The Diocese of Sheffield Ministerial Development Review
Self Reflection
Dear Colleague
“Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock” Acts 20.28
A key part of Ministerial Development Review is the opportunity to reflect on the period of ministry since your last review as part of your preparation for the review conversation.
These questions are offered as a framework and guide to that process of reflection. Please use them as exactly that. Feel free to respond to them in the way that feels most helpful or to substitute other questions and responses.
The Anglican understanding of ordained ministry is rooted in both Scripture and Tradition. As part of your self-reflection please return again to the scriptures and to the passages which have meant most to you in exploring your vocation. Please read the Common Worship ordinal for deacons and priests and note any phrases or parts which particularly strike you. Please look again at any documents relating to your appointment (such as the original parish profile; your role description and your last ministerial review).
This exercise in self reflection is supported by an exercise which seeks written feedback from others. You may want to supplement this by having a conversation with trusted lay or ordained colleagues which gives people the opportunity to alert you to anything you should be paying attention to at this stage in your life and ministry.
Thank you for engaging faithfully and imaginatively with this process of Ministerial Review.
+Steven Sheffield
The Diocese of Sheffield is called to grow a sustainable network of Christ-like, lively and diverse Christian communities in every place which are effective in making disciples and in seeking to transform our society and God’s world. Name:
Post held:
Address:
E mail:
Telephone Number:
Name of Reviewer:
Date of Review:
Priests are ordained to lead God's people in the offering of praise and the proclamation of the gospel. They share with the Bishop in the oversight of the Church, delighting in its beauty and rejoicing in its well-being. They are to set the example of the Good Shepherd always before them as the pattern of their calling. With the Bishop and their fellow presbyters, they are to sustain the community of the faithful by the ministry of word and sacrament, that we all may grow into the fullness of Christ and be a living sacrifice acceptable to God.
1. The story of your ministry
What has been the story of your faith, vocation, development and ministry in the period since the last review? What have been the dominant themes and the shaping events? What have been the chief joys and sorrows? What would be the most helpful things to explore in the review conversation?
2. Reflect on and review the Objectives from your last review
Where have your objectives led to fruitfulness? What can you celebrate? Where have the objectives led to difficulties, lament? What is incomplete? What can you regret? What can you learn about God, about faith, about your ministry as you reflect on your last objectives? 3. Watching over yourself – the following questions offer a guide to help you reflect, other questions may also be helpful.
How are you?
What are your current patterns of prayer, retreat and spiritual direction? Are they life- giving and do they need to be reviewed?
Are you content with your current life-work balance?
What do you do to be refreshed and restored?
What courses or learning events have you taken?
What reading, conferences and conversations have been important?
Have there been any major life events or changes in your situation?
Are you fulfilling your responsibilities to your family and close friends?
What needs to be put in place for the next stage of life and ministry?
4. Role Description
As part of your preparation for review, think about your role description, in what ways is it consistent with the role you inhabit, what are the inconsistencies?
5. Working with individuals and teams (see question 6 if you are in non parochial ministry
Describe your five most important working relationships. How could they be improved and developed over the next two years?
Describe the ways in which you work to draw people to faith, prepare people for baptism and confirmation and work to make disciples. Are you content with your practice? How are you aiming to develop this in the next two years?
Describe the ways in which you are developing the ministry and mission of others (either individuals or groups). What help, training and support do you need to do this better? 6. Working with individuals and teams in non parochial contexts
Describe your five most important working relationships. How could they be improved and developed over the next two years?
Describe the ways in which you inhabit your vocation and role in your context, particularly in relationship with others. Are you content with your practice? How are you aiming to develop this in the next two years?
7. Building missionary communities (see question 8 if you are in non parochial ministry)
What are the mission priorities for the church(es) or the context where you serve over the next two years?
Describe an area of ministry where you have attempted to develop a new vision or to change and develop what is happening.
Describe something you have attempted which has not gone well and the lessons you learned.
Describe the ways in which you contribute to the life of the Diocese or the wider church through the ministry you offer.
8. Building God’s Kingdom in non parochial contexts
What are the mission priorities for your role in the context where you serve over the next two years?
Describe an area of ministry in your role where you have attempted to develop a new vision or to change and develop what is happening.
Describe something you have attempted which has not gone well and the lessons you learned.
Describe the ways in which you contribute to the life of the Diocese or the wider church through the ministry you offer. 9. Leadership in our wider society
Describe the ways in which your ministry has an impact on the wider community (for example through schools and hospitals and involvement in the wider community).
How would you hope to develop life and ministry in these areas over the next two years?
10. Are there any issues or concerns you would like to raise to feed into the life of the Diocese?
11. What can you offer to the diocese in terms of experience, gifts, skills that may be offered to clergy, laity, churches and other ministry contexts when appropriate? For example – you may have developed a new ministry that others can learn from you may be able to teach colleagues about an aspect of ministry, such as care at the end of life (Your response to this Question will be communicated to the Training Department)
12. In the light of your reflections prompted by the questions above, what are your five main objectives for the next two years? What additional training or support will you need to fulfil these objectives?
You may find this template helpful as you think about your objectives. Please see these as a work-in-progress that can be shaped by your review conversation. It may be helpful to think about 2 personal objectives and up to 4 ministry objectives. There are two sample objectives below, which may be helpful as you think about your future objectives. Objective 1 What?
Why?
How?
First Step?
Training &/or support? Objective 2 What?
Why?
How?
First Step?
Training &/or support?
Objective 3 What?
Why?
How?
First Step?
Training &/or support?
Objective 4 What?
Why?
How?
First Step?
Training &/or support?
Objective 5 What?
Why?
How?
First Step?
Training &/or support? Worked examples: 1. What - Review of Pastoral Care Why – we now have 2 fewer clergy so less bodies to visit, we have had a number of complaints that people aren’t being visited; this is an important part of our work How – gather anecdotes and thoughts into one place, talk about it with Curate, Readers and 2 retired clergy, identify lay people who could do some visiting, identify way of organising it differently Next step – put time in the diary to gather my thoughts & arrange a meeting with the Curate, by end of the month
2 What – Build better relationships with other Chaplains Why – we have a wide range of faiths represented and a number of new Chaplains, it doesn’t feel like a team anymore How – talk with each Chaplain to get ideas, re-establish the means of communication that worked so well with the old team and helped us know what each other was doing Next step – talk with Susan and Amir when I see them next week.