The Sheffield School of Ministry

STUDENT SELF-ASSESSMENT ~ 2016

Being equipped and formed for ministry and mission takes a life-time! This process of life-long learning is to encourage the people of God to grow and develop in important areas of discipleship and ministry. The Church has identified these as[1]:-

  • Christian Faith and Discipleship
  • Mission, Evangelism and Growing Disciples
  • Spirituality and Worship
  • Personality and Character
  • Relationships and Community
  • Collaboration and Shared Leadership
  • Vocation and Ministry within the Church of England

Within each of these areas there are three important facets namely[2]:-

Being: / This is concerned with who a person is, what motivates and energises them and what habits they have. The goal is developing Christ-like character and therefore underpins all other giftings in service and ministry. This is often discerned relationally and developed through a combination of learning, experience, reflection and prayer.
Knowing: / Knowledge and understanding are signposts to the learning that is needed to equip people for discipleship and service. The people of God are called to learn and be shaped by the Holy Spirit within the community of faith.
Doing: / The skills and abilities necessary for effective service and ministry. While natural skills and abilities may be an indication of gifting for ministry, skills can and should be further honed, practised and reflected upon.

It is only when these facets are also present that genuine formation for ministry occurs.

Doing an annual self-assessment helps you to reflect on your learning and ministerial formation both at School of Ministry and in your local situation, and consider how these are preparing you to begin authorised,or a recognised, lay ministry. It is also intended to help you establish a pattern of reflective practice that you can carry into your ongoing self-development and ministry. Self- assessment is therefore an integral part of the annual review process for all students at Sheffield School of Ministry, alongsidean evaluation of suitability for ministryby Diocesan staff and your home church Incumbent.

The sections of this self-assessment reflectionare based on the Church of England’s core guidelines for Forming and Equipping the People of God for Ministry and Mission andthe additional guidelines for the selection and formation of Readers (2014). They focus mainly on the development of Christ-like character, rather than the acquisition of knowledge, understanding and skills. This means that the questions aren’t ‘tick box’ but should help you to think more deeply about your formation.

Stages of the review process

1. Before the Review Meeting ~completing the self-assessmentreflection.

•Spend some time reflecting on each of the sections below, and consider how you might respond – makes some notes if that helps you. Share your thoughts with others i.e. your Incumbent and your Link Group members.

•Use your notes and any feedback you have received from your Incumbent and Link Group members to complete this reflection. You should aim to cover all the sections, but you don’t need to answer all the questions within each section. Choose the question(s) you find most helpful. Please keep your answers brief: you should aim to write no more than a few sentences under each heading. The boxes under each heading will expand as you write in them – so you will have all the space you need.

•Once finished, save a copy and e-mail your completed self-assessment to Trish Stafford at Church House () by no later than June 1st 2016.Trish will then forward it onto your two reviewers along with the reports from your Incumbent and Link Group.

2.In the Review Meeting ~ talking to the Reviewers.

•In preparation for this meeting read through your self-assessment and pick out no more than three things from it that have surprised you or struck you as significant that you would like to discuss with your reviewers.

•Your reviewers will also have identified one area that they would to discuss with you in the meeting too, from your self-assessment and/or Incumbent or Link Group reports. If there is time they may discuss more.

3.After the Review ~ a follow up letter

  • After meeting you the reviewers will discuss some recommendations as you continue with your training or post-licensing development.
  • You will then receive a letter from the Director of Formation for Ministry,normally within four weeks of your review, in which the recommendations identified by the reviewers for the coming year of your training (or first year of authorisation) will be noted. For those continuing in training these recommendations will be revisited at your next review meeting a year later.

The Sheffield School of Ministry

STUDENT SELF-ASSESSMENT ~ 2016

Name: Click here to enter text.

My Parish and Incumbent are:Click here to enter text.

Year in training:☐ - 3rd Year ☐- 2nd Year ☐- 1st Year

☐- Reader Ministry ☐- Pastoral Worker ☐- Parish Evangelist ☐- Other

If ‘Other’, please give brief description: Click here to enter text.

