Ministry Discernment

Background and Purpose

Discernment, affirmation, and counsel – all are helpful in persons reaching their potential. MBBS is committed to walk with students through their Seminary career and to provide these supports. Ministry Discernment is designed to integrate a student’s development and to assess readiness for ministry.

Discernment Process

The senior student, in consultation with the advisor appoints the discernment group. It is composed of:

  • the advisor,
  • one other faculty member,
  • spouse (if married),
  • practicum supervisor or pastor if not in supervised ministry experience,
  • two students,
  • one person from the church currently attending, and
  • one other person of the student’s choice (a total of eight people).

We encourage each student to choose people that are not only friends who will "say nice things." Our concern is that each student receive a balanced perspective of how he or she is perceived by others.

The student and advisor should agree on a time (1.5 hour block) and place of meeting. The discernment group will discuss the student’s gifts, seminary experience, and goals for ministry. The student’s advisor chairs the meeting.

Preparation for the session should include the following:

1. Choosing a Group

Submit a list of proposed discernment group members to the advisor prior to contacting them and a minimum to two (2) weeks prior to the scheduled meeting. Given the advisor’s approval, the student may proceed with making the contacts and arrangements.

2. Making Physical Arrangements

Reserve a meeting room with the receptionist. Often groups have light refreshments as part of their group time.

3. Preparing for the Group Time

Write a reflection piece working from the questions supplied in the participant guide. If applicable, the spouse should also prepare a brief written statement.

Prepare a 15-20 minute oral presentation offering a brief autobiographical sketch.

Distribute the reflection piece and the Participant’s Guide to all members of the discernment group and to the Student Dean no later than one week prior to the meeting. The student is responsible to make and distribute the copies.

4. Follow-up Report

We ask that the student arrange to have a discernment group member (not the student’s spouse) serve as a reporter for the meeting. They should use the guide for writing a discernment report. The reporter should return a written report to be reviewed and approved by both the student and the advisor and then forwarded to the Student Dean. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the report gets to the advisor. We suggest you give the faculty advisor a day or two to approve it (get their initials on it), then pick it up and hand it in.