Vincentive Supervision
What is Professional Supervision?
"Super" + "vision" provides you with an aerial view of things happening around you through a reflective process in a confidential and safe environment.
Everyone is asking: "Why supervision?"Let me share my experience:
I never wanted someone watching over my shoulder.After my first supervision session, I wish I had been supervised from the first day of my pastoral ministry.Contrary to my initial beliefs, supervision is not about scrutiny or fault-finding. It’s about having a trusted guide who checks in on me in a safe and confidential space. With a nonjudgmental attitude, my supervisor encouraged me to reflect on my ministry practices, helping me to improve and grow. They also provided a broader perspective on ministry issues, hence the terms ‘super’ and ‘vision' (helicopter view). This supportive approach to ministry has been a game-changer in my journey, helping me to improve and grow in ways I never thought possible.To me, supervision is a transformative experience. It reveals my blind spots, and it shows me different perspectives.Supervision is the art of getting better in ministry.
Professional/Pastoral Supervision focuses on the intersection of your personal, work and spiritual life.
Professional and Pastoral Supervision has become mandatory for all clergy serving at all levelsRoyal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Final Report. Religious institutions. Volume 16: Book 3. Attorney-General's Department, Commonwealth of Australia, 2017. (p356)Recommendation 16.45
Consistent with Child Safe Standard 5, each religious institution should ensure that all people in religious or pastoral ministry, including religious leaders, have professional supervision with a trained professional or pastoral supervisor who has a degree of independence from the institution within which the person is in ministry.
I have a mentor, why do I need pastoral supervision?
| Pastoral Supervision | Mentoring |
|---|---|
| Definition: Supervision allows the clergy to reflect on their work with a more experienced supervisor. | Mentoring is an intentional trust-based relationship in which a more experienced person equips and empowers a mentoree to grow across various personal and professional life areas including leadership. |
| Emphasis and focus of relationship: Supervision provides a safe, non-judgmental, and confidential environment for a practitioner to reflect critically on their work with his/her supervisor — who is usually independent of the organisational context. | Setting and moving toward clear, mutually agreed objectives that arise from the mentoree’s life, leadership and ministry. Empowering for leadership and personal growth toward maturity. |
| Duration: Medium to long-term, depending on the contract. | Medium to long-term. |
| Basis of relationship: The Royal Commission Report recommends the supervision of clergy. Supervision works better if the supervisor does not know the clergy. They both have to develop trust during the process. | The person of the mentor is important in the relationship. The mentor needs an understanding of ministry and leadership experience to be effective. Mentors often share honestly and reflectively from their own life and leadership experiences. |
| Personal & professional knowledge: The supervisors work better with knowledge of the clergy leadership environment and the indicators of effectiveness. | Knowing and being committed to the whole person of the mentoree and their life and ministry. Knowing the approach and resources that may assist them in personal and leadership formation. |
| Resources used: Various models are used in reflection on the ministerial works of the clergy, and their relationship with the congregations is often used. Various creative tools or arts are often used in facilitating the process. | A wide variety of diagnostic, personal and professional development and growth resources are usually gathered and shared by the mentor. |
| Metaphors: Discipleship. | Master — Apprentice, Older — Younger. |
| Key ideas: Systemic, oversight, reflective process. | Empowerment, resourcing, training, equipping, using objectives, leadership, ministry, whole of life, supporting, growth. |
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"I want to try supervision..."The first session is free.Vincent speaks fluent Cantonese and English (and a bit of Mandarin).Vincent uses Zoom and/or face-to-face meetings.Contact me:
0414 243 864
[email protected]
(Please send a text/email first.)