Both of my long-time readers will know that, for quite some time, I've been working on a book that summarizes my research, my personal experiences, and other information about pastoral transition, particularly on the niche subject of transitioning from seminary into pastoral ministry.That book, now seven years in the making, is finally out! From M.Div. to Rev.: making an effective transition from seminary

Stuart Briscoe captures an idea that I tried to get to a while back-- how my research and writing has focused primarily on mechanics and not essentially on dynamics (I didn't use those terms then). By and large, I have assumed the dynamics at work-- and that candidates are attending to that aspect, as well. I think now that this might be an presumption that there isn't always grounds to make, but for

In my research on the placement process, networking quickly emerged as a significant factor-- indeed, that was the initial reason for including it in my "five factors for effective placement."Here are some quick stats and results from my research:67% of my survey respondents made initial contact with the ministry they eventually accepted a call from through networking.81% of the respondents said they

Tonight I'll present the findings of my survey instrument to the Candidating and Transition into Ministry class at Covenant Seminary.To those who have come to visit the Placement Reflections blog for the first time, you may be interested in viewing the survey instrument I developed for my initial research. (Incidentally, an updated and expanded version of that instrument will be used if I get the grant

The New York Times recently posted an article called, "How Much Should You Get Paid?" It's a good article, with helpful advice about negotiating (and re-negotiating) salaries.While the article is geared toward businesses and the secular workforce (naturally), it did point to a few interesting resources:Salary.com posts the results of its own salary surveys.PayScale.com goes a different route, actually

Long-time readers will know that I have been researching pastoral transition for several years.  Specifically, I've been studying "effective" placement from seminary, and to that end I have already conducted an extensive survey with graduates from Covenant Seminary.Today I spoke with the Louisville Institute, who is offering a number of small research grants funded by a much larger grant from the

I've mentioned before that my research shows how an early start, combined with diligent work, is crucial to an effective placement.  These combine for what I like to call a "placement work ethic."Looking at the research a bit more deeply, this effect is surprisingly stark.  Here are some statistics:11% of my survey's respondents did not begin their candidacy until AFTER graduation!9% began their

So, nearly a month ago I said, "I'm reminded about how much I care about this topic..." and "expect to see more posts!"What's up, Eubanks? Where are the posts?First, let me say that I have been working through several ideas, and have about five posts half-finished. I'm committed to finishing at least one of these in the coming week and posting it here.Also, I've been a little pre-occupied with some

Focusing on this lecture yesterday morning, and reviewing the research I've done to prepare for it, has rejuvenated my interest in this topic.(You can probably tell this, since I've posted five times in two days, as compared to once in 34 days prior to that!)It's certainly no news that my blogging has slowed down since last summer. While there are a number of things that have contributed to this (other

Anyone who is interested in viewing the survey instrument I used in my Covenant Seminary Alumni Survey in 2004 (or downloading it, if you so desire):You can find it online at this link.Technorati Tags: Covenant Seminary, Placement, Survey

This morning (in just a little while, actually) I'm presenting my ideas in at Covenant Seminary class called "Candidacy & Transition into Ministry". I'll present it again in another section of the same class on Monday evening.My part is called "The Importance of Advance Preparation" and I'm glad that I get to open up the survey, and other research, that I've conducted to help other students understand

What is effective placement? I have been asking this question for almost two years now. It has led me to conduct a survey, administer interviews, and read books. It has called me to be introspective about my own experiences, and to investigate corroborative aspects of others' experiences. It has motivated me to brainstorm, to write, and to give lectures and seminars. It is one of the main reasons

I recently heard an interview with business leadership maven Stephen Covey, whose mega-seller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has changed the way many think about leadership and productivity. While there is much about the book that I would recommend, an aspect of the interview that is not directly addressed in the book caught my attention.Covey was asked why he chose the word “effective”

As I continue to think through the idea of successful placement-- and consider what factors lead to it-- then I must address a question I've been asked several times: what about prayer?This seems like a no-brainer. And the last thing I want to do through my research (or the things I write about my research) is suggest that the spiritual dimension is not a factor. The Holy Spirit is an incredibly

I haven't posted for a while, mainly because I spent a large part of my spring break working on a website for Douglass & Associates consulting. Dr. Douglass, who I mentioned before, is using the research and writing for his new book as a catalyst for advancing his consultation services to churches, and part of my work with him has been to develop an internet “face” for this consultation

I give my presentation on “the importance of advance preparation” at Covenant Seminary tomorrow (and again on Monday night). I've worked out five key factors (based on the results of my survey) that contribute to successful placement. Here they are:A healthy placement “work-ethic”A well-utilized placement networkA strong sense of callingA willingness to follow GodHumility

Another big piece of the puzzle is what I call the “placement work ethic.” In a way, what I've found about this is surprising: many seminarians (and many pastors) are shockingly lazy when it comes to their ministry placement. Most seminary students that I know are hard-working guys, so I am sometimes stumped when I find that they are taking their placement very lightly.I inevitably encounter

As I get ready to teach my brief part of the class at the seminary this weekend, a big issue that will be prominent in my presentation is networking.Networking sometimes is on the receiving end of fairly harsh criticism in the Church. Okay, some business execs take it way too far, and they only network for personal gain. Yes, some people are manipulative with their relationships. No, we can't expect

Yesterday, I preached at the church that five different people mentioned to me (I blogged about that situation here). They were a great group of people, very warm and appreciative of my coming, especially since we had to drive through Saturday night's snow to get there.They have a search committee organized to find a Pastor, but they have been advised by the Shepherding Committee of their Presbytery

I posted a while back that, based on some research I had done/was doing/am doing, I suspected that nothing significant would happen with our search until closer to graduation. Marcie and I have been expecting things to begin to pick up after January 1st. The basic reasoning is that, since churches looking for solo pastors can't afford to wait around for 5 or 6 months while I finish a degree, most

I've been considering the idea of "successful" placement for some time. How do you define it? Would you know it if you saw it? Perhaps part of the difficulty in finding successful placement is that you may not recognize it if you saw it. I think I've arrived at a fair definition, at least on a theoretical level: there are three marks of successful placement-- a good "fit" (that is, utilization

A survey I conducted over the summer indicates that no respondent who sought a solo-pastor position found placement more than three months out from graduation. This means that, since I still have seven months left until I (hopefully) graduate, I shouldn't be disappointed that I haven't heard from any churches who are genuinely interested in interviewing me. But I am disappointed, a little.