tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14710344.post6045403847262041260..comments2023-11-03T05:46:44.728-04:00Comments on RevGalBlogPals: Ask the Matriarch - Guides Along the Way EditionStephanie Anthony/She Revhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10089531643725874239noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14710344.post-79327169812127072172010-03-26T06:42:29.068-04:002010-03-26T06:42:29.068-04:00Having finished seminary recently, I would echo Ru...Having finished seminary recently, I would echo Ruth about what to look for in a parish/field education placement. The fact that the church takes its teaching role seriously is very big, and I found that hour of theological reflection each week one of the great unexpected gifts of my seminary time.<br /><br />For CPE, the best advice I got is that you want a supervisor with whom you click. It can be grueling and when you go into supervision I didn't want someone who wasn't going to be supportive. I did CPE at a continuing care retirement community--it had community, assisted living, nursing home and then hospital visits. Since I want to go into parish ministry I thought it was great experience for the times of crisis in people's lives, but also a place to practice developing relationships and then having to say "good" good-byes. We did a lot of memorial services, and that's a piece of experience you can't necessarily count on getting--I'm "comfortable" dealing with death and grief now, or at least I've had a good bit of experience.<br />I did blog about it some at the time, and in fact <a href="http://growingupinfaith.blogspot.com/2009/03/fear-and-love-lessons-from-deer.html" rel="nofollow">my welcome to Rev Gal Pals</a> was during CPE.Nancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01744678975891410534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14710344.post-56080876452065718792010-03-26T00:38:47.504-04:002010-03-26T00:38:47.504-04:00Depending on your seminary's requirements, you...Depending on your seminary's requirements, you may not have the options you want, at least not for CPE. The ACPE <a href="http://www.acpe.edu/" rel="nofollow">website</a> has the information about where internship sites are in your area. The summer units are more time-intensive (a semester in 10 weeks) but the ones during the year have to be balanced with classes, etc. I elected to apply for a summer term and I start my CPE unit in June.<br /><br />Depending on your seminary, you might get to do an internship that is different from CPE (an additional placement.) It was among the most practical parts of my training so far.<br /><br />Good luck - and you're asking great questions!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14710344.post-18332619517703288392010-03-25T13:34:13.570-04:002010-03-25T13:34:13.570-04:00Just here to say thanks to Ruth for coming back! ...Just here to say thanks to Ruth for coming back! (o) and to all the Matriarchs for their work in this field.Mary Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02970052534402740820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14710344.post-48399827095398309792010-03-25T10:36:47.077-04:002010-03-25T10:36:47.077-04:00this is so interesting because there's discuss...this is so interesting because there's discussion going on <a href="http://www.achurchforstarvingartists.com/2010/03/new-models-for-ministry.html" rel="nofollow">here</a> that is also relevant! <br /><br />As a moderator of a committee on preparation for ministry (a PCUSA presbytery-level committee overseeing students' preparation and process), I would like to see more of our students seeking out supervised ministry experiences that are very different from their previous church/ministry experience. So if you're from a large church, look for a small (or even tiny!) church to serve, or vice versa. If you're from a city, seek out a rural experience. If your home church has been around since 1839, look for a new church development to intern in. If you've never been in a hospital before, look for hospital-based CPE. If, like me, you grew up with all your grandparents and great grandparents being healthy and vibrant and young-ish, look for a CPE experience in a nursing home. Most committees/seminaries require both a unit of CPE *and* a separate unit of supervised ministry in some other setting (most often parish-based). Use that to get different kinds of experiences and to build relationships with people who will continue to help you process when you go to the next experience. <br />I think a good mentor is one you will be able to call on even when they're no longer your supervisor, and will help you think through things and help you reflect, rather than tell you what they think you should think. (I don't know if that made sense, but I'm hoping it did!)Terihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10838436991138846332noreply@blogger.com