The CPBC UNITES (Unified Theological Education System) has become a paradigm shift in the systemic problem of our theological institutions. It was instrumental in the synchronization of diverse programs, divisive orientations and institutional culture. Through this breakthrough, we succeeded to formulate a standardized curriculum which promotes unity while maintaining respective peculiarities and specializations.
The bond of seminarians has been strengthened as the innovation has institutionalized the theological forum and fellowship of various seminaries and bible schools. It also resulted to faculty exchange and opened the door for volunteerism. National officers of the Convention Baptist Ministers Association (CBMA) volunteered to teach with the support of our association.
The CPBC UNITES continues to consolidate and synergize initiatives from various individuals, groups and institutions. There is now a venue for concerted effort, and exchange of ideas, dreams and visions. Likewise, it provides a link to the past, present and future. In one instance, we were surprised to discover that the CPBC UNITES has answered exactly previous needs and dreams of some leaders as culled from an almost forgotten document.Excerpt of which …the series of consultations resulted to some recommendations that paved the way towards the concept of unified theological system:
(1)Continuing theological education should be regularized and institutionalized on a ladderized scheme, with credits towards bachelors and masters degree, or certificate.
(2)Creation of Center of Allied Learning Institute for Life (CALL) composed of accredited faculty from various institutions to call the shot for unified system and to confer degrees to its graduates.
(3)Enrich and upgrade existing theological institutions
Another product of the CPBC UNITES is the Master of Socio Pastoral Ministries (MSPM). The degree is a combination of Master of Science in Social Work program and pastoral ministry courses. The mission of the MSPM program is to prepare graduate students for leadership roles in church, church-related institutions and community. Specifically, it is geared towards a healthy and balanced pastoral leadership, church administration and social/community services.
Recently, I received more benefits. While posting, I was inspired to integrate my other blogs to avoid hassle in maintenance. As such, I added pages to this blog and transferred posts from other sites. You may view them at the left corner. Pages are arranged under the acrostic PADAYON, as follows: Personal Note, Antipodes, Development, Advocacy, Yardstick, Opportunities, and Networking.
Showing posts with label Ministry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ministry. Show all posts
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
KATIPAN Hall: Monument of Gains in Networking
Early this morning I received blogging tips from Pastor Jonan Castillon. He is the pastor-friend I mentioned earlier who advised and taught me to open a blog. Enjoying now the benefits of on-line writing, he is willing to share his talent to pastors for free. Tentatively, we have scheduled a hands-on training for pastors on April 27, 2011.
Learning Institute for the Fullness of life and Empowerment (LIFE) will coordinate this activity. LIFE is a voluntary organization of pastors, social workers, educators and other professionals which was organized after my term in CBMA. Purposely, it will continue the commitment to serve the pastors beyond our term in the association. Interested pastors in Iloilo may contact this blog. You can also visit Pastor Jonan’s site.
Following an expert advice, starting today, this blog comes out every Thursday, Sunday, and Tuesday to avoid information overload. A journal of faith journey, it attempts to inspire readers to continue the commitment in service in respective fields no matter what. This is a forerunner of my dream book, PADAYON: Our life journey.
Padayon is an Ilonggo term which means continue. In deeper sense, it connotes moving/going on (or never give up) despite adversaries or adversities.PADAYON serves as framework or acrostic of my life’s experiences and the lessons learned from life. This blog deals each area or sub topic accordingly. The series of posts on Gains and Pains in Serving the Pastors is a representation of the second letter in PADAYON, i.e., Antipodes. After three more posts, discussion will focus on the third topic – Doing God’s Will is dangerous to your health.
Previous blogs mentioned the role of KATIPAN Hall in reclaiming the spiritual heritage of the Camp Higher Ground as icon of serenity, spirituality and renewal. Katipan is an Ilonggo term for Covenant. In the CBMA context it means Katuman sang Tingob nga Pagsalig kag Binuhatan (realization of something through collective faith and action.
Never did it occur in our wildest dream that our association would engage in an infrastructure project. More so, under my term as president. My social work orientation and past organizing experience taught me to be people-centered in approach to development. However, circumstances led us to this new challenge.
It started from an invitation of the Pastors’ Kids (PK) Association to hold our National Assembly at Camp Higher Ground in 2006 for free. At that time, they were starting to develop the Camp after the mandate to manage this neglected treasure of our Convention. Few months later, the Convention leadership retracted, forcing the PK to cancel its goodwill.
Having set our preparation on the venue, our Association decided to take matters in our hands. With the projected cost within our reach, we undertook the project. Only to found out later, there was an overly underestimation of the cost. Upon expert advice, we opted to improve the design with permanent materials due to susceptibility of the area to termites. Exhausting our own resources, we engaged in various fund campaign and use our network, both personal and organizational. Concerts, dinner for a cause, solicitation, loans were but a few of the strategies we undertook.
Soon, we got the support of auxiliary organizations in our Convention, as well as related institutions and Kasapulanans. Our NGO network was also tapped, as well as linkages with the government officials the city and province of Iloilo. Later, independent foundation and network of our pastors abroad assisted us. The rest is history. After fours year, the collective faith and action was realized. The Katipan Hall was finished- a monument of gains in networking.
Learning Institute for the Fullness of life and Empowerment (LIFE) will coordinate this activity. LIFE is a voluntary organization of pastors, social workers, educators and other professionals which was organized after my term in CBMA. Purposely, it will continue the commitment to serve the pastors beyond our term in the association. Interested pastors in Iloilo may contact this blog. You can also visit Pastor Jonan’s site.
Following an expert advice, starting today, this blog comes out every Thursday, Sunday, and Tuesday to avoid information overload. A journal of faith journey, it attempts to inspire readers to continue the commitment in service in respective fields no matter what. This is a forerunner of my dream book, PADAYON: Our life journey.
Padayon is an Ilonggo term which means continue. In deeper sense, it connotes moving/going on (or never give up) despite adversaries or adversities.PADAYON serves as framework or acrostic of my life’s experiences and the lessons learned from life. This blog deals each area or sub topic accordingly. The series of posts on Gains and Pains in Serving the Pastors is a representation of the second letter in PADAYON, i.e., Antipodes. After three more posts, discussion will focus on the third topic – Doing God’s Will is dangerous to your health.
Previous blogs mentioned the role of KATIPAN Hall in reclaiming the spiritual heritage of the Camp Higher Ground as icon of serenity, spirituality and renewal. Katipan is an Ilonggo term for Covenant. In the CBMA context it means Katuman sang Tingob nga Pagsalig kag Binuhatan (realization of something through collective faith and action.
Never did it occur in our wildest dream that our association would engage in an infrastructure project. More so, under my term as president. My social work orientation and past organizing experience taught me to be people-centered in approach to development. However, circumstances led us to this new challenge.
It started from an invitation of the Pastors’ Kids (PK) Association to hold our National Assembly at Camp Higher Ground in 2006 for free. At that time, they were starting to develop the Camp after the mandate to manage this neglected treasure of our Convention. Few months later, the Convention leadership retracted, forcing the PK to cancel its goodwill.
Soon, we got the support of auxiliary organizations in our Convention, as well as related institutions and Kasapulanans. Our NGO network was also tapped, as well as linkages with the government officials the city and province of Iloilo. Later, independent foundation and network of our pastors abroad assisted us. The rest is history. After fours year, the collective faith and action was realized. The Katipan Hall was finished- a monument of gains in networking.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Social Work, Systems Theory and the CBMA
The celebration of the World Social Work Day highlights the role of social workers in responding to individual, family and community crises. In another site, I discussed Social Work as a Profession. Yesterday’s blog pointed out that social workers are also skilled in analyzing the frameworks of social conditions, and know how to change them to foster a more dignified life for all people, in all communities. This makes our discussion on systems theory and networking more relevant as they contribute to the development of such skills. Speaking by experience, the CBMA has benefited from my past learnings in social work when I led the association for six years. I feel a discussion on this topic is helpful before we resume the Gains in networking…
Ann Hartman (1970), as cited in Johnson (1995), noted that the systems theory is useful to social workers for it gives a means for conceptualizing linkages and relationships among seemingly different entities: individuals, families, small groups, agencies, communities, and societies. It notes similarities and differences among different classifications of systems. It aids social workers in considering both private troubles and public issues within the nurturing system and the sustaining system of a situation they are assessing.
The application of system analysis to social work practice was best described in the book written by Allen Pincus and Anne Minahan in 1973 entitled Social Work Practice: Model and Method. Their basic premise, that there is a common core of skills and concepts, which are essential to the practice of social work, is in fact basic to most theoretical interpretations of systems theory.
Pincus and Minahan theorize that there are four basic systems in social work practice: (1) a change agent system, (2) a client system, (3) a target system, and (4) an action system. The change agent system is composed of professionals who are specifically employed for the purpose of creating planned change. Also part of the change agent system is the employing organizations of the change agent.
