Portfolio Reflections
It's been exhilarating and exasperating, testing, humbling and thought provoking; it has been a ‘significant piece of work’, probably the most significant piece of intentional work I have ever produced, but I think it accurately represents me.
The deadline is the 20th November and I’m writing this several days prior to that. My Portfolio, (with an intentional capital P), is done. It’s in.
I remember writing way back before the DOV 1 Advisory Panel that the Methodist Church’s approach was genius.
Matt
I was referring to the specific step of the Advisory Panel conversation, but upon reflection, the whole process of candidating, and I recognise that this version of the process is relatively new, is genius.
I’ve come to like ‘connecting threads’; hymns to prayers, Old Testament to New Testament, The Gospels leading to a reflection or a sermon to music to application to message, etc. I think connecting threads enables ‘the weaver’ to weave a beautiful tapestry full of imagery and stories and sound and narrative to get across whatever message is intended to a whole range of recipients. That’s what, I think, the portfolio is aiming to do.
And when you layer that with the applications, references, interviews, panels, reports, letters and feedback the DOV 2 members will certainly have a tapestry. Whether it’s beautiful or not will certainly be up for discussion.
In anticipation of that discussion, I’m now beginning to revisit (for the umpteenth time), in some detail, G.6:
Now the portfolio is in, these connecting threads I think should point (do threads point?), towards the capacity, potential or ability as described in the criteria and I expect will be the directing document for those who now undertake the discernement on behalf of The Methodist Church.
The portfolio itself, as I have described previously, is split into six distinct (but connected) sections. The portfolio workshop, and the resources that came out of that have been invaluable.
Matt
For instance, the importance that in any of the writing sections I should be intentional in my reflection. Kolb’s theory of experiential learning is one of the suggested models, and useful to avoid reflection turning into pure story telling…or a blog article!
Saul McLeod, PhD
So too were the several rounds of looking at C.7 with fresh eyes; alone, with others, tearing up scribbled notes and annotations and starting again, extensive pondering, reflecting, praying, drafting, note taking, observation, ‘ooo’ moments, and more.
It’s been interesting being so firmly set on what I have considered must feature in the portfolio and then because of some event or response to prayer what actually has featured.
I had planned for a while for the two-week October half term to be set-aside; week one, Margie was at work and L was still at School. Week 2, L and I were at home and Margie was in Spain with Barbara, but still there would be significant blocks of time, without work-work, to be able to dedicate to the portfolio.
I’m so pleased that time was used as it was, because it took significantly longer to pull everything together than I had anticipated. But what a journey. The Portfolio (back to big P) forces you to be selective but comprehensive, to avoid repetition, but to ‘tell your story’ so it can be understood, to be vulnerable and yet demonstrate resilience, to reflect deeply on oneself but to consider our outward-facing public ministry…and that mini statement doesn’t even to begin to describe what the finished outcome might be.
I wholeheartedly subscribe to the notion that people find it more natural to present ideas and reflections in different ways. The flexibility offered to present some of the material using ‘any creative method’ in the portfolio is in the same breath enabling and daunting.
Matt
It’s like being presented with a restaurant menu that runs to 200 items. That said, I have enjoyed thinking out of the box, being ‘creative’, and may have bent the section briefs in a few places as a result.
It's been exhilarating and exasperating, testing, humbling and thought provoking; it has been a ‘significant piece of work’, probably the most significant piece of intentional work I have ever produced, but I think it accurately represents me.
Soon after submission, I had my 2-hour resilience assessment. A good time to see whether twenty years in an organisation that is driven by the values of humility, ambition, resilience and kindness has rubbed off on me. It was a conversation hallmarked by a safe environment of openness and transparency and another opportunity for me to be me, whilst also avoiding, mostly, the most recent academic discussions on the connotations of the word ‘resilience’. The report that has come back features some very encouraging recommendations on what ‘the candidate should commence’ and I read that as ‘do now’.
I’m looking forward to a small window of pause, I note however that we have also been provided with our presentation topic for the DOV 2 Connexional Committee, this will need some very careful thought.
The Portfolio Readers and members of the various committees and groups will soon be looking over all the material they’ve received from all the candidates, what a task! I’ll be praying for them as they try to connect all these threads as part of this tapestry of discernment.
I finally reflect upon the incredible investment of service, time, energy, effort (and money!), that The Methodist Church has already made in this process and it takes my breath away, so can say no more.
The next steps are very clear:
