A practicum leader supervises the on site student ministry experience. Selecting a practicum leader that has experience in ministry as well as personal maturity will facilitate a healthy mentored ministry experience.
At SUM we are passionate about integrating academic instruction with practical hands-on ministry experience and personal mentorship. The practicum leader is integral in this process. Students apply what they learn in the academic classroom in their practical ministry placements. In many cases, the practicum leader allows the student to learn from their ministry expertise, gives them room to explore and make mistakes and encourages them as they put into practice what they have learned in theory.
Choosing a great practicum leader is one key to a great practicum experience.
Leaders are responsible for teaching, guiding, and evaluating the student’s ministry. SUM encourages its students to depend upon the Holy Spirit, to practice sound biblical teaching, and to respect, obey, and cooperate with Practicum Leaders, communicating clearly any successes, struggles, or situations which should be brought to the attention of the Student Life and Ministry Director or cohort site leadership.
A Practicum is a supervised “hands-on” opportunity to minister the Gospel to individuals by various means and methods. Practicum is about the Praxis of Ministry as opposed to the Theory of Ministry. The Practicum experience is a systematic approach to train students to apply in real life what they are learning in the classroom. A Practicum meets four (4) hours weekly, and one (1) credit is earned per trimester, per Practicum. Students should select a leader that can facilitate this experience.
The purpose of the ministry Practicum is to broaden the student’s ministry experience and to challenge students with tasks that are new to them.
These new experiences will take a student from their comfort zone and will create opportunities for the student to learn dependency on the Holy Spirit for their ministry.
A great practicum should include:
- A minimum of four (4) hours each week in active ministry. A student may volunteer over and above the required time if so desired.
- The student can be trained in a number of areas, such as conducting Bible studies, preaching, teaching, worship, evangelism, ministry event planning, etc.
- The student should not be used as a janitor, runner, secretary, etc. While some of these tasks may be included in the Practicum, the student should have the opportunity for front-line, hands-on ministry such as preaching, teaching, witnessing, discipleship, leading worship, praying for the sick, visitation, etc.
- The Ministry Leader should personally observe and mentor the student as well as provide training and de-briefing of ministry activities.
- It is expected that the Ministry Leader meets with the student weekly to give feedback regarding student progress in the Practicum. This meeting may be during the four (4) hour Practicum period.
- If the student is absent for more than two (2) Practicum sessions, the student will automatically fail the Practicum.
Once a practicum leader is cohen, the Practicum Agreement must be completed.
This is an official agreement between the student, Practicum Leader, and SUM in which each party agrees to the terms of the ministry Practicum for the trimester. This agreement must be completed, signed, and uploaded to Canvas for the student to receive Practicum credit. An official ministry Practicum is not in force without this signed document.
During Week 9, students should initiate the Practicum Leader Evaluation.
The Practicum Leader should give feedback about the student’s attendance, participation, attitude, abilities, etc. The student will receive a confirmation of the evaluation score. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that their Practicum Leader fills out the evaluation for the term. The student must upload the confirmation up to the assignment in Canvas. The student should meet with the practicum leader to review their evaluation at the end of the term specifically asking about areas of improvement.