MDR is an essential part of Common Tenure.
Aimed at helping ordained ministers to reflect on and grow in their role, the MDR process provides confidential feedback from those who experience their ministry first-hand, and seeks to encourage and develop them in ministry.
The MDR is a development tool designed to provide ordained ministers with a broad view of how their ministry is experienced and to clarify what they should be concentrating on. God has given us gifts for ministry MDR is intended to stir them up and release them.
The MDR process is a two-year cycle. The first year (Year 1) consists of a Review meeting. The Review Meeting uses information provided by the ministers and six people nominated by them. Working with a trained Facilitator the Review meeting helps ministers to identify areas which would benefit from development and to clarify the aims and actions to be taken.
Ministers take these forward to work upon and are provided with support from the Adviser for Ministerial Support and his team. In the second year (Year 2) Ministers meet with a Bishop, Archdeacon or the Dean to reflect on their development.
MDR is administrated by the Ministry Development Team.
Contact on 0117 906 0100, or by email: mdr@bristoldiocese.org
To be an ordained minister is both a wonderful privilege and a great responsibility. At ordination we are reminded that the treasure entrusted to our care is Christ’s flock, bought by the shedding of his blood. We are also made aware that we cannot bear the weight of such a calling in our own strength but only through the grace and power of God.
Ordained ministry is about ‘being’ and ‘doing’. Our character and attitudes, words and actions are to be shaped and sustained through prayer, the Scriptures, fellowship and worship, and our service in God’s mission is to reflect Christ and the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We are to use the gifts we have been given, developing them in ourselves and others, to better serve the purposes of God in the office and role we have been given. At ordination we commit ourselves to continually stir up the gift that is in us and to be faithful stewards, ready to give account to God.
The Process
The Ministry Development Review process is a two year cycle designed to help us grow and flourish in ministry and help us bear its weight. One of the greatest sources of stress in the workplace is caused by not knowing what is expected. This Review process will help ordained ministers to identify key expectations of their role and provide confidential feedback from those who experience their ministry first-hand.
Research has also shown that those who are most effective and most content in their roles are people who know their strengths and play to them. The Review will help determine areas for development, with a primary focus on how strengths can be developed and used to assist other needs.
There are two parts to the first year of the process. The first part is the Review itself which uses statements in a questionnaire style format to provide the initial information on areas which would benefit from development. The second part involves working with a facilitator to clarify actions to be taken. In the second year of the process there is a meeting with a Bishop, Archdeacon or the Dean to discuss progress.
Preparation
We very much regard this as part of a spiritual exercise and discipline and hope that you will too. We have prepared two prayers, one for ministers and another for nominees, to assist you and invite you to seek God’s grace and wisdom before you complete the Review questionnaire.
Prayer for Ministers:
Holy and Gracious God, help me to be truthful, self-aware and vulnerable in this reflection on my ministry and practice. Please inspire this Review process that it might be an opportunity for my growth and development as an ordained minister in your Church. May the insights of others enrich and enliven my every endeavour for the gospel and increase my confidence in your calling. In your grace grant me a greater sense of your power and presence in my ministry, for the glory of Jesus Christ and the salvation of your world. Amen
Prayer for Nominees:
Holy and Gracious God, thank you for the life and ministry of (name). Thank you for the trust s/he has placed in me by inviting me to reflect on her/his ministry. Help me to do this honestly, with integrity and insight. Please bless and strengthen (name) through this process that s/he may grow and develop in the ministry to which s/he has been called by you, and be a greater blessing to those whom s/he serves.
To the glory of your Name. Amen
Purpose
The purpose of the questionnaire is to provide specific information about an ordained person’s ministry through a 360 degree review. Responses to the statements in the questionnaire will help you to answer two important questions:
What are my strengths?
What are my development needs?
Feedback from others on your ministry
You will be asked to nominate six people to provide feedback on your ministry by completing a similar questionnaire. Combined with your self-assessment, the feedback gained from these people will enable you to compare how you see yourself with how others see you.
Notes on Completion
The questionnaire asks you to address your current performance relating to the behaviour or action described in a statement. The rating ‘0’ represents the bottom end of the scale, with ‘5’ representing the top end of the scale.
There are 7 statements to be rated in respect of ‘Performance’ under 8 Headings in the Questionnaire. Each heading relates to an area of ministry and is referenced by a quotation from the Ordinal. Questionnaires for nominees are the same apart from the fact that ‘my’ and ‘myself’ are replaced by ‘him/her’ and ‘himself/herself’.
The questionnaire asks you to address your current performance relating to the behaviour or action described in a statement. The rating ‘0’ represents the bottom end of the scale, with ‘5’ representing the top end of the scale.
There are 7 statements to be rated in respect of ‘Performance’ under 8 Headings in the Questionnaire. Each heading relates to an area of ministry and is referenced by a quotation from the Ordinal. Questionnaires for nominees are the same apart from the fact that ‘my’ and ‘myself’ are replaced by ‘him/her’ and ‘himself/herself’.
A Confidential Feedback Report is produced from the analysis of data from the minister’s questionnaire and those completed by his/her nominees. The Report is received by ministers and the facilitators for their Review Meetings in advance of the meeting taking place. Discussion at the Review Meeting will be centred on this report.
The comments of the minister and those of the nominees are also included in the report along with the Discussion Points and Bar Charts that help compare the view of a minister and the nominees, and any variance.
A Development Plan needs to be completed, with the assistance of the facilitator, during the Review Meeting. The minister will summarise the feedback received from the nominees, including that offered by the facilitator, along with his/her own response. The minister will also have identified 3 Areas of Development, at least one of which will be a gifting or recognised strength, to take forward to work on.
The Development Plan produced by the minister will have identified specific aims to be pursued, the actions that will be taken, the timescale for completion and the training that might be needed. The only documentation that will be kept on file will be the MDR Development Plan. A copy will be sent to the Continuing Professional Development Officer (CPD) and the Adviser for Ministerial Support for the Diocese so that support and advice can be provided. That concludes Year One of the MDR process.
In Year Two the minister will meet with a Bishop, Archdeacon or the Dean to discuss progress.