A year in outline - a student

The Pattern of the Training Year

Before Starting on SWMTC

First Contact!

As part of the process of exploring vocation to the ordained ministry, or through a desire to deepen Christian learning, a candidate may have begun (or indeed completed) a formal theological qualification before beginning with SWMTC. As soon as a candidate is confirmed as beginning with SWMTC, she or he will be allocated a staff tutor who will seek to visit the candidate and her/his home minister together in order to explain the training, and answer any questions. At this point both candidate and home minister receive a copy of the SWMTC Handbook. It would be ideal if this process was able to be completed by the July before starting in the September. However this is not always possible, and this year over half of our current first year were not yet confirmed by then for beginning on the Course in the September.

“Starting the training process can seem immensely daunting and this is mainly down to the unknowns in what lay ahead. Whether training at a college or on a course, life compromises are required in order to reap the rewards of training. Training is not the ‘means to an end’ rather it is the setting down of a foundation that will be a lifelong learning experience”

Induction Morning (late-July)

Induction morning is a Saturday morning arranged in late July. It is intended to introduce new candidates to one another and to current students and Course staff. An initial piece of preparatory work may be set for the first Course weekend.

“The Induction Morning is the first real taster of SWMTC; now reality sets in! If the task of training seemed immense it’s just got bigger. However, difficult it seems it is important to remember that all the candidates, regardless of their year, are all in the same situation.”

As candidates are confirmed to begin on SWMTC, so the Course staff team are assigned a Personal Tutors (in conversation with the candidate and proposed tutor). All being well, the tutor will work with the candidate throughout the period of her/his training on SWMTC.

“Personal Tutors are a vital conversation partner for the candidate in the process of formation. Although they are part of the overall team, they are also one step removed. It is vitally important for the Personal Tutor to aid the development of reflective practice in the journal and to contribute effectively when de-briefing placement reports.”

At present the first weekend occurs on the St Luke’s University Campus in Exeter. The SWMTC Year begins with an inaugural service. Inevitably for first years the weekend involves a good deal of ‘orientation’ work; while the second and third years begin their Ministry Development Module. If not already established, the Director of Studies will map out study pathways for candidates for the entirety of their time on SWMTC. This includes both the work undertaken in the University and their Ministry Development Module work. Course weekends begin with an evening meal at 7pm on the Friday evening and conclude with the Eucharist at 12 noon on the Sunday.

“It finally starts! But what’s more, if you haven’t had the university experience (or not for many years), arriving on campus adds to the tension. But this is dispelled in the realisation that everyone there is in the same boat. The tutors, far from being distant and impersonal, are an integral part of this community; they are frequently known to wax lyrical over a drink in the bar during the social gatherings during the weekend. This time is just as important as the study time as this safe space provides the opportunity to ask those questions that you were hesitant to ask in front of your year group. This understandable reticence is shared by all members of the year group and it is soon understood that no-one is judged for what they say; within reason!

The church flyers are remarkably different in context and approach and the group discussions flow freely and enlightening points are shared. But now the big task is presented; the “Church Survey”. The briefings, as throughout the year, are comprehensive and if there is any doubt or concern, the tutors are more than happy to answer questions either within the group or on a one-to-one basis.

For those candidates who have already completed a year of the University of Exeter Certificate in Theology, the task of adding yet more homework to already creaking home schedules seems daunting. For those who are about to start university study in a few weeks time, realisation has yet to come! If there is any advice to give it is, try to keep on top of all the various assignments/reading. If it seems unmanageable when the work is issued, it will be impossible to do when starting it 48 hours before the next residential weekend.

At the end of the first residential weekend you leave on an absolute high! The tutors are great, new friends and colleagues have been made and the challenge of training is now on track. But what comes next is not expected. Once at home with your work laid out on the table, it suddenly feels extremely lonely. As the questions race around your head, there is no-one there to ask and those around you at home can look at you with quizzical expressions not knowing what you are talking about! This is where the home minister, personal tutor and staff tutor play a crucial role. For it is these people who will be your sounding board until the next residential weekend. Of course, you can and will keep in contact with other members of your year group but the likelihood is that they will not be around the corner.

