Content

This is a practical unit in a supervised ministry context. The unit focuses especially on developing sufficient experience in parish administration to be able to assist in pastoral leadership. The student has opportunity to be involved in congregational structures, key committees, and supervised leadership and to work with lay leaders in developing a team approach to administration and leadership. The unit includes an introduction to the parish routine and the variety of administrative and leadership tasks expected of parish pastors and provides opportunity to become familiar with the necessary documentation for parish record keeping.

Unit code: DP3625L

Unit status: Archived (Major revision)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 3

Unit discipline: Pastoral Theology and Ministry Studies

Delivery Mode: Practicum

Proposing College: Australian Lutheran College

Show when this unit is running

Learning outcomes

1.

Demonstrate basic competency in organisational skills, exercising responsibility, and appropriate delegation

2.

Demonstrate a working knowledge of parish administration and office routine

3.

List government requirements in regard to performing marriages

4.

Reflect on their own approach to administration and/or leadership on the basis of further reading and supervision

Unit sequence

Prerequisites: At least 36 points in Field D—Pastoral Theology and Ministry Studies (DP) Normally • the student fulfils a vocational requirement

Pedagogy

This is applied workplace learning informed by relevant literature, supervisory observation and mentoring, and student reflective integrative responses.

Indicative Bibliography

  • Amos, Julie-Ann. 2001. 80/20 management: work smarter, not harder, and quadruple your results. Oxford, UK: Essentials.
  • Bacher, Robert N., and Michael L. Cooper-White. 2007. Church administration: programs, process, purpose. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress.
  • Berntsen, John A. 2008. Cross-shaped leadership: on the rough and tumble of parish practice. Herndon, VA: The Alban Institute.
  • Carroll, Jackson W. 2006. God’s potters: pastoral leadership and the shaping of congregations. Cambridge: Wm B Eerdmans.
  • Cladis, George. 1999. Leading the team-based church. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
  • Foster, Charles R. 1997.* Embracing diversity: leadership in multicultural congregations*. Bethesda, MD: Alban Institute.
  • Fryar, Jane L. 2001. Servant leadership: setting leaders free. Christian leadership series. St Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.
  • Lutheran Church of Australia. 2015. Resources Portal. http://www.lca.org.au/resources-3.html (set texts)
  • Lutheran Church of Australia South Australia & Northern Territory District, Inc. 2015. Congregation Resources. (LCA SA_NT Congregational Resources can be downloaded from www.sa.lca.org.au under Administration)
  • Steinke, Peter L. 2006. Healthy congregations: a systems approach. 2nd ed. Herndon, VA: Alban Institute.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Portfolio

Readings to be identified by the end of week 4

1000 20.0
Project Report or Project Journal

Project to be developed by the end of week 2 and completed by the end of the semester

4000 80.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by John Capper on 18 Oct, 2018

Unit record last updated: 2021-06-07 08:43:51 +1000