Prospectus of Education for Ministry
The EfM Story
The EfM Heart
The EfM Vision
The EfM Learning Process
The EfM Group Seminar
The Efm Group Mentor
The Efm Program Materials
Educational Design
Support of EfM
Commencing EfM
The Content of EfM Readings
Education for Ministry is an extensive educational program of theology and ministry linking the faith of the Christian tradition with the events of everyday life, such that the one inspires the other.
Today people face the difficult, often subtle, task of interpreting the richness of the church’s faith in a complex and confusing world, They need a theological ctueation which supports their faith and encourages its expression in the day-to-day events of life.
When the emphasis on the ministry of the baptised people of God took place in the 20th century, EfM became an important part of that growth by providing an educational program that develops an informed and skilled laity for God’s mission in the world.
The Education for Ministry program began with a vision of enabling a couple of hundred adults who happened to live in the vicinity of the University of the South to share some of the theological and ministry resources of the University so that they might be informed and knowledgeable about their faith. That was in 1975. Since then thousands of people have found in EfM the foundation for living out their Christian vocation in their local communities. EfM has operated in Australia since 1978. More than two thousand people have completed the four-year program. Presently there are more than 60 EfM groups operating in rural and urban centres. EfM is worldwide and used throughout the Anglican Church and in some other denominations. Besides Australia there are groups in Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Mexico, The Bahamas, Honduras, Italy, Switzerland and West Germany.
The conviction that all people are called to ministry in the world is at the heart of the EtM program. The actualisation of such a call develops within a small learning community committed to the realisation of the mission of God for the church and for the world. Many people think that one must be ordained in order to be a minister. In reality, all baptised Christians are called to be active participants in the total ministry of the church. This total ministry is nothing less than the exercise of the church’s vocation as the body of the Christ who reconciles the world to God and calls each member of the body to share in this ministry in their time and place through worship, service to others, and by proclamation of his Word to all people.
The purpose of EtM is to enable the baptised to relate their Christian faith to their lives and ministries in the contemporary world. EtM holds before it a vision of an effective church of active and theologically articulate laity. This vision sees a partnership between the ordained and the laity as they work side by side in the mission of God. The goal of EfM is to enable expression in word and deed of the baptismal commitment—to strive to live as a disciple of Christ, loving God and neighbour for all of life. A Prayer Book for Australia reminds us that all who have been baptised and confirmed are called to study the Bible, to take part in the life of the Church, to share in the Holy Communion, and to pray faithfully and regularly and to ... commit themselves, in the strength of the Holy Spirit, to share with others, by word and example, the love of Christ and his gospel of reconciliation and hope, to love their neighbours as themselves, to honour all people and to pray and work for peace and justice.
THE EfM LEARNING PROCESS Top of Page
EfM is a program of theological education and ministry formation that includes individual study and the shared exploration of faith in small communities of learning under the guidance of trained mentors EtM assists people to integrate the content of the Christian tradition with their everyday life experience in the world so that individual life and ministry is inspired by what is being studied. This process can be illustrated by the image of a train track with two rails connected and held in place with sleepers and sitting on a solid gravel foundation. One rail represents the content. In EfM, the content is the Christian tradition presented in the Readings. The other rail represents experience. Whether or not participants are involved in deliberate acts of ministry, all of their day-to-day life experience is appropriate. The two rails are connected with sleepers that represent the seminar sessions. Within the group seminars the participants receive the support and inspiration needed to connect their experience with the Christian heritage. Prayer and worship ground the learning process into their deepening communion with God and with each other. This grounding is represented in the image as the gravel bed in which the tracks lie. Hence, it could be said that the EfM program structures the theological travels of its participants as the track guides the train.
THE EfM GROUP SEMINAR Top of Page
The group seminar, which is at the centre of the EfM program, is the occasion for participants to share insights and seek clarification of the reading material by discussion and further exploration together. Most important is the development of that basic skill which is the foundation of all Christian ministry — theological reflection. Various methods for reflection are practised in order to help participants to sharpen their skills of personal and cultural assessment and enhance the effectiveness of their ministries. Participants become familiar with a range of helpful ways of looking at the everyday events of their life in the light of the revealed meaning of the Christian tradition. In learning reflectively they come to recognise the presence of God in their experiences and interactions with others and they are able to work out how best to serve God. While EfM does not train specific ministry skills such as how to preach, how to lead worship, or how to counsel, it does increase the skills associated with decision-making and intentional action and it enhances the ability to be more effective in a variety of ministries.
