What Jan doesn’t mention in her post is that she will be a workshop leader at the Calling Congregations Conference, offering a practice module called “Campus Ministries as Congregations for College Students.” This practice module will speak to the ways in which campus ministries act as congregations that nurture and develop a student’s sense of vocation.  As campus ministers, we know this is what we do in practice, but how many of us can clearly articulate the processes by which we achieve vocational reflection with students? 

The VocationCARE (VoCARE) program arising out of the Calling Congregations Initiative, seeks to articulate the process by which congregations successfully raise up young leaders.  FTE has identified four sequential practices that contribute to leadership development: Create space to explore Christian vocation together; Ask self-awakening questions together; Reflect theologically on self and community; and Establish ministry opportunities.  These practices are the building blocks of vocational discernment and reflect a commitment to notice, name, and nurture the gifts and souls of young people for leadership in the church.

Intrigued by the workshop I experienced at the NCMA annual conference, I attended an all day event in Atlanta to deepen my understanding of this model.  I entered anticipating a free lunch and some interesting conversation.  I left with the beginnings of my Fall Residents Retreat. 

Wesley Foundation UTK residents engage in an application and interview process to become residents in the building.  These eight students form the core of our spiritual leadership at Wesley and are the locus of our initial vocational discernment efforts.  Identifying six scriptural call stories (three OT and three NT), we examined them for modes of notice, name, and nurture.  We then participated in the story-telling and Holy Listening practices recommended by the VoCARE curriculum in order to draw connections to times in our own lives when we have been noticed, named and nurtured.  We concluded by brainstorming how we might notice, name, and nurture other students for ministry at Wesley. (You can find the outline for the retreat in the Member Resource section of this website.)

By using this method, students were able to articulate when someone took them seriously, why they cared about or loved what they loved, and when that passion required a risky choice.  Exploring these questions through story-telling created an atmosphere of intimacy and safety, an atmosphere that opened us up to identifying our gifts and practicing ministry.

Take a look at the resources available and see if they might be helpful in your ministry as well.

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