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Feature Article #1

Seminary Time Waster #6: Saying “Yes” to Every Request

Seminary Time Waster #6: Saying yes to every request.
Seminary students who can’t say no give permission to others to waste their time.
We’re nice people. We like to say yes. Jesus knew this. He advised us, “Ask and it shall be given to you.” (This verse is not primarily about prayer; it [...]

Popularity: 17% [?]

Mark | May 12th, 2008 | Continued

Feature Article #2

Writing Learning Objectives for Your Seminary Experience

I worked four years in a church staff position during and after college before deciding I needed to further my education by going to seminary. Those years were invaluable to my development, because I experienced ministry and discovered what I didn’t know and needed to learn before starting my studies. I wish [...]

Popularity: 32% [?]

Daryl Eldridge | May 5th, 2008 | Continued

Feature Article #3

Using Mentors in Seminary

Having a learning coach or ministry mentor is a great way to leverage your seminary experience.
Our research on theological education as well as surveys with people in the field led us to make mentoring a significant part of our learning model. Many seminaries will involve mentoring during the last two semesters of their study [...]

Popularity: 56% [?]

Daryl Eldridge | April 28th, 2008 | Continued

Feature Article #4

Lessons Learned about Online Learning

Five years ago, I left a residential seminary campus to start a fully online seminary from scratch, known today as Rockbridge. In my travels and discussions with ministers around the world, I discovered many ministers that wanted seminary training but didn’t feel called to leave their ministry fields in order to get it.
Technology [...]

Popularity: 64% [?]

Daryl Eldridge | April 21st, 2008 | Continued

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Feature Article #5

Seminary Time Waster #5: Disorganization

A common frustration about seminary is all the balls you have to keep in the air at once. Seminary coursework alone can have you managing several multi-step projects with their own timelines and deadlines. Add to that your job, family commitments, and whatever ministry you’re serving in. It’s a lot to keep [...]

Popularity: 79% [?]

Mark | April 14th, 2008 | Continued

About this Site

My name is Mark, and I’m the general editor for Seminary Survival Guide. I’m a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div, 1995) and I’m serving as associate pastor at First Baptist Church of Columbia.
I got the idea for this lying in bed praying one morning. Our church has several seminary students, and [...]

Popularity: unranked [?]

Other Recent Articles

Teaching Your Kids to Love the Church

May 14th, 2008 • Mark • 0 comments • Related • Filed Under

Since so many seminary students have young children, I thought Dustin Benge’s recent post was definitely worth passing along.

From the time they are born a pastors’ child is the center of attention in the church and cannot escape scrutiny by members. When dad doesn’t come home when he said he would, when dad misses the ball game, when dad misses the ballet; his children begin to resent the church at an early age…. If your children grow up to love, adore and cherish Christ and His church and become active members in a local body you have succeeded in your ministry.

He’s got a great list of practical suggestions.

1. Spend time with your children.

2. Don’t discuss church business in front of your kids.

3. Praise the church in front of your kids.

4. Don’t let your children be an example to the rest of the congregation.

5. Pray with your children.

Read the full post for complete explanations.

Good job, Dustin.

Popularity: 9% [?]

End of Another Semester at Seminary

May 9th, 2008 • Mark • 0 comments • Related • Filed Under

I suspect many of you are finishing up papers and exams (or have already) and are looking forward to breathing that awesome sigh of relief when your final project is done. Pretty sweet feeling, isn’t it?

So before you get started with another round of classes, I want to suggest that you take a little soul inventory.

I sat next to Mindy Caliguire on a plane last year returning from a conference. She is the founder of Soul Care, a spiritual formation ministry.

She recently published an article on simplicity and duplicity. Her main point, as I understand it, is that the multiple pressures of ministry push us to try to be more than we really are. We often unintentionally create a false self–a ministry self–that is more capable, holy, and perfect than we really are.

Here’s a quote:

When I feel the pull to be more confident, more together, more successful, more spiritual, more hard-working, or more organized than I really am, I am tempted by duplicity. And when I succumb to that temptation, everyone around me suffers.

It is critical that you and I be alert to this temptation. Religious professionals can become Pharisees overnight, without warning.

Take a moment and do a little self-examination. You can find her complete article here.

Popularity: 18% [?]

Traveling

April 17th, 2008 • Mark • 0 comments • Related • Filed Under

I’ll be traveling for the next couple of weeks.

I’m very excited to report that Daryl Eldridge, the President and co-founder of Rockbridge Seminary has written a few posts for Seminary Survival Guide about online education and the learning process. These are scheduled over the next couple of weeks to help cover my absence.

Before leading Rockbridge, a fully-online seminary built on the five purposes of the church, Dr. Eldridge served as the Dean of the School of Educational Ministries at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and on the faculty from 1984 through 2003. Before seminary teaching and throughout his faculty career, he has served in the local church as a youth pastor and minister of spiritual development. He likes BBQ and country music, but especially enjoys drinking coffee with friends and discussing leadership issues. I think you’re going to enjoy him.

Thanks again, everyone, for your support.

Popularity: 60% [?]

New Logo is Up!

April 11th, 2008 • Mark • 2 comments • Related • Filed Under

The new Seminary Survival Guide.com logo is now proudly displayed at the top of the header. (RSS readers might want to visit the site to see for themselves!)

I want to thank my friend Stephanie, a great graphic designer who helped me cook up the logo, and refused to let me pay her. Gotta love friends like that! This has been a long time coming, but I’ve been doing my best to practice what I preach, so I get around to these things when I can.

There will be more fun with the logo coming soon… but I’m preparing for a trip overseas, so it will have to wait until I get back.

Popularity: 74% [?]

The Church-Seminary Connection

April 9th, 2008 • Mark • 2 comments • Related • Filed Under

A few different bloggers have chimed in on the disconnect between seminary and the local church.

Timmy Brister highlighted a Pastor-In-Training program at Third Avenue Baptist in Louisville. In summary, it seems that this church is actually taking responsibility for the development of new ministers, and not delegating that responsibility to the seminaries. Way to go, Third Baptist! May your tribe increase!

Seminarians: let me say it again. Get involved in a local church. Find godly mentors (more on that later this month). Ask to sit in on meetings for your own education. The initiative has to be with you.

Dustin Benge wrote a great pair of posts called Bridging the Gap Between Seminary and the Local Church, especially addressing the attitude shift necessary for a freshly graduated seminarian as he begins his ministry. Here’s his counsel:

Bridge the Gap Between Seminary and the Local Church by:
1. The “High-Horse” Syndrome
2. Be Teachable
3. Be Willing to do what you ask of Others
4. Be a Mentor
5. Don’t Be Jealous
6. Don’t Look for the Next Best Thing

Definitely worth reading. Part One Part Two

Popularity: 88% [?]

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