Christian Faith and Discipleship

  1. Have there been any developments in your faith journey over this last year (e.g. a change in your understanding of God/church/mission) and if so what have they been?
  2. How well do you feel you have engaged with Scripture and theology in your studies? Can you give an example of when you have done this?
  3. How well do you think are you able to interpret and use Scripture for teaching and communicating the gospel? Can you give an example?
  4. What might help you to connect your Christian faith more with your everyday life of home, work and society?
  5. How easy or difficult do you find it to reflect critically on the hard questions raised by faith and life? Why is this?

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Mission, evangelism and growing disciples

  1. In what ways are you growing in your understanding of mission and evangelism (e.g. locally, nationally and globally)? Can you give some examples? What excites you and what makes you anxious?
  2. As you have engaged in various contexts (e.g. home parish, placement, and workplace), have any particular experiences or insights increased your confidence and understanding in helping people grow in their Christian faith?
  3. What motivates you about helping others to come to faith and/or grow in their Christian discipleship? What keeps you going when it’s hard work?!

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Spirituality and Worship

  1. How able do you feel to communicate the gospel in a variety of settings (e.g. pastoral, evangelistic and liturgical)? What might further increase your confidence in this area?
  2. What spiritual practices shape your prayer life and life with God?
  3. For Readers only: How confident and equipped do you feel to lead a variety of approaches to corporate worship and prayer? What might equip you/develop your confidence further in this coming year?
  4. Pastoral Workers only: In what ways does your worship nourish your ability to support others pastorally?
  5. Parish Evangelists only: In what ways does your worship nourish your ability to speak of Jesus to others?

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Personality and character

  1. What strategies and resources help you cope with change and stressful situations?
  2. How well do you think you understand your strengths and weaknesses? Please give some examples to back up your opinion.
  3. How well do feel you relate to people both inside and outside the Church who are different from you? What is your approach when dealing with people and approaches that are ‘different’ from you or your own approach?

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Relationships and community

  1. In what ways do you discern and pray about the needs of your local community and the wider world?
  2. What examples can you give to demonstrate that you are able to give and receive appropriate pastoral care? What appropriate pastoral boundaries do you need to have in place in order to appropriately care for yourself and others?
  3. How good is your understanding of the policies and best practices in safeguarding, among both children and adults? Why do you think safeguarding policy and best practice are important for lay ministers?

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Collaboration and Shared Leadership

  1. How are you as a lay minister accountable to others including to those with authority in the Church?
  2. Describe ways in which you are able to share leadership and work effectively as part of a team in your parish or workplace.
  3. In what ways do you think you are growing in your ability to serve and lead a church community (draw on home church/placement experiences)?
  4. Have you been involved in discerning the gifts and calling of others? How might/do you inspire others to fulfil their vocation in the world and the church?

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Vocation and Ministry within the Church of England

  1. Are there aspects of your vocation/calling that have changed, been affirmed or been challenged during this past year in training?
  2. What new gifts or previously unrecognised gifts have you identified in yourself over this past year in training? How might they nourish your calling to reader/pastoral/evangelistic/other ministry?

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And Finally

1.Are you on track to complete the assessed work satisfactorily by the projected time of authorisation? If not, please explain your situation.

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2.Is your Diocesan Disclosure and Barring Certificate up to date? When does it need renewing?

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3.Is there anything else about you and your circumstances that the Director of Formation for Ministry needs to know as you continue your training or before you are authorised? For example: family circumstances, changesin location etc.

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4.Reflecting on your responses in the above sections and being aware that you are called to lifelong learning when in ministry, can you identify any particular training needs for the next phase of your training/ministry?

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Please now send the completed final electronic version of your self-assessment to Trish Stafford [at by June 1st2016where it will be used in your annual review.

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[1] As stated in ‘Forming and Equipping The People of God for Ministry and Mission’, Ministry Council of the Church of England(2014)

[2] Ibid p3