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Supervision

A reflective practitioner is not only skilful or competent but ‘thoughtful, wise and contemplative’ and their work involves ‘intuition, insight and artistry.’ (Schon 1983 The reflective practitioner: how professionals think in action (Boston: Arena Publishing)What is Pastoral Supervision ?Pastoral Supervision finds its roots in the Gospels with Christ our model of the good supervisor. He taught his disciples by doing; sending them out to minister; on their return drawing them aside to reflect on their experience. 'Come away to a lonely place and rest awhile' (Mark 6:31). He informed their reflection through the use of parables. These everyday stories helped stretch their awareness and understanding of his true nature and mission. And like any good supervisory process their relationship was rooted in a covenantual relationship based on mutual respect, honesty, compassion and trust. In pastoral supervision we equally endeavour to create a learning environment that is respectful of the ministry practitioner;providing a safe, suportive space . Here those in ministry can: share their stories in order to reflect on the quality of their doing; noticing the impact of the work on their ministerial, professional and personal lives. In this way contemporary ministry becomes a theology in action. Perhaps the theological perspective of supervision can best be described as a process that both challenges and encourages ministers to reflectively engage with the continual revelation of God's presence in our world; in their lives as ministers and in the communities they serve. Therefore we are engaged in encouraging participants to reflectively seek to know where God is in the events and movements of their ministry; openly and honesty responding to this presence. One of the challenges pastoral supervision poses is to honestly bring the contemporary reality of ministry into dialogue with the wisdom of Christian tradition. Through this interaction new insight can emerge; confidence enhanced and isolation and burnout reduced. Group Supervision has the added advantage of providing a valuable learning community where participants learn from each other. These groups provide an opportunity to reflect on a wide range of practical issues such as: day to day pastoral encounters, boundary issues, dealing with conflict and difficult pastoral situations. One important aspect of these groups is the level of trust that develops between participants. For this to happen a high level of attendance is expected from group members. Who would benefit from Pastoral Supervision?In short anyone whoses work is people focussed - for example: Head Teachers, Nurses, Social Workers, Clergy, Catechists, Spiritual Directors, Chaplains, Parish Visitors, Provincial Leadership Teams, Parish Bereavement Support Visitors. Youth Workers, Commuity Workers, Management Teams, Teachers and Educators, Emergency Services. To register your interest please go to Contact Me and use the contact form provided..

Ministry Development - Spiritual Formation

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