The client system is composed of the people who sanction or ask for the change agent’s services, who are expected beneficiaries of the service, and who have working agreement or contract with the change agent.
The target system is composed of the people, agencies, and/or organizational practices that one wishes to change in some measurable way in order to reach the goals of the change agent. As such, by analyzing the changes of the target system, one can measure effectiveness and provide a mechanism for accountability.
The last is the action system, which is used to describe those factors with which a social worker works in his/her effort to accomplish the tasks and achieve the goals of the change effort. One may need to involve a number of different action systems in different aspects of a planned change effort to accomplish all of the different goals of the change agent. In the Pincus and Minahan model, the four basic systems are not mutually exclusive, but can and do overlap in many cases.
Following the Pincus and Minahan framework there is overlapping among the basic systems in the process of development. This means that a person, which may be considered a client system may also become a target system, a change agent or even an action system just like the processes, experienced by other systems. In the same way, that the social worker, who is considered basically a change agent, may at times become a client system, a target system or an action system.
This is true with those considered as action system. They may also become a target system or a change agent system or even a client system, as the need arises. Each system, therefore, is a contributor to and recipient of development which is the by-product of the whole interaction processes and relationships between and among NGOs and the network and their environment.
Pastors can apply this in their ministry, in dealing with the parishioners, officers, lay leaders, auxiliary and fraternal/maternal organizations, government and other institutions in the community. The framework can served as guide to respective actions.
Ann Hartman (1970), as cited in Johnson (1995), noted that the systems theory is useful to social workers for it gives a means for conceptualizing linkages and relationships among seemingly different entities: individuals, families, small groups, agencies, communities, and societies. It notes similarities and differences among different classifications of systems. It aids social workers in considering both private troubles and public issues within the nurturing system and the sustaining system of a situation they are assessing.
The application of system analysis to social work practice was best described in the book written by Allen Pincus and Anne Minahan in 1973 entitled Social Work Practice: Model and Method. Their basic premise, that there is a common core of skills and concepts, which are essential to the practice of social work, is in fact basic to most theoretical interpretations of systems theory.
Pincus and Minahan theorize that there are four basic systems in social work practice: (1) a change agent system, (2) a client system, (3) a target system, and (4) an action system. The change agent system is composed of professionals who are specifically employed for the purpose of creating planned change. Also part of the change agent system is the employing organizations of the change agent.
The client system is composed of the people who sanction or ask for the change agent’s services, who are expected beneficiaries of the service, and who have working agreement or contract with the change agent.
The target system is composed of the people, agencies, and/or organizational practices that one wishes to change in some measurable way in order to reach the goals of the change agent. As such, by analyzing the changes of the target system, one can measure effectiveness and provide a mechanism for accountability.
The last is the action system, which is used to describe those factors with which a social worker works in his/her effort to accomplish the tasks and achieve the goals of the change effort. One may need to involve a number of different action systems in different aspects of a planned change effort to accomplish all of the different goals of the change agent. In the Pincus and Minahan model, the four basic systems are not mutually exclusive, but can and do overlap in many cases.
Following the Pincus and Minahan framework there is overlapping among the basic systems in the process of development. This means that a person, which may be considered a client system may also become a target system, a change agent or even an action system just like the processes, experienced by other systems. In the same way, that the social worker, who is considered basically a change agent, may at times become a client system, a target system or an action system.
This is true with those considered as action system. They may also become a target system or a change agent system or even a client system, as the need arises. Each system, therefore, is a contributor to and recipient of development which is the by-product of the whole interaction processes and relationships between and among NGOs and the network and their environment.
Pastors can apply this in their ministry, in dealing with the parishioners, officers, lay leaders, auxiliary and fraternal/maternal organizations, government and other institutions in the community. The framework can served as guide to respective actions.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Gains and Pains in Serving the Pastors (E) MSPM: An integrated approach
Master of Socio Pastoral Ministries (MSPM) is a combination of Master of Science in Social Work program offered in CPU and pastoral ministry courses. The mission of the MSPM program is to prepare graduate students for leadership roles in church, church-related institutions and community. Specifically, it is geared towards a healthy and balanced pastoral leadership, church administration and social/community services.
Significant changes in the contemporary world present new challenges to development workers in various field of endeavors including pastors/church ministers. Foremost, is the development of interdisciplinary approaches and modes of analysis in the helping professions including pastoral work. Problems brought about by these changes, as well as those caused by natural and man-made disasters pose a challenge to develop integrated interventions towards building of a just, humane and caring society.
