Pastoral Supervision
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THE FOCUS OF PASTORAL SUPERVISION
The GOAL is continuing enhancement of ministry The CONTEXT is an atmosphere of TRUST and OPENNESS The VEHICLE is a RELATIONSHlP OF MUTUAL ACCOUNTABILITY The FOCUS is actual MINISTRY EXPERIENCES |
“What Makes Supervision Pastoral?”
"Pastoral Supervision, Introducing a process of reflection on ministry experience", Uniting Church of Australia, 2001.
The desired outcome of truly pastoral supervision is a continuing enhancement of the ministry we offer. Along with this can go increased self respect, released potential, the capacity to see, feel and hear what we have tended not to see, feel and hear, and the bonus of increased health and well-being, as well as increased effectiveness in ministry. Research shows a high correlation between good supervision and vocational satisfaction.
• The concept of and basis for pastoral supervision lies in its Christian heritage: “…The ministry of pastoral supervision, as related to Christ’s own oversight and shepherding, seems to have taken place in the life of the church since near its beginning.” (Kenneth Pohly, The Ministry of Supervision). The first letter of Peter describes Christ as shepherd and overseer of the Christian community. Other New Testament writings describe a similar function being carried out by members of and Ministers to the community. The fact that the words for “shepherd” and “overseer” are consistently associated with each other in the New Testament suggests that within Christian ministry the administrative and pastoral functions are not to be separated.
• Nancy Ramsay extends the metaphor of shepherd to include trustee, which incorporates the privilege and responsibility that people entrust to the supervisor. According to Scripture, the shepherd is to assure safety and justice for the vulnerable. Supervisors give assurance that the boundaries - personal and sexual - will not be violated. The word trustee similarly conveys that one is worthy of trust – a trust that is more than safekeeping or just action. It includes modelling an ethical vision that is trustworthy. Pastoral supervision involves shaping a person’s ethical standards for the practice of ministry. (Nancy Ramsay, “Pastoral supervision: A theological resource for ministry.” Journal of Supervision and Training in Ministry, 12 [1991], p193)
• Pastoral supervision is concerned about the congruity between belief and practice. The primary focus is on what happens at the intersection of what one believes and how one lives out that belief. It is at this intersection that the possibility of integration occurs.
• Pastoral supervision is confessional. It is confessional in the sense that in advocating wholeness, pastoral supervision requires that people not only acknowledge and face their strengths and weaknesses, but also accept and integrate them. It is only as people confess their weaknesses and strengths that the whole person can be addressed in the supervisory relationship.
• Pastoral supervision is reflective. Supervision occurs within a conversation in which people reflect critically on their personhood, ministry, and faith. Supervision is reflective in that the supervisor assists people in seeing themselves and their ministry more accurately, clearly and creatively. Having seen themselves, people can decide to make the changes they need to make. The process of reflection enables people to take ownership of what is reflected back to them from another angle of vision. It is when people take ownership and responsibility for decisions and their future that the possibility of integration occurs.
• Pastoral supervision is revelatory. One of the goals of supervision is to promote honesty. Supervision is tolerant of a person’s weaknesses and shortcomings. It understands, but does not tolerate, dishonesty and self-deception. Pastoral supervision calls for authenticity and integrity. Its function is to encourage openness to the tradition, culture, and experience: places where God reveals God’s self. God continues to work in our lives, bringing new and creative ways into being within us. Pastoral supervision provides a process that can enable people to reflect on the movement of the spirit of God in their lives. The process of pastoral supervision helps us to consider what difference God’s presence makes in our lives, and assists in the “movement toward insight” about God’s ongoing revelation in the world.
• Pastoral supervision as judgement and grace. Central to all critical reflection is judgement. In all evaluation, we experience judgement and grace. From a theological viewpoint, evaluation reveals and activates both God’s judgement and grace. The message of the Bible is clear: both judgement and grace are realities of our experience, and they come to us uniquely, when we confront Jesus’ life and teachings, death and resurrection. Jesus both judges and restores us. It is in these terms that we experience pastoral supervision. People experiencing pastoral supervision will encounter both judgement and grace, which is the key in the development of ministry.
• Pastoral supervision has a belief in the future. The “becoming human” process which is provided for, and actively encouraged, in pastoral supervision specifically implies belief in a future. God is always the “God in front of us”. The present moment is not locked-in, not finished. It is open to the future, and for this reason, we are able to trust process: to grow means to allow for future change, optimistically, hopefully! In spite of the current struggle, there is hope of becoming a more integrated person and a more effective pastor. There is present in pastoral supervision a vision of and towards the future. (Dean Olafsen, “The process of supervision as a means of ministry formation.” Ministry, Society and Theology, Vol. 8, No.2, November 1994)
• Pastoral supervision is contextual. It operates at many different levels of ministry, within and outside the church. The key to pastoral supervision is the facilitation of theological reflection in these different contexts.
