Supervised Practice of Ministry

Supervised Practice of Ministry (SPM) is one of the distinctive aspects of the Austin Seminary experience. Students, alumni, and congregations agree that SPM courses are invaluable in preparing women and men for ministry. Students make significant contributions to the lives of the congregations they serve; in turn, congregations help to train interns for a life of fruitful ministry.

The philosophy of the SPM program weaves action and reflection into the learning process. Having completed foundational courses in the Seminary curriculum, students are prepared to learn through concrete acts of ministry. This service takes place under the supervision of an experienced pastor and mentor who guides the intern in regular reflection on his or her life, work, and pastoral identity. Finally, the student returns to Seminary, now more ready than ever to integrate theory and practice in the classroom environment.

SPM supervisors are carefully selected and must complete the Seminary's training program which is extensive. They must have no fewer than five years' experience in ministry prior to their participation in the program; further, they are expected to have served for a year or more in the congregation where the internship is to take place. Interns and supervisors are thoughtfully and intentionally matched according to the goals and needs of the student and congregation.

Students have three options for fulfilling the SPM requirement: a year-long internship, a three-month intensive summer internship, and participation in the teaching church program, in which students serve congregations in the Austin area while enrolled in classes part time.

If you are interested in your church being an SPM site, please submit the application below.

Student Intern Application for Congregations

Required

This application reflects your congregation’s interest in employing a student intern through the Supervised Practice of Ministry program at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Placements are made through a process of matching the student’s qualifications and learning objectives with the needs and opportunities of the congregation. The application provides us with information about your congregation and insures the required qualifications are met. The placement process involves conversation between students, pastor-supervisors, and the Associate Dean of Ministerial Formation and Advanced Studies of Austin Seminary. (Note: Completion of this application does not guarantee a student placement with your congregation.)

I. Congregational Information

Name of Congregationrequired

Address

Telephonerequired

Emailrequired

Church Website (if any)

Denominational Affiliation (if any)

Number of membersrequired

Number of Professional/Program Staffrequired

II. Supervisor Information

Supervisors in congregational settings must hold the MDiv degree or its equivalent, be ordained by the appropriate ecclesiastical body, and have a minimum of five years post-MDiv and post-ordination experience. Exceptions to these requirements shall be granted only by the Academic Dean in consultation with the Associate Dean of Ministerial Formation and Advanced Studies. Supervisors must provide Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary an academic transcript verifying receipt of the MDiv degree or its equivalent.

Name of Supervisorrequired

Ecclesiastical Affiliationrequired

Educational History

Date of Ordination

Telephone (if different from above)

If different from above

Email (if different from above)

If different from above

III. Program Options

This congregation would like to offerrequiredCheck all that apply

Concurrent Internship (12-15 hours/week for two semesters-- must be within 100 miles of Austin)

Full-time Summer Internship (10 weeks on site)

Full-time Year-long Internship (9 to 15 months on site)

Check all that apply

IV. Position Description

Please describe the duties you envision assigning to the intern. Attach additional description if necessary belowrequired

You may also attach a word document here.

Attach up to 1 file with a maximum size of 10MB

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Allowed file types: Image, Video, Document

V. Financial Considerations

Concurrent Internship: A $1500/stipend per semester is the required minimum for a concurrent internship. Congregations are expected to fully fund the $1500/stipend, and if a congregation is not able to pay some or all of the required stipend, they may request assistance with funding through the Director of Ministerial Formation and Advanced Studies of the Seminary. Congregations may also reimburse actual professional expenses up to an amount designated by the governing body of the congregation, in compliance with IRS guidelines.

Summer Internship: A $3000 stipend is the required minimum for full-time summer internship; appropriate housing provided; cost of move (U-Haul) to and from site reimbursed. Congregations may reimburse actual professional expenses to an amount designated by the governing body of the congregation, in compliance with IRS guidelines.Some financial assistance is available to churches that wish to offer a Summer Internship but do not have the means to meet the suggested minimums. The Associate Dean of Ministerial Formation and Advanced Studies will work with churches to help them meet the cost of the internship.

Year-long Internship: $1000/month salary; appropriate housing provided; health insurance; cost of move (U-Haul) to and from site reimbursed. Congregations may reimburse actual professional expenses to an amount designated by the governing body of the congregation, in compliance with IRS guidelines.

VI. Authorization

I certify that the governing body of this congregation has authorized participation in the Supervised Practice of Ministry Program of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

Namerequired

First Name

Last Name

Titlerequired

Daterequired

Must contain a date in M/D/YYYY format

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