THE EfM GROUP MENTOR Top of Page
Groups function under the leadership of an accredited mentor who, having been trained to lead an EfM group, agrees to serve the group as its guide and local program administrator. The mentor does not teach in the sense of imparting information about the Christian tradition because the teaching is built into the reading materials. The mentor has the ability to work as an enabler rather than an informer of people. The mentor facilitates the participants growth and skill in theological reflection. The criteria by which a mentor is accredited include: experience in theological study, familiarity with methods of biblical scholarship, maturity in Christian faith, ability to live with the ambiguity within the tradition which allows for a range of interpretation, and the ability to enable a group to develop its own life. A mentor is accredited to work with a group whilst the accreditation remains current. Following initial accreditation, mentors are expected to attend in-service training every year. Mentor training is provided on a regional basis at regular intervals. Those who desire to participate in mentor training should contact the local EfM Coordinator or phone the National Administrator for advice.
THE EfM PROGRAM MATERIALS Top of Page
EfM is a comprehensive program involving an intensive study of Christianity. It requires a considerable investment of time and energy as each participant engages in a continuous process of reading, reflecting, sharing and praying. The content of the learning materials cover the Christian heritage - the Bible and the history of the Church from its earliest times to the present. Participants are introduced to the disciplines of biblical exegesis and interpretation, theology, ethics, liturgics, spirituality and contemporary theological issues. The content is regularly revised to present the best of contemporary scholarship.
A The Reading Materials:
The presentation of the story of the people of God is arranged in 120 chapters of readings. These readings, which provide an integrated presentation of the Christian tradition, are the lessons for personal study prior to the seminar. They are grouped in four sections: Old Testament, New Testament, Christian History, and Contemporary Theology. The later chapters bring the story of the church to Australia and up to the present time. An overview of the content of the readings is appended to this EfM Prospectus. The Readings require the use of certain primary sources - a Bible and a collection of the historical documents of the Church. 9’he New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha’ in NRSV text is recommended. Henry Bettenson’s ‘Documents of the Christian Church’ is the text of primary sources recommended for students in Years III and IV. Whilst the reading materials nominate further reading so that particular interests can be followed, students are not required to obtain them.
B The Supporting Materials: These materials, which support the integration of study with life and ministry, consist of three parts: the Learning Guides, the Log Book, and the Common Lessons. Thematic issues are identified and theological disciplines are developed which are used in the seminar sessions as a frame of reference by which specific acts of ministry can be explored.
- 1. The Learning Guides:
Each chapter of reading has a corresponding parallel Learning Guide. Each guide helps to deepen understanding of the reading content, to begin the work of integrating that content into life experience, and to prepare for the seminar. - 2. The Log Book:
The Log is a loose-leaf book containing six sections: Reading Notes, Glossary, Exercises, Autobiography, Reflections, and Resources. The Reading Notes collects the notes made during study, which by the end show patterns that have developed over the time. The Glossary is where the vocabulary of the discipline is built. Both the Exercises and the Reflections sections gather responses that are interwoven with the journey through the program but provide a reference beyond it. The Resources section is a place where references to books, films, conferences, workshops, etc. may be recorded. The Autobiography section accumulates reflections about personal life. - 3. The Common Lessons:
The seminar group is the primary learning community and within it much of the integration of experience and content is stimulated. Each Common Lesson helps participants understand and share responsibility for some aspect of the seminar work. Common Lessons are published in each calendar year and contain eight distinctive pieces of work. Three Common Lessons are about life together in the group. The first is about starting the group, another is about reviewing progress mid-way through the year, and the third is about closing the group for the year. These contain information about group life and suggestions about effective participation. Five Common Lessons are about the skills to be developed in order for EfM work to be effective. One is about story-telling, another about theological reflection, a third about spirituality, a fourth gives shape to personal theology, and a fifth is about planning ministry which provides for the discernment of what is already present so that the ministry of the church might be carried out in all its fullness.
THE E/M EDUCATIONAL DESIGN Top of Page
The design of the EfM program brings together these several resources: the readings and supporting materials, the mentor and the seminar group. An educational assumption is that adults learn what they want to learn, when they want to learn it. The program does not ‘force’ learning. Students are responsible for setting their own learning goals. Most spend three to four hours in preparation for the seminar each week. In the seminars they share their insights and discoveries as well as discuss matters which the reading materials have raised for them.
The EfM program has a four-year curriculum design. Students enrol for one year at a time. Some students in a group may be working on the Readings of different years from the others of the same group. Certificates
A Certificate of Completion is awarded to EfM students who satisfactorily complete the four years of the EfM program. These graduates of EfM may apply for academic credit. The Brisbane College of Theology offers undesignated credit to EfM graduates.