Also the impact on the family has started and support for them is equally crucial. There is no escaping that this period of training is not a ‘walk in the park’.”

“Unless you are a natural journal writer, the task of writing up your journal after the first weekend can sometimes feel like drawing blood from stone. You don’t know where to start, you are not sure which heading a particular reflection comes under, you are not even sure you have a theological reaction and so forth. Don’t despair! Talk it all through with your personal tutor making sure that you allow plenty of time for your first meeting. It may be that you have allowed too much time but that can be adjusted, whereas if there is not enough time you will leave frustrated and unclear about whether you are on the right lines at all. Your staff tutor will visit you at home once each term and will take that opportunity to review your journal. If you still have nagging doubts, make sure your staff tutor is happy; if she/he has any concerns, they will help and guide you. They are not there to fill your journal with red ink!”

The majority of candidates on SWMTC will be at some stage towards completing a BTh degree. The University year is split into two semesters of 12 weeks (Oct – Feb; March -June). Candidates will attend weekly evening classes in either Truro, Exeter (or occasionally on line).

“If this is the first engagement with theological study, be prepared for a shock! The tutors talk a different language and your colleagues in their second year seem to be on a different planet. Be patient! The handouts for each session are invaluable and when supported by your own notes, will enable you to look back and it will all start clicking into place. Although it is stipulated that there are no expectations of students as to prior knowledge, this cannot be avoided. You will feel as though you have nothing to contribute, but you have. Never be afraid of asking a question as you can be sure that there are several other people in the room who are also wrestling with the same question.

No sooner have you started and there is talk of the first essay. If you are human and in unfamiliar territory, you will quite normally feel the anxiety of failure. Again, the tutors are there to help you not to see you fall on your face! The first essay can be submitted for an initial mark and you then have the opportunity to fix any anomalies and re-submit it for a second mark. If the second mark is higher, this is the one that counts. When you get this first essay back marked, you can rightly pat yourself on the back!

Access to books for assignments is always a challenge so any help from your home minister, personal tutor or past students is invaluable.

You will be given definitive deadlines for university assignments so you will be able to fit these into your schedule. These dates are fixed, however, in certain circumstances, it is possible to have an extension. But remember, this only delays the inevitable and no doubt has a knock on effect on other deadlines coming up.

These gather candidates across the year groups, and meet once a month (9 times a year). Tutor Groups will follow a set theme of study each year. They involve candidates in some preparatory reading and the preparation of probably one session a year. They are also the context in which worship for residential weekends is planned.

“A great opportunity to get to know your Staff Tutor and fellow colleagues. But yet more work in preparing for the meetings in order to participate or to lead. The group will also lead the worship at two of the residential weekends or the Easter Week.

The pressure is starting to build. The individual pieces of work may not be particularly extensive but the overall schedule of work is complex; multiple assignments with differing deadlines and in the case of the portfolio, not until the end of the year!”

“After trawling through the completed surveys, preparing your presentation for the weekend, and writing this up for your portfolio, you are now prepared for the second weekend. Comparing socio-economic data with your church findings can be quite a shock as what has been a general feeling about your church is now explicitly stated in black and white. This can be frustrating and your feelings and church and congregation may have been given a healthy shock, but don’t be perturbed by this. As this part of the portfolio progresses, these tensions and anxieties enable a critical reflection that casts a new and realistic light on church life. Again, journal entries and reflective discussions with your Personal Tutor help unpack this deluge of information.

Apart from SWMTC and the university, there is also an act of worship and a sermon that you need to undertake in your home church and which need to be assessed by your home minister and representatives from the congregation.

“Use this forum to air concerns or issues either personally with your Staff Tutor or collectively within the group. There is a strong social dimension within this group and there is mutual support and understanding. Don’t be afraid to speak out!”

