Formation Pathway Competencies
Discerning God’s Leading
Leading Change in Ministry
Mission of God in Scripture
Sustainable Preaching: Seminar, Workshop, Conversation
Discipleship 1: What is Discipleship?
Uniting Church Studies Part One
Uniting Church Studies Part Two
Mission Planning
Discipleship 2: Going and Sharing
Competencies & Courses by Formation Pathway
Leadership formation within the Uniting Church includes developing and/or demonstrating a set of “competencies” that the Church holds are necessary to perform a given leadership role. Each leadership role has its own set of required competencies, although there is overlap between them.
When you embark on a leadership formation pathway with CML, we lead you through a process in which you acquire the competencies required for the leadership role you are pursuing. Each course or structured experience in a formation pathway is designed to develop these competencies.
Below are the specific competencies the Uniting Church requires for each leadership role, including the course or courses we use to develop that competency.
- PD1
opportunity to engage in biblical and/or theological study (a minimum of two semester subjects);
Courses: UCA Studies 1–5, New Testament 1, Discerning God’s Leading - PD2
opportunity to engage in particular areas of study or ministry and mission, such as ministry with young people, Church Planting, Eldership, Emerging Church etc (a minimum of two elective areas through course work, workshops or similar, each equivalent to 40 –50)
Course: Ministry Formation Experience - PD3
ministry experience, together with appropriate reflection, in a local context. It is desirable that this experience be in areas of ministry beyond the participant’s experience to date;
Course: Ministry Formation Experience - PD4
ministry experience through exposure to a broad range of ministries (this is an alternative option);
Course: Ministry Formation Experience - PD5
awareness of the church’s polity, and its policy on ministry ethics, including prevention of sexual misconduct.
Course: Code of Ethics Foundations
- IN1
opportunity to engage in biblical and/or theological study (a minimum of two semester subjects);
Courses: a. UCA Studies 1–5
b. New Testament 1
c. Discerning God’s Leading - IN2
opportunity to engage in particular areas of study or ministry and mission, such as ministry with young people, Church Planting, Eldership, Emerging Church etc (a minimum of two elective areas through course work, workshops or similar, each equivalent to 40 –50)
Course: Ministry Formation Experience - IN3
ministry experience, together with appropriate reflection, in a local context. It is desirable that this experience be in areas of ministry beyond the participant’s experience to date;
Course: Ministry Formation Experience - IN4
ministry experience through exposure to a broad range of ministries (this is an alternative option);
Course: Ministry Formation Experience - IN5
awareness of the church’s polity, and its policy on ministry ethics, including prevention of sexual misconduct.
Course: Code of Ethics Foundations - IN6
Awareness of the multi-cultural nature of the UCA (and general society), and of the UCA’s commitment to the Aboriginal peoples of Australia
Course: Walking on Country
Core Formation
- LP1
preparing material for worship appropriate to local contexts
Course: Worship Planning Leading - LP2
facilitating shared planning of worship services
Course: Worship Planning Leading - LP3
setting up and utilising worship spaces
Course Worship Planning Leading - LP4
speaking and leading in worship settings
Worship Planning Leading - LP5
undertaking exegesis of biblical texts
Courses: OT & NT Interpretation - LP6
developing sermons appropriate to local contexts
Preaching - LP7
presenting sermons appropriate to local contexts
Course: Preaching - LP8
ability to articulate a biblical and theological basis for Christian worship
Course: Theology of Worship - LP9
ability to explain the shape and elements of Christian worship
Theology of Worship - LP10
ability to undertake evaluation and act on feedback
Course: Seminar: Growing as a Leader - LP11
ability to articulate the scope and implications of the “Code of Ethics and Ministry Practice for Lay Preachers
Course: Code of Ethics and Ministry Practice for Lay Preachers
Core Formation
Uniting Church Studies 1 & 2 (Basis of Union, History, Councils)
Uniting Church Studies 3 & 4 (Scripture, Theology, Service, Councils, History)
Old Testament Introduction
New Testament Introduction
The Mission of God in Scripture
Discipleship 1: “Make Disciples” Identity & Practice
Discerning God’s Leading (Recommended, not required)
The Healthy Church 1: Core Principles & Practices
Safeguarding the Church
Worship Planning & Leading
