Artifact Description
The Formational Goals Paper is written by every student as part of BIBM 602 Orientation. Students complete this assignment in their first semester within the GST as a means of fostering clarity and intentionality around their program: one’s strengths, the ways one hopes to grow through their studies, one’s short and long-term goals, and the professional expectations for the roles and communities one hopes to serve. Because of its purpose, the Formational Goals Paper is a required artifact for a student’s Junior Review.
1. Artifact Rationale
As you begin your degree program, it will be helpful to take time to reflect on your goals. Why are you here? What do you hope to accomplish? What are you anxious about? What sorts of skills and practices to you hope to gain in order to pursue the type of work you believe God is calling you to do? How do you hope to be different when you complete your program? Being clear and intentional about these matters will help you, both here at the beginning and throughout your program.
2. Artifact Tasks
To complete the Formational Goals Paper, students should write an 800-1200 word (12 point font, double-spaced, Times New Roman) paper that addresses the following aspects:
- Define your long-range and short-range goals. Even though you may not be certain about some of your goals, you need at least a tentative goal to guide some decisions you need to make. Based on your best understanding at this point, describe your short-range and long-range goals in ministry.
- Most ministry positions have minimal standards. Some of the qualifications are academic; others reflect a person’s personality, giftedness, experience, and maturity. You need to learn the minimal requirements for your desired short-range and long-range goals. You can learn what they are by contacting ministries that employ persons in those roles. Describe the normal requirements and qualifications for entry into the ministry positions you have designated in your short-range and long-range goals.
- Think about the various strengths and areas for growth that you are brining with you to your program. There are undoubtedly things at which you excel, natural abilities and talents, that will be a resource for you in ministry. Similarly, you also undoubtedly possess places of needed growth and anxiety as you consider the demands of ministry and this program. Spend some time describing these things. What strengths do you bring to the ministry? Were any areas of concern? Identify an area in which you would like to grow in the coming year. How do you plan to work on this? What resources are available to support you in this endeavor?
Students should upload the completed paper to their e-portfolio for Junior Review.