You have been asked by your candidates committee or vocation department to participate in a program at the Center for Ministry as a further means of exploring the ordained ministry as a career. This information is intended to help you better understand the programs and our role in your denomination's candidate process.

Philosophy

The career center is part of the ecumenical church, and we, as career counselors, are expressing our sense of ministry through our work at the Center for Ministry. Our ministry with you is to discern the nature of your call, to identify the skills and strengths you have to offer in your ministry, to discover those areas needing additional attention and work, and to suggest the steps you might take to grow in these identified areas. We see ourselves as your advocate. Being your advocate means we will help you discover where your contributions can be made. We will help you develop educational and career goals which can assist you in becoming a steward of the skills and aptitudes God has given you. We will help you unfold your story about how you got to be where you are, who you are now, and what developmental steps you still face. The candidates committee of your denomination will make the decision, if they wish, to shepherd you through the ordination process given your background, gifts, and developmental level. Being an advocate, in the Christian sense, means wanting what is best for you and the church. This means being honest and forthright in our feedback to you and the committee. For a small percentage of candidates who come to the Center, it may mean that some will discover that the ordained ministry is not the best place to express their gifts. In that event, you are counseled regarding other careers which are more suited to you.

Program

Before your Center appointment you will be asked to complete a comprehensive Autobiographical Questionnaire, as well as some personality and vocational interest inventories. The autobiographical material is designed to help you and your counselor see your life from an overall perspective.

Use will be made of vocational and psychological inventories to assist you and the counselor in exploration. The inventories are valuable in providing suggestions, along with the perceptions of your career counselor. The results of the inventories are shared with you so that the effort is worthwhile to you personally. The heart of the entire process is in the quality of dialogue that takes place between you and the counselor. Your self-exploration can contribute fresh understanding to the meaning of your call.

Report

Following your program and with your written release, your career counselor will prepare a summary report which will be sent to you and your committee within two months of your program. The Candidate Evaluation Rating Form (CERF) is a standardized form we use to assess all candidates on psychological development, emotional maturity, leadership abilities, and self-awareness, as well as other areas relevant to the ministry. During the workshop or individual program, you will have the opportunity to rate yourself on these dimensions in consultation with your counselor.

Staff

The career counselors are church professionals with extensive experience in the ministry of the church. In addition, each has a doctoral degree in counseling or psychology.

Registration

If you have not already registered for your program, you will need to do so well in advance so that there is sufficient time to complete the process prior to the time your candidates committee expects your report.

Cost

One-Day Program (where permitted by your committee) $1,195
Two-Day Individual Program $2,095
Two-Day Couple Program $2,195 (no testing for spouse)
Three-Day Couple Program $2,795
Three-Day Group Program $975 (no psychologist)
Three Day Group Program $1,255 (required psychologist)

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