Sacramental Practices (Recommended, not required)
Preaching 1
Teaching & Leading Groups
Applied Formation
Walking on Country
Biblical Interpretation: OT
Biblical Interpretation: NT
Theology of Worship (Recommended, not required)
Mission of God through the Church (prerequisite: Mission of God in Scripture)
Discipleship 2: “Going”—Connecting & Sharing (prerequisite: Discipleship 1)
Healthy Sustainable Ministry
Preaching 2 (prerequisite: Preaching 1)
Story Telling in Preaching & Teaching (Recommended, not required)
Integrative Formation
Discipleship 3: “Teaching” — Growing a culture of discipleship (prerequisite: Discipleship 1 , 2)
Preaching Seminar: Various Topics
Mission Planning
Christian Leadership
Core Formation
Uniting Church Studies 1 & 2 (Basis of Union, History, Councils)
Uniting Church Studies 3 & 4 (Scripture, Theology, Service, Councils, History)
Walking on Country
Old Testament Introduction
New Testament Introduction
The Mission of God in Scripture
Discipleship 1: “Make Disciples” Identity & Practice
Discerning God’s Leading (Recommended, not required)
The Healthy Church 1: Core Principles & Practices
Safeguarding the Church
Worship Planning & Leading
Sacramental Practices
Preaching 1
Teaching & Leading Groups (Recommended, not required)
Church Planting: Core Elements
Applied Formation
Biblical Interpretation: OT
Biblical Interpretation: NT
Theology of Worship
Mission of God through the Church (prerequisite: Mission of God in Scripture)
Discipleship 2: “Going”—Connecting & Sharing (prerequisite: Discipleship 1)
Healthy Sustainable Ministry
Preaching 2 (Prerequisite: Preaching 1)
Church Planting: Coaching
Church Planting: Missional Leadership (prerequisite: Church Planting: Core Elements)
Integrative Formation
Discipleship 3: “Teaching” — Growing a culture of discipleship (prerequisite: Discipleship 1 , 2)
Christian Leadership (Recommended, not required)
Church Planting: Design & Activation (prerequisites: Church Planting: Core Elements)
Church Planting Network
Core Formation
The Healthy Church 1: Core Principles & Practices
Safeguarding the Church
Applied Formation
Healthy Sustainable Ministry
Ministry Companioning
Ministry Formation Coaching
Ministry Agent Retreat
Integrative Formation
Healthy Church 2: Building for Flourishing (prerequisite: Healthy Church 1)
Preaching Seminar: Various Topics
Mission Planning
Core Formation
Discipleship 1: “Make Disciples”—Identity & Practice
Discerning God’s Leading
The Healthy Church 1: Core Principles & Practices
Safeguarding the Church
Teaching & Leading Groups
Applied Formation
The Mission of God through the Church (Missio Dei / Great Commission / Discipleship, etc.)
Discipleship 2: “Going”—Connecting & Sharing (prerequisite: Discipleship 1)
Healthy Sustainable Ministry
Story Telling in Preaching & Teaching
Integrative Formation
Discipleship 3: “Teaching” — Growing a culture of discipleship (prerequisite: Discipleship 1)
Preaching Seminar: Various Topics
Mission Planning
Christian Leadership
Pastoral Leadership (mentoring & spirutual direction)
Integrative Learning
Preaching Seminar: Various Topics
Christian Leadership
Coaching/Mentoring
Senior Leader Retreat
Senior Leader Coaching
Courses by Subject
The following section lists CML courses by subject area. If you are a person who is seeking to deepen their knowledge and relationship with God, rather than a particular leadership role at the moment, then these tables provide you with simpler access to courses that may benefit you.
CML makes all of its open courses available to everyone, whether they are on a leadership formation path or not. Note that CML courses are designed for three stages of learning competencies (Core, Applied, Integrative). A course designed for level 3, Integrative learning assumes that a person has accomplished the learning in the previous two stages and is meaningfully ready for that level 3 course.
For those who are not following a leadership pathway, and primarily aim to gain deeper knowledge, etc., then there are a number of instances where a level 3 course can be taken without having already demonstrated competencies in the previous two levels. However, those pursuing a leadership formation pathway are best served when taking courses in their intended progression.
Uniting Church Studies 1:
Core Formation
Old Testament Introduction
New Testament Introduction
The Mission of God in Scripture
Discipleship 1: “Make Disciples”—Identity & Practice
Applied Formation
Biblical Interpretation: OT
Biblical Interpretation: NT
Theology of Worship
The Mission of God Through the Church
Discipleship 2: “Going”—Connecting and Sharing
Integrative Learning
Discipleship 3: “Teaching” — Growing a culture of discipleship
Biblical Exegesis for Preaching & Teaching
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