- Articulate how/where the priorities in the programs in which you are immersed serve the mission.... (how do they fit our strategy?)
I am immersed in two areas: the Disciple Formation curriculum and the MAM (formerly MACL). The MAM is not accredited by ATS, but it is still worth measuring it according to the ATS standards, with the hope that one day it will be approved.
The Disciple Formation curriculum comprises a first August introduction (part of God's Redemptive Mission), followed by a two-year, four-semester series that explores discipleship from biblical, theological, historical, and practical perspectives. The UDTS Mission is expressed in every semester. There is no aspect of the mission that does not find some expression in the curriculum, with the foundation being "A Community after God’s Heart: Shaped by Faith in the One God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, We seek to follow Jesus, Walk in the Spirit, Join God’s Mission. We are a Christian seminary dedicated to forming God’s people..." Students engage in deliberate practice, over and over, like a musician doing scales, so that (by God's grace) they are more inclined to engage their lives, their contexts, and the hundred ordinary choices each day from a posture of seeking prayer, community discernment, and trusting anticipation for God's work in their lives; that they are formed to pray first, no matter the situation. If anyone would like to see the content of these courses, please let me know.
MA in Ministry (PLOs mapped to mission)
Each of the new MAM PLOs can be tied directly to an aspect of the UDTS mission statement.
1) Articulate and interpret key themes from the Christian scriptures in conversation with contemporary and ecclesial contexts./to be reformed according to the Word of God. • Growing in the Church’s biblical faith; Engaging the changing needs of the church and world.
2) Articulate and interpret key Christian theological affirmations for Christian discipleship and ecclesial life./growing in the Church’s biblical faith in the Triune God. • Excelling in theological education and scholarship; Shaped by Faith in the One God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
3) Develop pastoral and practical theological methods and strategies for cultivating renewed and transformative ministry contexts./forming God’s people for servant leadership in ministry and mission: • Gathering in gratitude and faithfulness, to be reformed according to the Word of God.
4) Construct a biblically, theologically, and contextually coherent expression of Christian pastoral identity and practice in life and ministry./forming God’s people for servant leadership in ministry and mission: • Gathering in gratitude and faithfulness, to be reformed according to the Word of God; Living as faithful stewards of God’s gifts.
5) Apply key practices for personal, communal, and ministerial flourishing and compose a coherent plan for life and ministry./forming God’s people for servant leadership in ministry and mission: • Gathering in gratitude and faithfulness, to be reformed according to the Word of God; Living as faithful stewards of God’s gifts.
And then - what process/es are you and we using to plan for future program viability within our mission? Think short term and long term.
I have been depending on course evaluations and graduate survey indicators, both of which point to the value and success of the disciple formation curriculum in meeting the course learning outcomes (and therefore, the seminary mission). Rev. Dave Rohrer also provided excellent feedback based on his Lilly grant work with alumni who had participated in the formation series of courses. I am also seeing significant positive impacts of the curriculum on our Madison students. The challenge is that some of the feedback cannot be use publicly, due to the confidential nature of the formation courses.
Now that the disciple formation series has been functioning in its current form since Fall 2018, I would like to follow up with past students to evaluate their experience of the formation series, especially in light of its impact once they graduate.
For the MAM, I will be using course evaluations and program evaluations and weave these into the yearly process. I also need to format a PLO spreadsheet with benchmarks, such as is used for our other degree programs.