“This can sometimes fall on Advent weekend and it may well be that in previous years, you will have been involved preparing/leading worship. It may well feel odd to be away from you home church on such occasions. Although it is tempting to try and maintain such involvement, commitments have to be scaled down if you’re not to be pushed beyond the boundary. By the time you get home on the Sunday of a residential weekend and the mental hyper-activity has subsided, exhaustion tends to set in. Let someone else take the strain and be on the receiving end!”

“Although preaching is a session across all the weekends, the principles are now being put into practice. For those who have not preached before, and you will not be alone, standing in the pulpit in front of the congregation for the first time seems immense, but it does get easier.”

“Depending on your Staff Tutor, this may be a social night for the group and families. Enjoy!”

Between weekends four and five, first year candidates undertake a brief (20 hrs) Observation Placement in a church of a tradition or context very different from their own.

“The Observation Placement can be rich and fulfilling experience but in reality you only get out what you put in. Although the placement is for only 20 hours, the additional commitments of interviewing church members, attending a mid-week fellowship group and joining in acts of worship makes the diary creek even more. Make sure that the constituent parts are evenly spaced so that you are not trying to cram it all into two weeks. Try to write up notes as soon as possible whilst the information is fresh in your minds. Once you have submitted your placement report to your staff tutor, within three weeks of completing your placement, ascertain that it is all in order. Try to remember that the placement is not just an academic exercise, it is also about formation as a minister and therefore your staff tutor is also looking to see how the training is shaping you for ministerial life.”

“There are so many threads to the weekends and after the first few, it is perhaps not clear how they weave together but by this weekend, it is beginning to take shape. Be patient. As you write your journal and annotate previous entries, it is possible to see how you have developed in your understanding and thinking.”

Usually held at St Luke’s University Campus. First Year candidates pursue a programme focused on ministry in different contexts while second/third year candidates focus on either death, dying and bereavement or pastoral theology.

Third years: complete and hand in portfolios of the year’s MDM work at the end of Easter School.

“Easter School is a full week and like the residential weekends, the first years follow a separate module from the second and third years. The week is full and challenging, especially if you have left family at home. Relationships with tutors and fellow colleagues that have developed over the weekends, tutor groups and university sessions are now fast-tracked! Now the community is living, working and worshipping together for longer than 42 hours! The end of week shenanigans is something to behold and is best found out about during the week.

The portfolio is taking shape with the various assignments completed to date. Try and build it as you go along rather than waiting until the end as this generates more work when you are nearly at the end of the first year and are tired.

Having journalled five weekends and started to make connections with theological education, it is now time to complete your self-assessment. This is not easy but it is important to be truly honest with yourself. The questions follow a similar shape to that of your journal and your responses should be informed by your journal however, you are also asked to reflect on how you have developed over this first leg of the training. This is not a document that you can just sit down and complete in one sitting, rather it may take several attempts. This is OK! Make sure you take time to go through your assessment with your Personal Tutor BEFORE the final weekend as this forms part of your portfolio.”

At the final Residential weekend first and second year portfolios are completed and handed in.

This is it! The final residential weekend. Your portfolio is complete apart from the journal for this weekend for which time is allocated. You may feel, and quite rightly so, a sense of relief that this work is complete but you may still have university assignments to complete. Keep going!

Depending on the form of continuing ministerial training, some new ministers will now begin the final SWMTC module – (Ministry Development Module IV) in July.

SOUTH WEST MINISTRY TRAINING COURSE

A year in outline - a student's perspective - Peter Dixon

Home

© SWMTC 2007

Send mail to Patricia Robottom with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 30-04-08

SOUTH WEST MINISTRY TRAINING COURSE

A year in outline - a student's perspective - Peter Dixon

Home

© SWMTC 2007

Send mail to Patricia Robottom with questions or comments about this web site. Last modified: 30-04-08

Send mail to Patricia Robottom with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 30-04-08