On the other hand, our pastors are confronted with harsh realities, challenges and problems in the fields which they do not have reserved knowledge and skills from the seminaries/theological institutions. Some are handling administrative positions and development-related or church-related centers which require them additional learnings.
The program attempts to meet these needs and challenges. It also examine issues relevant to the understanding of spirituality and religion in the context of present realities and the ongoing search for meaning. It uses various theories and research efforts pertinent to the role of spirituality in psychological, sociological and social development. Teaching is done from a variety of perspectives including pastoral ministry, social work, theology, spirituality, and clinical practice areas.
Ministry & Biblical/Theology courses include Foundations of Socio Pastoral Ministry; Church: Ministry & Mission; Hermeneutics; Biblical Theology; and Biblical & Theological Foundations of Discipleship. The Socio-Pastoral Courses are as follows: Socio-Behavioral Theories; Group, Community, Social Institutions and Processes; Family Wellness & Pastoral Counseling; Models of Ministry and Leadership in the Church & Community; Community Organization & Social Welfare and Development Services; Strategies in Church and Community Mobilization; Seminar in Socio Pastoral Ministries; Social Research; Social Jurisprudence & Local Governance; Pastoral Ministry in Conflict Situations; and Administration and Management of Church and related organization/institutions
The following volunteers have served as faculty and resource persons: Pastor Francis Neil Jalando-on, Rev. Jerson Narciso, Dr. Melvin Mangana, Dr. Armando Kole, Rev. Joniel Howard Gico, Dr. Joel Ciriaco, Dr. Lucy Catalogo, Atty. Nicias Alameda, Atty. Tamano Pastor Elizer Geromiano, Prof. DZ Patriarca-Lariza, Prof. Adele Fegarido, Dr. Bernabe Pagara, Pastor Melchor Lariza, Pastor Rosendo Mije and Bro. Andrew Escuban.
Three years after the program was implemented, it has produced 23 pioneering graduates from Panay and Negros. They were conferred their degree on May 1, 2010 at Ajuy Christian Development Academy, Ajuy, Iloilo.
Significant changes in the contemporary world present new challenges to development workers in various field of endeavors including pastors/church ministers. Foremost, is the development of interdisciplinary approaches and modes of analysis in the helping professions including pastoral work. Problems brought about by these changes, as well as those caused by natural and man-made disasters pose a challenge to develop integrated interventions towards building of a just, humane and caring society.
On the other hand, our pastors are confronted with harsh realities, challenges and problems in the fields which they do not have reserved knowledge and skills from the seminaries/theological institutions. Some are handling administrative positions and development-related or church-related centers which require them additional learnings.
The program attempts to meet these needs and challenges. It also examine issues relevant to the understanding of spirituality and religion in the context of present realities and the ongoing search for meaning. It uses various theories and research efforts pertinent to the role of spirituality in psychological, sociological and social development. Teaching is done from a variety of perspectives including pastoral ministry, social work, theology, spirituality, and clinical practice areas.
Ministry & Biblical/Theology courses include Foundations of Socio Pastoral Ministry; Church: Ministry & Mission; Hermeneutics; Biblical Theology; and Biblical & Theological Foundations of Discipleship. The Socio-Pastoral Courses are as follows: Socio-Behavioral Theories; Group, Community, Social Institutions and Processes; Family Wellness & Pastoral Counseling; Models of Ministry and Leadership in the Church & Community; Community Organization & Social Welfare and Development Services; Strategies in Church and Community Mobilization; Seminar in Socio Pastoral Ministries; Social Research; Social Jurisprudence & Local Governance; Pastoral Ministry in Conflict Situations; and Administration and Management of Church and related organization/institutions
The following volunteers have served as faculty and resource persons: Pastor Francis Neil Jalando-on, Rev. Jerson Narciso, Dr. Melvin Mangana, Dr. Armando Kole, Rev. Joniel Howard Gico, Dr. Joel Ciriaco, Dr. Lucy Catalogo, Atty. Nicias Alameda, Atty. Tamano Pastor Elizer Geromiano, Prof. DZ Patriarca-Lariza, Prof. Adele Fegarido, Dr. Bernabe Pagara, Pastor Melchor Lariza, Pastor Rosendo Mije and Bro. Andrew Escuban.
Three years after the program was implemented, it has produced 23 pioneering graduates from Panay and Negros. They were conferred their degree on May 1, 2010 at Ajuy Christian Development Academy, Ajuy, Iloilo.
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