Before I set foot on the campus, I wrote in my journal a list of things I wanted to learn while at seminary. I wish I had kept that list. I don’t remember all the objectives, but one of them was, “Learn how to recruit, train, and supervise volunteers.” I experienced a great deal of frustration in my youth ministry with supervising volunteers much older than me. The volunteers were patient, but I needed help in this area if I were to be an effective minister.

During orientation and my first days at seminary, I took my list of about 15 items and looked at the requirements for my program of study and determined which core courses matched the learning objectives on my list. I then looked at the seminary catalog and the electives I could take and identified courses that would help me accomplish those objectives. For example, there was a course entitled, “Working with Volunteers,” which matched one of my learning objectives. I could then map out my curriculum for the next two years, maximizing my seminary experience.

Each term before registering for classes, I reviewed my list, checked off those that I accomplished, and identified courses that would meet the remaining objectives. On more than one occasion, I added new learning objectives to my growing list.

One of the assignments in the class on volunteers was to write a ten-page term paper. I wrote a 50-page paper on recruiting volunteers. My friends teased me that I had gone overboard, but I told them I wasn’t trying to impress the professor. This paper was for me and I wanted to develop materials that I could take back home and use. Your seminary learning takes on another dimension when you have ownership in the product. Ask your professors if you can negotiate assignments to fulfill your learning objectives. Instead of a paper, maybe you could write a strategic plan, develop a website, or write a sermon series. Suggest projects that meet the course objectives, but also have immediate application in your ministry.

Not all of my learning objectives could be fulfilled through seminary courses. This is where mentoring, internships, and field experiences can round out your seminary experience. Since I was in youth ministry, I looked for a church that was really doing a great job in discipling youth. One of my objectives was to learn how to educate youth about ethical issues, including sex education. I found a youth minister who had developed some materials on sex education in the church and was willing to mentor me. Over the course of my two years in seminary, with the help of this mentor, I created some discipleship materials that I used for years.

• What do you want to learn?
• What skills do you want to possess?
• What competencies will you need to develop in order to be an effective minister?
• What attitudes do you need to change?
• What spiritual disciplines will you need to practice?

Write out a list of your learning objectives to guide your seminary studies. With this intentional learning plan, you will maximize your time at seminary and you’ll not have to write a book entitled, “What I Didn’t Learn in Seminary.”

Daryl Eldridge is President and Co-founder of Rockbridge Seminary.

www.rockbridgeseminary.org

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 as part of the field education experience. At Rockbridge, we require students to have a mentor for every class. We believe mentoring is supported by biblical teaching. Regardless of your seminary’s requirements, you can enlist the support of a mentor throughout your entire program of study.

We’ve learned that mentoring is best done when initiated by the student. Mentors who are assigned by others often don’t work because there is no chemistry or camaraderie. Look for a person who is willing to inject truth into your life and spend time with you. This should be an enjoyable experience for both of you. You will get as much out of the experience as you want. Let me say this as straight as I can: If you select a mentor that isn’t willing and able to invest time in you, then you are better off finding another learning coach.

It’s a good idea to have more than one mentor. Typically, not every mentor is strong in all areas of ministry. At the first of every term, schedule meetings with your mentor(s). Get them on the calendar early. Mentors are usually very busy people and you’ll have to work with their schedules. Multi-task by meeting for lunch or breakfast, and accompanying your mentor to regular work events. If your mentor is great in evangelism, go together on outreach efforts. Ride in the car to meetings together. Find ways to spend time with each other without adding to your busy schedules.

Go prepared for each meeting. Know what you want to debrief about. Ask questions, seek clarifications, and so on. Go in with an agenda of questions for your mentor, things you’ve learned and especially self-discoveries to share and discuss. Ask your mentors for insights from their experiences and any insights they might have regarding what they have observed in you. The better planned you are, the better the experience. The purpose of these meetings should be to discuss how what you are learning is moving you forward in your spiritual development, in light of your calling. Here are some starter questions to discuss:

• How is this course helping you develop your call to service?
• What questions do you have from your reading or class discussions?
• How do you apply what you are learning this term to your ministry context?
• What leadership skills do you need to develop?
• How can your mentor personally support you moving forward?

When meeting with your mentor, plan to ask open-ended questions to draw out what your mentor is thinking, like

• “What do you think?”
• “Where do you think I need to focus more attention moving forward? Why? How?”
• “What blind spots do you see that I may be missing?”
• “If you were in my position, how would you go deeper to develop in this area?”
• “Have you made mistakes in this area that I can learn from?”

Lastly, don’t forget to say thanks for the investment your mentor made in your life. Send your mentor a thank-you card or small gift to express your appreciation.

Daryl Eldridge is President and Cofounder of Rockbridge Seminary.

www.rockbridgeseminary.org

Technology now makes it possible to connect to a learning community from your home, office, or coffee shop. I believe there is a place for residential seminaries, and nearly every week I steer a prospect for Rockbridge to a residential seminary program. However, there is also a place for online learning. Most residential programs now offer up to one half of their studies online. You may find the convenience and the type of courses offered online could benefit your learning program.

Here are a few discoveries I have made in my journey:

1. Authentic community can be developed online. Some leaders tout community as a reason to attend a residential program. However, if a student is working full-time, with church and family responsibilities, they often run from classes to work or church and don’t get to know their fellow learners. In a good online course, you will develop meaningful relationships. Because you interact with your colleagues daily, you develop relationships otherwise not experienced in a classroom setting.

2. Online learning is highly interactive. In a typical residential class, 10% of the class will raise questions. In an online environment, everyone participates. Typically, students are required to be online at least 4-5 days a week and post at least 9 times in a forum discussion.

3. Online learning is not easier. Some have the mistaken notion that all you do in an online course is read material on a screen, or view a video, and take a test. Online learning courses are nothing like correspondence courses. While there is flexibility as to when you go online, the class will still demand 10-15 hours of work each week. (That is why at Rockbridge our program is set up so that students only take one course at a time.)

4. Online learning is learner centered, not teacher centered. This doesn’t mean that you do not interact with the professor, or with content, but the real learning takes place in learner forums that are directed by the professor. Students who thrive best in an online environment are self-starters who take responsibility for their learning and see their role as contributing to the learning of the entire group. It is a learning community.

5. Spiritual formation can take place online. The online community allows for the expression of personal issues. Students feel free to share their spiritual journey and they trust their colleagues to hold the online experience as sacred space. Courses have prayer rooms, where prayer concerns can be shared and students will post prayers for one another.

6. Not every teacher is wired to teach online. Some professors think they just have to dump their lectures into a virtual can, and that’s all there is to online learning. The best online teachers are a combination of counselor, mentor, friend, spiritual guide, coach, and facilitator. They excel at asking students questions and redirecting their thinking. They coach from the sidelines. Their best teaching is done by the feedback they give on the assignments. So, check out who is teaching the online course. How long have they taught online? Is this their first course? How do other students rate the online class experience with this teacher? Do your homework before signing up.

Online learning is not for everyone, but if you keep these six things in mind, you can make some wonderful friends and learning colleagues in the process.

Daryl Eldridge is President and Cofounder of Rockbridge Seminary.
www.rockbridgeseminary.org