PASTORAL SUPERVISION
Remember who you are:
Supervision as a tool for spiritual growth.
Called to ministry
You could easily be overtaken by administrative tasks, event management and the nuts and bolts of heritage buildings.
Yet you feel called to pastoral ministry for more than that – to be a conduit for God’s love in the community, to be a midwife to people’s spiritual lives, to be a bridge builder.
Sometimes it feels like you are navigating a minefield. Dealing with the competing expectations of leadership and the unpredictable dynamics of parish life can be demanding.
Also, being a woman in ministry, you regularly surf the sexism built into our culture.
Not surprisingly, you often wonder how to keep the main thing, the main thing.
nervous about pastoral supervision
You don’t have enough time to do everything, and now they have added another expectation – mandatory professional supervision.
You have had pastoral supervision in the past, some good, some bad. Remembering your first supervisor, you valued the relationship highly. Moreover, you looked forward to the monthly conversation, feeling uplifted, seen, and deeply connected to your calling. More of that would be great.
However, your most recent professional supervisor was not successful. You felt like they controlled the conversation and the agenda so you stopped attending. This experience makes you hesitant to try again.
You want someone who will understand your language and who will not judge you or patronize you.
Speaking about your ongoing health issues is important to you and you need a safe place to explore how it affects your daily choices.
benefits of professional supervision
Arranging professional supervision is in the back of your mind, yet you have been drifting.
You need to take initiative to find a new supervisor. You already take so much initiative in your role that having to do so for yourself feels tiring.
However, you find the idea of a sounding board, who listens attentively, appealing. Also, you would appreciate someone who lets you think through your ideas without a vested interest or imposing their agenda.
A form of accountability in keeping yourself honest about your leadership style is desirable. As is the reminder to focuss attention on what is important.
You have read recently about the benefits of supervision, such as preventing burnout, increasing job satisfaction and improving parish well being.
You are aware of the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse and how seemingly competent clergy were acting out with children.
Although you are not involved in misbehaving, you have seen colleagues acting inappropriately in the past. Consequently, you wonder at times, is it a case of “There but by the grace of God go I?”
More importantly, you wonder whether supervision could be a tool for your own spiritual growth. You wonder, as your professional expression becomes more aligned with your true self, what part supervision could play in that process.
pastoral SUPERVISION IN MELBOURNE
My name is Elizabeth Delbridge.
As a pastoral supervisor, I accompany leaders in sourcing their spiritual depths to be fruitful for the long haul.
Clergy and chaplains initially sought me out due to their respect for my ministry. Now I am listed on the Register of Approved Supervisors for the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne. I am also registered with Korus Connect.
Based in Melbourne, I work with clergy and lay leaders challenged by the dynamics of ministry life. Additionally, I see people online.
I especially support leaders to identify the image/metaphor of ministry that shapes how they exercise their leadership. In turn, this enables them to make clearer choices about what is theirs to do.
what clients value
As someone who spent twenty years in parish ministry, I know firsthand the intricate web of relationships that leaders must navigate.
Building on my spiritual direction background, I bring a contemplative stance to professional supervision – a long, loving look at the real. Hence, I offer the invitation to deepen and explore what clients present in a reassuring way.
Particularly, people say that I am gifted in sitting with and sifting through what seems like such a lot to them. Hence, we make more coherent sense of it together, than they could discern by themselves.
Clients describe pastoral supervision sessions as fruitful and affirming. Specifically, supervision is seen as helpful in processing matters, thus creating a platform from which changes evolve.
Ministers report feeling reassured by having a predictable opportunity to debrief and go deeper into their practice due to the questions that I ask. They are uplifted by the regular spiritual and professional refocus.
Significantly, I am known for facilitating people in articulating their ministry purpose which enlivens and hones their daily work.
Frequency of Meeting
The industry standard in the helping professions is one hour of supervision for every 20 hours of counselling. Given that chaplains, lay ministers and clergy are offering pastoral conversation, at varying levels of complexity, it is tricky to make a direct comparison. However, in ministry all interactions are pastoral at some level so the potential for supervisory situations is extensive.
Check with your organisation about their expectation of professional supervision for you. For example, the minimum expectation for the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne is 6 sessions per year, often done bi-monthly. Personally, I think that is suitable for ministers working part time, but for those who are full time, consider every 4 weeks or 6 weeks.
Pricing for Pastoral Supervision
The fee for pastoral supervision is $175.00 for one hour, including preparation time, when Elizabeth reads and annotates the material that has been sent 24 hours before the session.
stop drifting & find support
If you are ready to stop drifting and find support dealing with the challenges of ministry, contact me for a FREE 20-minute conversation.
Let’s make a time to talk. Find out how professional supervision can make a difference to both your spiritual growth and ministry leadership.
If I am not a good fit for you, you will leave with greater clarity about what you are looking for in pastoral supervision.