Dear Candidate, We just received word that you are now enrolled in the candidacy program to explore ministry in The United Methodist Church. Congratulations on this big step! The enclosed packet of information will guide you through the next steps of your candidacy process. You will find a checklist that will serve as a road map through the process, as well a registration form for the upcoming retreat, some details about the retreat, and details about the mentoring group process. This process, if you believe that this is where God is calling you, will eventually lead you to meeting with your District Committee on Ordained Ministry to be considered as a certified candidate. We look forward to seeing you at the Candidacy Retreat on January 4-5, but also please feel free to contact us anywhere along the way. We will be glad to answer any questions that you might have or to hear of any concerns you experience. You can contact us by phone at 1-800-282-8011 ext. 134 or by email at ddodge@flumc.org or emily.oliver@flumc.org. We look forward to working with you as you follow your call. Peace and joy, David A. Dodge Executive Director Emily Oliver Associate Director
Is God calling me to licensed / ordained ministry? The process to become a Certified Candidate will help you and the Church discern how God is calling you. Whether you are pursuing licensed or ordained ministry, the first step is to become a Certified Candidate. Prior to Enrollment (these items must all be complete by December 1) [] Read and discuss The Christian As Minister and Ministry Inquiry Process with your minister. You can order these books at www.cokesbury.com [] Must have been a member of UMC church (or another recognized United Methodist ministry setting, such as a campus ministry) for 1 year immediately preceding candidacy, including a year of service in some form of leadership. [] Send a letter to your District Superintendent, including a statement about your call, stating that you would like to begin the candidacy process. Often, your DS will arrange to meet with you in person as well. [] Complete the background check your District gives you; send $25 check, payable to the Florida Conference Treasurer, to the Center for Clergy Excellence at 450 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Lakeland, FL 33815. Prior to Retreat (these items must all be complete by December 15) [] Your District will assign you to a mentor, as part of a candidacy mentoring group. You will receive your mentor s name and contact information, though your group will not start meeting until after the Candidacy Retreat. You may contact your mentor with questions at any time. [] You will receive an email inviting you to log in to the Online Candidacy System at www.canapply.gbhem.org Many steps of your process will be completed on this website. If you don t receive this login information, please contact us! [] You will also receive an email inviting you to log in to Pathways to Ministry, our application management system. You need to mark off all steps on Pathways as you complete them. Pathways is where you ll get your applications for Certification, Licensing, Commissioning, and Ordination. [] Fill out the Candidacy Retreat Registration form found in this packet. Mail it, along with a $100 check payable to Florida Conference Treasurer for the cost of the Retreat, by December 15, to Center for Clergy Excellence at 450 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Lakeland, FL 33815, or fax it to (863) 687.8033. [] Using the Online Candidacy System, complete the following steps. Your mentor and District Superintendent will be prompted by the Online Candidacy System to sign off on your forms. *Do not pay attention to the projected dates on the website. Complete all of these items by December 15. [] Candidacy Application Form, DS, and Mentor Signatures [] Online Candidacy Fee and Guidebook Request ($75 payable online) [] Release of Information (just mark the task complete; we will fill this form out at the retreat) [] Form 112 [] Personal Data Inventory and Personal Professional Reference List [] Mail in $450 check payable to Florida Conference Treasurer for your psychological testing, send to the Center for Clergy Excellence at 450 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Lakeland, FL 33815. If finances are a concern and you will not be able to pay this amount by December 15, please contact Emily at emily.oliver@flumc.org to work out a payment plan.
At the Candidacy Retreat (January 4-5, 2013 in Lakeland, FL) [] Complete psychological testing and Release of Information Following the Candidacy Retreat (January- April, 2013) [] Meet with your candidacy mentoring group for six sessions (you may make up a missed session individually with your mentor, but may not miss more than two sessions) [] High school degree or equivalent is required at this point [] When contacted by the Ministerial Assessment Specialist, make your appointment to discuss your psychological testing results. Let your mentor know when this appointment has been completed. [] Request interview from your church s Staff Parish Relations Committee (or equivalent); provide written statement of call, along with any other information the Committee requests. [] Request approval by your church s Charge Conference (or equivalent). [] Mentor writes mentor report, candidate signs, submitted via Pathways [] Continue marking off tasks on www.canapply.gbhem.org and Pathways as they are completed. [] Complete and prepare the following for your Certification interview with the DCOM. Let your DCOM Registrar know that you are ready to apply for Certification, and he/she will place you on the Certification track in Pathways, where you will submit all parts of the application. [] Psychological Assessment (you should have already completed your appointment and paid $450 fee) [] Financial report [] Medical report [] Charge Conference approval form [] Mentor s report [] Responses to 311.2 and any other information requested by your DCOM DCOM Interview (May, 2013) [] A ¾ vote is needed to become a Certified Candidate. The committee may vote Continue, which means that you will not be Certified at this time, but instead, continue in your present status as a candidate The committee may vote Certify, which means that you will become a Certified Candidate The committee may vote Discontinue, which would discontinue you from the process. The committee may assign you contingencies for either Continue or Certify.