The effectiveness of EfM depends first and foremost upon willing students and a capable mentor. Whilst these meet on a regular basis and encourage one another, all those within the EfM system offer a network of support especially for the mentor. Each EfM Diocesan Coordinator promotes the EtM program within the region, coordinates the work of EfM groups, organises regional EfM events, schedules local mentor training according to local need and assists in the recruitment of trainees. Accredited EfM Mentor Trainers are appointed by the Director to conduct training in accordance with EfM requirements. They maintain the quality of the program and provide ongoing support for mentors. The EfM National Administrator processes the registration of groups, arranges for the despatch of materials, the preparation of certificates of completion, and handles all administrative matters. The EfM National Director has total oversight of the operation of the EfM program in Australia, and can with discretion determine exceptions to procedures and policies. As those in the EfM system work collaboratively to serve mentors so that the vision of EfM is realised, they work under authority. EfM in Australia is dependent upon the willingness of The Diocese of Brisbane to fulfil its agreement with the University of the South and the willingness of the University to license the Diocese to operate the EfM program for the church in Australia. People within EfM who have any concern about how the EfM program is being conducted by co-ordinators, trainers or mentors, are welcome to contact the Director who will attempt to respond to such concern in a manner which is satisfying to all involved.
Local EfM groups, which must contain at least five and no more than ten members, are usually located in parishes. Local starting dates for each Year of EfM are established at the convenience of each seminar group except for the months of December and January. New students, regardless of prior studies, start EfM with Year One and do their own study of the readings. Students work at the pace set by the group. The majority of groups study one chapter each week and take breaks during the year usually in two or three blocks related to school holidays. Completing the four years of EfM takes four years. It is essential to the quality of EfM and to the life of the group that each and every participant understands clearly the commitment of time and energy which the program requires. Auditing is not possible. By enrolling in EfM the student makes a commitment to the group to participate in one year of study and to pay the required enrolment fee. Enrolment fees are calculated on the basis of a general group fee and a smaller fee for each individual member. Each student is expected to pay their share of the full year’s fees even if he or she later decides to discontinue. The question of any fee refund is the responsibility of the mentor and the group. The mentor is aware of the conditions by which a partial refund may be available. If a member should leave the group then his or her place in the group cannot be passed to another person. Students may transfer to other EfM groups within and outside Australia if there is a group available and willing to admit them. Students may return to EfM after a break in participation and resume work at the point completed or else choose to repeat the year. Changes such as these require the agreement of the group. Repeating, returning and transferring students pay enrolment fees.
THE CONTENT OF EfM READINGS Top of Page
I. OLD TESTAMENT
Genesis - Creation-Fall-Flood-Babel;
Abraham and Jacob sagas;
Joseph novel;
Exodus-Sinai event;
Settlement in Canaan;
Samuel,
Saul, David and Solomon;
Elisha and Elijah;
Amos, Hosea, Micah,
Isaiah of Jerusalem;
Deuteronomy; Jeremiah and Ezekiel. ‘Second
Isaiah’;
Restoration; The Psalter, Wisdom and Apocryphal literature.
II. NEW TESTAMENT
Rome and Israel;
Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John;
The
Historical Jesus;
Ministry of Jesus;
Acts;
Saul-Paul;
Letters to
Thessalonians, Philemon, Corinthians, Galatians, Phillipians and
Romans;
Letters to Colossians and Ephesians;
Pastoral Epistles;
Hebrews;
Catholic Epistles;
Johannine Epistles;
Book of Revelation.
III. CHURCH HISTORY
Roman Empire;
The Church Fathers;
The Apologists;
Schisms,
Developments and Councils;
Christology and Trinitarian thought;
Eastern Christendom;
Liturgy;
Spirituality - mysticism and prayer;
Medieval Church - Crusades, Monasticism, Scholasticism;
Conciliar
movement;
Religious Dissent;
Radical Reformation;
Catholic
Reformation;
Anglicanism, Puritanism and Pietism.
IV. CONTEMPORARY THEOLOGY
Revolutionary thought of the 19th century;
Growth of the Australian
Church;
Believing and Belonging;
Biblical Authority;
Rise of
Science;
Modernism;
Biblical Criticism - Barth - Tillich - Bultmann;
Vatican II;
Liturgical Movement;
God and Suffering;
Liberation,
Feminist and Radical Theology;
Spiritual Life and Prayer;
Global
community;
World Religions;
Ministry; Gospel and World.
This Prospectus, correct at publication in Feb 2007, is subject to change without notice.
The University of the South, known as Sewanee, is in Sewanee, Tennessee, USA.
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