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Continuing Education for Seventh-day Adventist Pastors

Continuing Education for Seventh-day Adventist Pastors. Anthony R. Kent General Conference Ministerial Association. Continuing Education: Summary. A Definition of Continuing Education Biblical Foundations & Ellen White’s counsel Planning Continuing Education

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Continuing Education for Seventh-day Adventist Pastors

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  1. Continuing Education for Seventh-day Adventist Pastors Anthony R. Kent General Conference Ministerial Association

  2. Continuing Education: Summary • A Definition of Continuing Education • Biblical Foundations & Ellen White’s counsel • Planning Continuing Education • Delivering & Developing a Personal Continuing Education Program for Pastors • A Suggested Organizational Continuing Education Curriculum • Continuing Education and Development Phases of Pastors • Eight Vital Components of a Comprehensive Continuing Education Program • Conclusions

  3. A Definition of Continuing Education in the Seventh-day Adventist Context

  4. A Definition of Continuing Education in the Seventh-day Adventist context: Continuing Education is the carefully planned ongoing education of pastors, which enhances the pastor spiritually, professionally, personally, mentally and socially. Continuing Education typically follows the earning of formal academic qualifications and takes place after a pastor has entered into ministry and continues throughout the working life of the pastor.

  5. A Definition of Continuing Education in the Seventh-day Adventist context: (cont.) Continuing Education is not a series of haphazard or random experiences but reflects careful planning which enables the achievement of specific learning goals and competencies rather than mere exposures that do not have the effect of making a significant difference.

  6. A Definition of Continuing Education in the Seventh-day Adventist context: (cont.) It is essential that Seventh-day Adventist pastors be characterized by the perpetual development of God given talents and abilities, so that significant purposes and aims can be achieved – to the honor and glory of our Heavenly Father. ‘Best Practices’ is the permanent goal, rather than plateauing or an aimless wandering through life as a directionless minister.

  7. Biblical Foundations

  8. Biblical Foundations • Matthew 9:35 -11:1 • Acts 20:17-32 • 2 Timothy 2:14-26; 3:10-4:8 • Daniel 1:4, 19-21

  9. Counsel of Ellen White “The cause of God is not so much in need of preachers as of earnest, persevering workers for the Master. God alone can measure the powers of the human mind. It was not his design that man should be content to remain in the lowlands of ignorance, but that he should secure all the advantages of an enlightened, cultivated intellect. Every man and every woman should feel that obligations are resting upon them to reach the very height of intellectual greatness. While none should be puffed up because of the knowledge they have acquired, it is the privilege of all to enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that with every advance step they are rendered more capable of honoring and glorifying God. They may draw from an inexhaustible fountain, the Source of all wisdom and knowledge.” GW 92

  10. Counsel of Ellen White “Ministers of age and experience should feel it their duty, as God's hired servants, to go forward, progressing every day, continually becoming more efficient in their work, and constantly gathering fresh matter to set before the people. Each effort to expound the gospel should be an improvement upon that which preceded it. Each year they should develop a deeper piety, a more tender spirit, a greater spirituality, and a more thorough knowledge of Bible truth. The greater their age and experience, the nearer should they be able to approach the hearts of the people, having a more perfect knowledge of them.” "Testimonies for the Church," Vol. IV, page 270.

  11. Counsel of Ellen White “The cause of God needs men of intellect, men of thought, men well versed in the Scriptures, to meet the inflowing tide of opposition. We should give no sanction to arrogance, narrow-mindedness, and inconsistencies, although the garment of professed piety may be thrown over them.” GW 281

  12. Planning Continuing Education

  13. Planning Continuing Education Planning is an essential part of continuing education.

  14. Planning Continuing Education Mark Rouch: the individual being the “dean” of their own continuing education.

  15. Planning Continuing Education Organizations, that is, conferences, institutions, and associations, function as providers of continuing education for people in ministry.

  16. Planning Continuing Education • Needs Assessment: • interviews, • surveys, • receiving suggestions from focus groups, • analysis of trends, • organizational reports, and • worker evaluations

  17. Planning Continuing Education Needs assessments lead to the development of specific learning outcomes, or behavioral and performance objectives.

  18. Delivering & Developing a Personal Continuing Education Program for Pastors

  19. Delivering & Developing a Personal Continuing Education Program for Pastors • Assess Learning Needs • Assess Learning Styles • Build a Support System • Survey the Resources • List Several Options • Prioritize the Options • Set Your Goals & Objectives • Implement Your Plan • Evaluation

  20. A Suggested Organizational Continuing Education Curriculum

  21. A Suggested Organizational Continuing Education Curriculum • 1. Personal Growth • Examples: • The prayer life of the pastor • How to cope with criticism • Effective time management • Constructing and protecting essential boundaries • Living a healthy life as a pastor • Managing the aging process as a pastor

  22. A Suggested Organizational Continuing Education Curriculum • 2. Spiritual Skills for Ministry • Examples: • Training & empowering the membership for ministry • Developing the priesthood of all believers in the local church • Functioning effectively in ministry • Preaching / teaching the Bible more effectively

  23. A Suggested Organizational Continuing Education Curriculum • 3. Seventh-day Adventist Heritage and Identity • Examples: • Growth in the knowledge and articulation of the Scriptures • Theological studies in the Old Testament, New Testament • Exploring recent trends in theological, ecclesiastical, and Biblical thought – perhaps ordination

  24. Continuing Education and Development Phases of Pastors 1. Foundational Phase 2. Consolidation Phase 3. Mid-life Phase 4. Pre-retirement & Retirement Phase

  25. Eight Vital Components of a Comprehensive Continuing Education Program

  26. Eight Vital Components of a Comprehensive Continuing Education Program Motivation Need Identification Support System Resources Coordination Recognition Financing Expectations

  27. Conclusion It is imperative that Seventh-day Adventist pastors continue to grow, develop and mature, throughout their entire ministries, reaching the highest attainable level of excellence – to the honor and glory of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

  28. Conclusion Continuing education is an exciting adventure – an adventure of ongoing growth and increasingly effective ministry; an adventure continuing alongside family, church members, colleagues in ministry and most importantly – Jesus!

  29. Continuing Education for Seventh-day Adventist Pastors Anthony R. Kent General Conference Ministerial Association

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