Period of Discernment
What is The Period of Discernment?
The Period of Discernment is a process that enables the church and you together to discern God's call on your life for future ministry expression. This ministry may be discerned to be as a lay person within the local congregation, within the community or workplace, or within one of the specified ministries (including the ordained ministries).
Goals of the Period of Discernment
- To develop your relationship with God within the church community and your understanding of yourself as a Christian disciple
- To give you opportunity to understand the ministry of the church, the variety of ministries within that ministry; and the function, purpose, and responsibilities of these ministries
- To recognise, affirm and build on the skills, knowledge and experience that you bring to the Period of Discernment
- To enable both the church and you to discern better your gifts and graces for ministry and the type of ministry in which these gifts and graces may be expressed
Key Elements
- Meet regularly with an experienced mentor
- Study the Bible and/or theology
- Learn about ministry and/or mission
- Explore the practice of ministry through field education
- Prepare a portfolio of your journey
Holistic Formation
- Personal growth
Most of us (perhaps all of us) at times have to face up to issues in our personalities that need to be addressed. These may be deep-seated emotional or relationship issues, of which we are only vaguely aware, but which nevertheless profoundly affect the nature and quality of our life and ministry.
The quality of our current and future ministry will be greatly enhanced by the courageous steps we take to confront some deep seated issues in our inner being.
- Spiritual Formation
We expect, of course, that the whole process is one of spiritual formation. Your studies and your practical ministry experience are part of that formation. But it is hoped that you will also reflect seriously on your own worship and prayer life, and how that is integrated with everything else you do. Involvement in the worship life of a congregation will no doubt be a key element.
Finding Out More
A comprehensive Period of Discernment Information Kit has been updated by the CTM during 2011 and is linked at the end of this page for download.
Guidelines for the Period of Discernment are also available on the Uniting Church Assembly website.
After reading the information available, your next port of call should be the minister or lay leader in your local congregation, or one of the Presbytery ministers in your Presbytery.
If you have already discerned a personal sense of call to one of the specified/ordained ministries of the Uniting Church the Period of Discernment provides an intentional and formal process through which the Church discerns, affirms and begins to test a call to ministry. Read more about the pathways to ordination here.
You may also wish to contact the CTM to discuss options for study. Ring us on (03) 9340 8800 or email on info [at] ctm [dot] uca [dot] edu [dot] au
Resources for participants
Participants will find the Period of Discernment Information Kit has lots of useful information about the discernment process and that's the first place to start reading. A registration form can be downloaded, endorsed by your minister or local lay leader, and sent to your presbytery.
The Uniting Church Assembly publishes Your Resource for the Period of Discernment, a two-volume resource ($50 available from Uniting College South Australia) which presbyteries are encouraged to make available to people involved in the Period of Discernment.
Other resources that participants may find helpful include:
- Guidelines for the Period of Discernment, Uniting Church Assembly, 2008
- Ministry in the Uniting Church in Australia, Uniting Church National Assembly, 1991
- Report of the Task Group to Review Ministerial Education, Uniting Church National Assembly, 1997
- Docbytes are nine discussion starters that aim to encourage theological thinking on specific topics across the Uniting Church
- The Prayers of the People is a teaching DVD about the nature of worship, among other worship resources from the Uniting Church Assembly
- PoD resources from ELM, Synod of NSW.ACT
- A hitchhiker's trip through "The Basis of Union", Synod of Queensland
Resources for presbyteries
In addition to the Period of Discernment Information Kit, presbyteries are encouraged to hold copies of Your Resource for the Period of Discernment, a two-volume resource published by The Uniting Church Assembly. Your Resource for the Period of Discernment can be loaned to participants and mentors involved in the Period of Discernment.
Volume 1 includes more detailed information about the same topics in the Period of Discernment Information Kit.
Volume 2 includes a range of resource readings, including:
- Guidelines for the Period of Discernment, Uniting Church Assembly Standing Committee (2008)
- Report of the Task Group on the Review of Ministerial Education, Uniting Church Assembly (1997)
- Code of ethics and ministry practice for Ministers in the Uniting Church in Australia, Uniting Church Assembly (2009)
- Policy for dealing with a complaint of sexual misconduct made against a member, adherent or volunteer of the Uniting Church in Australia and for providing a safe faith community, Uniting Church Assembly (1998)
- Preparing a Personal Rule of Life, Rob Bos (1998)
- Basis of Union (1992 edition), Uniting Church Assembly (1992)
- Ministry in the Uniting Church in Australia, Uniting Church Assembly (1991)
Your Resource for the Period of Discernment is around 190 pages and is available (in a ring binder) through Uniting College for Leadership and Theology, South Australia, at a cost of $50 plus postage. Contact info [at] unitingcollege [dot] org [dot] au or (08) 8416 8420.
Completing the Period of Discernment
At the successful completion of a Period of Discernment the presbytery issues a Certificate of Completion. Template/sample certificates are linked at the end of this page for download.
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