Syllabus and Internship Program Description 2014

I NTRT 680 001 SUMMER INTERNSHIP M. Christensen Cred: 3-6 Summer/Fall 2014

Communities of Shalom Summer Internships (6-10 weeks)

The Communities of Shalom Initiative at Drew Theological School has sponsored6-10 community development and prophetic ministry internships each summer since 2008. They are offered for 3-6 academic credits and come with a stipend plus reimbursement for travel to and from the local site. Housing is provided by the host site. The full-time (35-40 hours/week) ministry/work assignment occurs over asix-week period during the summer (June 1 – July 31). Practical ministry engagement, critical theological engagement, and on-line class participation are required for the general elective. For those taking the course/internship for supervised ministry credit, additional application and written assignments are required.

Required Pre-departure Training: ShalomZone Training ™ in community organizing and asset based community development at Drew (May 12-16, 2014)

General Course Requirements: Satisfactory completion of one week intensive ShalomZone Training in community organizing and asset based community development (May 2014); followed by 6-10 week full-time community ministry assignment at assigned site; weekly online discussion; debriefing and theological reflection in the Fall. A letter grade will be assigned based on multiple factors of practical learning, critical thinking, and quality of theological reflection as expressed book reports, case studies, theological portraits and weekly online discussion. For supervised ministry students doing a ten-week internship, additional assignments are required.Instructor will submit a written evaluation of the summer ministry assignment and a letter grade based on the academic requirements to Office of Supervised Ministry.

Registration: Enroll in INTRT 680 001 SUMMER INTERNSHIP 3-6 credits

Summer/Fall 2014 with permission of Instructor and Dean.

Faculty: Dr. Michael Christensen, Associate Professor in the Practice of Spirituality and Ministry; and Director of Communities of Shalom

Teaching Assistant and Intern Coordinator: Richard Romero, a former Shalom summer intern and current office assistant in the Shalom Resource Center, will coordinate summer internships, facilitate weekly on-line discussion group.

Specific Requirements:

Five-day basicShalomZone Training ™ in community organizing, asset based community development and the theology and practice of shalom (May 12-16, 2014)
assigned reading and book reports (see bibliography)--due June 15, July 1, July 15, and Aug 1) –submitted online
weekly journaling of learnings posted on MoodleForum
weekly participation in online discussion
weekly meeting with on-site supervisor
weekly meeting with theological mentor
class debriefing sessions with group and instructor (1 day at end of summer)
group shalom chapel and individual PPT presentations to Drew community (mid September)
theological reflection paper due September 30, 2014 (see format)

Book Reports: Each book report should be thoughtful, structured and concisely written, reflecting the following 3-fold pattern:

a)summary of relevant content

b)critical academic reflection on selected content

c)personal engagement, learnings and application to reader’s context

Theological Reflection paper: A 15-20-page Theological Reflection paper and attachments is the academic culmination of the Summer Internship course. It should integrate 1) pre-departure training, 2) active learning from ministry assignment, and 3) book learning for academic reflection. The paper should be concisely written, polished, and well-structured, reflecting the following four-fold pattern:

a)community context, including geographical boundaries, demographics, oral and written history, current social issues, community energy, compelling images, etc. in describing the shalom zone;

b)ministryprofile, including organizational identity, history, vision, values, mission, program, staffing, structure, and stories;

c)theological reflection on context and ministry assignment employing traditional or postmodern theological categories and themes

d)personal engagement summarizing one’s ‘nectar of learnings’ and practical applications for future ministry. Due September 30.

Additional Requirement for Supervised Ministry: The standard way to take a summer internship course is as a general elective.Master of Divinity students may apply for supervised ministry credit by seeking approval from the Supervised Ministry office and committing to ten weeks in the field assignment. An additional learning committee comprising of 5-7 lay people, associated with your work must be established. Three meetings with the learning committee are required by the Office of Contextual Learning and Supervised Ministry. In addition to meeting weekly with onsite supervisor, a theological mentorwill be identified with whom to meet regularly.Note: There is no additional stipend beyond $3,000 available for the ten weeks required for supervised ministry.

Contact Information:

Michael J. Christensen, Ph.D.

Associate Professor in the Practice of Spirituality and Ministry

and Director of Communities of Shalom

973-714-0023

Richard Romero

Teaching Assistant, Shalom Resource Center and Intern Program

Drew University Theological School

973-408-3848 office

Required and Recommended Reading for Shalom Internship Program

Required for Summer Internship (3 credits)

Gecan, MichaelGoing Public: An Organizers Guide

Lupton, RobertToxic Charity

Linthicum, Robert. Building a People of Power

McKnight, John and Block, Peter The Abundant Community

ShalomZone Training Participants Workbook

Required for Supervised Ministry Internship (6 credits)

Those fulfilling supervised ministry requirements (10 weeks for 6 credits) are required to choose an additional book from Selected Bibliography, plus a second additional book on for contextual study appropriate to assignment in consultation with site supervisor, for a total of six books.

Recommended for Daily Devotional Reading:

Nouwen, Henri Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life

Most texts are available from