"Pastoral Supervision, Introducing a process of reflection on ministry experience", Uniting Church of Australia, 2001.
The desired outcome of truly pastoral supervision is a continuing enhancement of the ministry we offer. Along with this can go increased self respect, released potential, the capacity to see, feel and hear what we have tended not to see, feel and hear, and the bonus of increased health and well-being, as well as increased effectiveness in ministry. Research shows a high correlation between good supervision and vocational satisfaction.
• The concept of and basis for pastoral supervision lies in its Christian heritage: “…The ministry of pastoral supervision, as related to Christ’s own oversight and shepherding, seems to have taken place in the life of the church since near its beginning.” (Kenneth Pohly, The Ministry of Supervision). The first letter of Peter describes Christ as shepherd and overseer of the Christian community. Other New Testament writings describe a similar function being carried out by members of and Ministers to the community. The fact that the words for “shepherd” and “overseer” are consistently associated with each other in the New Testament suggests that within Christian ministry the administrative and pastoral functions are not to be separated.
• Nancy Ramsay extends the metaphor of shepherd to include trustee, which incorporates the privilege and responsibility that people entrust to the supervisor. According to Scripture, the shepherd is to assure safety and justice for the vulnerable. Supervisors give assurance that the boundaries - personal and sexual - will not be violated. The word trustee similarly conveys that one is worthy of trust – a trust that is more than safekeeping or just action. It includes modelling an ethical vision that is trustworthy. Pastoral supervision involves shaping a person’s ethical standards for the practice of ministry. (Nancy Ramsay, “Pastoral supervision: A theological resource for ministry.” Journal of Supervision and Training in Ministry, 12 [1991], p193)
• Pastoral supervision is concerned about the congruity between belief and practice. The primary focus is on what happens at the intersection of what one believes and how one lives out that belief. It is at this intersection that the possibility of integration occurs.
• Pastoral supervision is confessional. It is confessional in the sense that in advocating wholeness, pastoral supervision requires that people not only acknowledge and face their strengths and weaknesses, but also accept and integrate them. It is only as people confess their weaknesses and strengths that the whole person can be addressed in the supervisory relationship.
• Pastoral supervision is reflective. Supervision occurs within a conversation in which people reflect critically on their personhood, ministry, and faith. Supervision is reflective in that the supervisor assists people in seeing themselves and their ministry more accurately, clearly and creatively. Having seen themselves, people can decide to make the changes they need to make. The process of reflection enables people to take ownership of what is reflected back to them from another angle of vision. It is when people take ownership and responsibility for decisions and their future that the possibility of integration occurs.
• Pastoral supervision is revelatory. One of the goals of supervision is to promote honesty. Supervision is tolerant of a person’s weaknesses and shortcomings. It understands, but does not tolerate, dishonesty and self-deception. Pastoral supervision calls for authenticity and integrity. Its function is to encourage openness to the tradition, culture, and experience: places where God reveals God’s self. God continues to work in our lives, bringing new and creative ways into being within us. Pastoral supervision provides a process that can enable people to reflect on the movement of the spirit of God in their lives. The process of pastoral supervision helps us to consider what difference God’s presence makes in our lives, and assists in the “movement toward insight” about God’s ongoing revelation in the world.
• Pastoral supervision as judgement and grace. Central to all critical reflection is judgement. In all evaluation, we experience judgement and grace. From a theological viewpoint, evaluation reveals and activates both God’s judgement and grace. The message of the Bible is clear: both judgement and grace are realities of our experience, and they come to us uniquely, when we confront Jesus’ life and teachings, death and resurrection. Jesus both judges and restores us. It is in these terms that we experience pastoral supervision. People experiencing pastoral supervision will encounter both judgement and grace, which is the key in the development of ministry.
• Pastoral supervision has a belief in the future. The “becoming human” process which is provided for, and actively encouraged, in pastoral supervision specifically implies belief in a future. God is always the “God in front of us”. The present moment is not locked-in, not finished. It is open to the future, and for this reason, we are able to trust process: to grow means to allow for future change, optimistically, hopefully! In spite of the current struggle, there is hope of becoming a more integrated person and a more effective pastor. There is present in pastoral supervision a vision of and towards the future. (Dean Olafsen, “The process of supervision as a means of ministry formation.” Ministry, Society and Theology, Vol. 8, No.2, November 1994)
• Pastoral supervision is contextual. It operates at many different levels of ministry, within and outside the church. The key to pastoral supervision is the facilitation of theological reflection in these different contexts.
