Ministry Formation Committee
Ministry Formation Committee support and supervise people as they discern and or complete their preparation for ministry within the church. This includes people doing a POD – period of discernment, Candidates; people who are studying to become a Minister of the Word or Minister of Deacon and people preparing to be a Lay Preacher or for a Pastor position.
Members of MFC attend formation panels for candidates, review and advise PoD’s with their timelines and learning contracts, arrange mentors for individuals and support these people as they answer God’s call.
Candidates
A candidate is a person who has completed a period of discernment, and who is studying to become an ordained minister within the UCA. There is more information on the VicTas Synod Website. https://victas.uca.org.au/ministry-mission/seeking-ordination/
Period of Discernment (PoD)
The Uniting Church’s Period of Discernment (PoD) is about exploring the various ministries of the Uniting Church, articulating your own growing sense of call or vocation, and providing some further steps towards discernment by you and the councils of the Church.
Discernment is the intentional practice by which a community or an individual seeks, recognises, and sets out to take part in the activity of God in a real-world situation.
In the Uniting Church discernment of gifts for ministry is both individual and communal, and uses the Period of Discernment to explore the shape of personal vocation and its expression in the world and the Church.
To apply to do a PoD – talk to your minister and contact the secretary of Presbytery. All the forms can be found on here: https://victas.uca.org.au/period-of-discernment-pod