CONTACT INFORMATION ***This form is for you to keep, to organize all of your contacts for the candidacy process in one place. Center for Clergy Excellence: 450 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., Lakeland, FL 33815 (863) 688.5563 x.134 (phone) (863) 687.8033 (fax) Website: www.mycallfl.org Rev. David Dodge: ddodge@flumc.org Rev. Emily Oliver: emily.oliver@flumc.org Winnie Dean: wdean@flumc.org Your District Information (fill in): District District Superintendent Phone Email District Registrar Phone Email Your Candidacy Mentors (fill in): Mentor Name Phone Email Mentor Name Phone Email Financial Obligations during Candidacy: $25 for background check, payable to Florida Conference Treasurer $75 for Candidacy Guidebook, payable on the Online Candidacy System $100 for your Candidacy Retreat, payable to Florida Conference Treasurer $450 for your Psychological Testing, payable to Florida Conference Treasurer
Candidacy Retreat Registration Form Name Phone Number Male / Female Email Home Church District Special dietary restrictions for the Candidacy Retreat (vegetarian, etc.)? Special rooming considerations for the Candidacy Retreat? (You will be matched with a roommate for the retreat, unless you have a medical reason for needing to room alone.) Are you currently living outside of your home district (away at seminary, etc.)? Where? Why? What is your primary language? What other language(s) do you speak, if any? Do you have a laptop available to bring to the Candidacy Retreat? (If so, please bring it. If not, please let us know so that we can provide one.) Please note that your $100 retreat fee and this form are due by December 15. Please return this form to the Center for Clergy Excellence, 450 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave, Lakeland, FL 33815 or fax to (863) 687.8033
Friday-Saturday, January 4-5, 2013 Candidacy Retreat Details The retreat will be held at the Florida Conference United Methodist Building: 450 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave, Lakeland, FL 33815. Hotel accommodations will be made for you at the Hampton Inn: 4420 North Socrum Loop Rd., Lakeland, FL 33809 Cost to the participants will $100 per person (covering room, board, and meeting room usage) BASIC SCHEDULE FRIDAY 1:00pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 8:30pm SATURDAY 8:00am 8:30am 9:00am 12:30pm Opening Worship Large Group Info Session Workshops Dinner Mentoring Groups Done for the night (check into Hampton Inn) Breakfast available (at Hampton Inn) Gathering and Prayer (at Florida Conference United Methodist Building) Psychological Assessments Lunch and Dismissal
Mentoring Group Details Each group will be led by two trained mentors. One mentor will be the administrator they will be the mentor assigned to each of the candidates by the online candidacy system, they will be the one responsible for the online checklist and any other administrative details. If a mentor team leads the spring cycle, they will not lead the fall cycle, and vice versa. They remain as the mentor for the candidates until those candidates reach Provisional or Local Pastor status, but there are no more formal meetings required. Groups will meet for 6 sessions over the course of 4 months. If a candidate misses a session, they will make it up individually with one of the mentors. Candidates should make every effort to attend the group sessions; missing more than 2 group sessions, even if the candidate makes them up individually, may result in the candidate being asked to repeat the mentoring group next semester (refer these cases to the Center for Clergy Excellence staff.) Candidates who live out-of-state while attending school (or other special circumstances approved by the Center for Clergy Excellence) may participate in their mentoring group sessions using video chat technology such as Skype. All other requirements (Retreat, DCOM interview, etc.) must be attended in person. Each team of mentors will set their own schedule for meeting dates, times, and locations. Each meeting should take about 90 minutes; allow 2 hours if a meal is involved. Because we have candidates driving from all over the district to attend, we need to honor time commitments by starting and stopping on time. Mentors should both be present at each meeting if possible. If one has to miss, the meeting can proceed led by only one mentor. Mentor teams will figure out their own ways of working together, but both should share the leadership of the group. The schedule below is an outline of topics to be covered in each session. It is assumed that mentors will open and close in prayer, answer questions, etc. SESSION 1 Introductions and Calling Goal: Candidates will begin knowing each other s stories, feel safe sharing in the group, and understand what these next months will entail Homework: In preparation for Session 2, read pages 48-96 in Guidebook SESSION 2 Self-Awareness Goal: Candidates will begin to understand how everything about them affects their ministry their family of origin, age/race/gender, strengths and weaknesses, etc. Homework: In preparation for Session 3, read pages 36-46 in Guidebook
SESSION 3 Spiritual Disciplines Goal: Candidates will gain a broader understanding of spiritual disciplines and understand how important our own spirituality is in order to sustain a future in ministry. Homework: no homework this week SESSION 4 Wesleyan Theology Goal: Candidates will begin to articulate their personal stories in terms of Wesleyan theology, and to see theology at work in their lives. This is not meant to be a seminary class just a simple confirmation-level overview. You may have a wide variety of knowledge in your group; work hard to keep focused on the basics and keeping everyone included. Homework: In preparation for the Session 5, read pages 97-159 in Guidebook SESSION 5 Ministry Tracks Goal: Candidates will clarify their understanding of Elder, Deacon, and Local Pastor and have their practical questions answered about life in ministry, the appointment system, itinerancy, etc. Mentors might want to invite representatives from each ministry track to visit and share with the group. Homework: No homework this week. SESSION 6 Next Steps Goal: Candidates will have a sense of the direction God is leading them at this point, and know the next steps needed in response.