sustain:if:able kiwi

would folk in ministry value this?

Our Master/Doctor of Ministry includes Guided Reading units, in which folk explore an individual learning project. For example, in Semester one, folk were exploring hospitality practices in Lent, images of God for folk who are differently abled, resources for people in depression, being church today and how to train people in Christian education.

Yet this exploration remains read only by them, their supervisor and perhaps an examiner. It is essentially unavailable to the wider public.

So what about a “Research Output Strategy”? This would involve anyone who has done a Guided Reading writing their research up as a 800-1,000 word newspaper article. This would be critiqued at our post-graduate colloquim (Program Seminar) and would serve as that person’s regular contribution to the group.

Over a year, these could be collected and perhaps published as a “Ministry Practice Journal”. It could be augmented by summaries (or interviews) of examined theses from the year. The aim would not be to write journal articles per se, as students can pursue this anyhow. Rather the aim would be to make research accessible and to resource ministers and leaders in their practice of ministry, to expose them to what we are reading and thinking. Available as an e-publication.

In essence, not as heavy as an academic journal nor as light as a blog, but short articles that consider ministry practice in light of current reading. Would this be a useful resource for those in ministry?