how much time you will give to one project or another.
Evaluating the Project
1. Self-evaluation. After the time frame has been followed, you are ready to begin a systematic process of evaluation. Ask yourself the questions, "What have I learned through my experiments?" "Has my hypothesis been proved or disproved?" "What modifications are necessary for me to make in the hypothesis?" (It is important to remember that failure to prove a hypothesis may teach you just as much as your success in proving it.) It is especially helpful if you jot down both the positive and the negative results that you have been able to observe from your test. Ask yourself such questions as: "Am I working more efficiently?" "is the congregation more involved in community outreach?" "Has my preaching improved?"
2. Peer Evaluation. With the completed project in hand, share what you have done and learned with another clergy or lay person in your congregation or community, or with another evaluator. If you are a member of a local colleague group, you could submit your project to them so that they can serve as peer evaluators. This is highly encouraged by the APC. Not only would this give you the benefit of a larger number of evaluators who know you and your situation personally, but it also strengthens the values and uses of a colleague group.
Submit Report to the APC
After the entire project is completed and evaluated, fill in one of the "Report of Completed Educational Program' forms in which you describe in a few sentences the project that you did and who your evaluators were. Estimate the number of clock-hours that were spent in the project and submit it to the Dean of General Studies for authorization of clock-hour credit. It is not necessary for the members to send complete written reports and materials. However, such material adds to the treasury of Projects Completed in the data retrieval system, and thus it becomes available for "sharing the practice" with other members. Such written reports may also be worthy of publication in Sharing the Practice, The Christian Ministry magazine, or other publications. However, for such purposes they may need to be recast in a rare journalistic style.
A few examples
The following illustrations of "Completed In-Parish Projects" may serve to clarify further the concepts with which this paper deals.
Example I -- Independent Study on the Psalms
1 . Understanding Self and Situation. "I read things by the great theologians of history which indicate that these great Christians were ecstatic over the Psalms (i.e., men like Calvin and Luther). And, I hear people say that they themselves love the Psalms. When I hear the Psalms, however, (which is usually in Morning Prayer, or between lessons at the Eucharist) I am left cold. They seem trivial compared to the vitality of St. Paul's writings, the pericopes of the Gospels, or the more magnificent passages of the Old Testament. Obviously I'm missing something here! I want to get a more adequate understanding of, and a much deeper feeling for, the Psalms."
2. Designing the Project
a. Selection. Independent study in the Psalms.
b. Explore Available Resources. Many books were available from the member's personal library, from the public library through interlibrary loan, and by mail from seminary libraries. They included (but were by no means limited to): Gunkel's The Psalms, Robinson's Corporate Personality in Ancient Israel, Shepherd's The Psalms in Christian Worship, Griggs' Praying and Teaching the Psalms, several volumes by Prof. John Eaton of the University of Birmingham, England, articles in The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, and Mowinckel's The Psalms in Israel's Worship. The member also carried on extensive correspondence with some of the authors, especially Prof. Eaton of Birmingham.
c. Hypothesize. "There are clues, hints, and stage directions in the Psalms which, if I could pick up on them, would suggest a context of use (in ancient Israel) which would infuse life and meaning into the words in their original sense, and would give me a reference point for understanding possible meaning and application for me today, without a sense of 'eisegetting' any integrity out of them by pure emotive projection."
d. Read, Reflect, Explore. This was done, using the resources described under (2) above.
e. Plan a Reasonable Goal. This included, not only the readings listed above, but also a number of concrete activities: (1) teaching a parish group on "Psalms"; (2) bringing an inter-parish group to a Jewish synagogue for dialogue on the Psalms in Jewish life today; (3) giving three meditative talks; (4) keeping records in a loose-leaf book, forming a "commentary" for future reference; (5) writing an introduction for each Psalm on an index card, for use in worship services, to "clue-in" worshippers about a Psalm they are about to hear or recite in church; (6) tape recording four talks about the Psalter; (7) writing a book report for Sharing the Practice on a book about the Psalms.
5. Evaluating the Project. The member writes, "I am satisfied with the method, and feel the many 'ends-in-view' which led to the study from one aspect to the next, have tied together satisfactorily, and have given me a good feeling for, and understanding of, the Psalms. I feel that now I know what Calvin, Luther, and others found so fascinating in the Psalter. I am glad I discovered it!' The member also submitted photocopies of some of the feedback he received from Prof. Eaton.
6. Submit Report to the APC. The member submitted a detailed report of his project and the number of hours allotted to each phase. His in-parish hours totaled 302, not including many hours spent in the initial stages of the project, which he had begun before becoming a member of the APC.
This project was unusually ambitious and comprehensive, but it serves as a model of what can be done. Many projects, like the following, will be shorter and less detailed. Also, in the following examples, I will only summarize the project and the process undertaken.
EXAMPLE II -- Lecture, "The First Amendment: Its Background and Interpretation"
The setting was the national annual meeting of a denominational historical society, coinciding with the bicentennial celebration of the U. S. Constitution, hosted by the church where an APC member is Associate Pastor. He was invited to present one of the major lectures.
He clocked 15 hours in research, writing and delivery, presenting the personalities and issues in the creation of the First Amendment, focusing on Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, and including later Supreme Court decisions based on the amendment, and some current implications for future developments.
EXAMPLE III - Equal Access Act Research
Controversy over the constitutionality of the Equal Access Act of 1986, opened the door to student-initiated and student-led Bible study groups on secondary school campuses. This led an APC member in Omaha, Nebraska, to research a lawsuit brought by students of Westside High School in Omaha against the Board of Education.
The research led to the writing of an article which was published in a national youth workers' newsletter. A five-hour in-parish project gained immediate national attention!
EXAMPLE IV -- Marriage Breakup
A Roman Catholic priest clocked 127 hours reviewing cases in the ecclesiastical court records of his diocese to determine the causes of marital breakup.
His goal: "Utilizing these reasons and causes as a reminder, for those whose marriages I am preparing, of how to avoid these pitfalls and to maintain a lasting and stable marriage until the end of their earthly days."
EXAMPLE V - Independent Study in Church History and Theology
(Note: This project demonstrates the difference between reading which meets APC criteria for continuing education and that which does not. Just reading a book, even in preparation for a sermon or class, would not. The following intentional, planned, focused reading does.)
In a study leave required by his judicatory, an APC member stayed at home and designed a program of reading current literature in church history and theology, concentrating on the themes of the effect Christ had on Western culture, from his death until now, and the images of Christ that rose to prominence during the various eras of those centuries. The study, claiming 56 in-parish hours, was supervised by a professor from a local college.
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