To Congregation Council and Pastor The Parish Ministry Associate Program develops the ministry of the laity. Local congregations raise up PMA students from their midst in order that the PMA might serve in that congregation or another congregation, institution, or agency as leader. Your endorsement of this individual implies that you are invested in his/her education and formation, and that you will help the individual discover his/her ministry among you. The individual is applying to enroll in the Parish Ministry Associate Discovery Process. The PMA Discovery phase provides an opportunity for the individual to explore ministry as a Parish Ministry Associate. During this period, s/he will complete at least three core courses, attend the annual PMA Convocations, explore various forms of ministry in cooperation with his/her mentor, and converse with the mentor as part of the discernment process. Click here for Word version. |
Part 1 ...... (to be completed by Pastor)
| Applicant's Name ____________________________________________________ |
| Address ____________________________________ |
| City____________________________ State_________________ Zip __________ |
| Date Received into Your Congregation ____________________________________ |
| Means of Receipt (i.e., baptism, transfer, etc.) ______________________________ |
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| Please attach a separate sheet to convey information that you wish to share for the application review. |
| Pastor's Recommendation | ||
| I recommend the applicant for acceptance into the PMA Discovery Phase in accordance with the standards established by the ELCA and the Central States Synod. | ___Yes | ___No |
| I recognize the requirement that the individual be mentored by me or another rostered leader. My intent is that the mentoring will be by: | ___Me | ___Another rostered leader |
| Name of other rostered leader who will mentor ________________________________ | ||
| Position of other rostered leader ___________________________________________ | ||
| Pastor's Signature ______________________________________________________ | Date ______ | |
Congregation Name ______________________________________________________ |
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| Congregation Street Address _______________________________________________ | ||
| Congregation City, State, Zip _______________________________________________ | ||
| Congregation Telephone ______________________ | ||
Part 2: (to be completed by Congregational Council Officer) |
The congregational council at the meeting held on _______________ acted to recommend the applicant in accordance with the standards established by the ELCA and the Central States Synod. ___ Yes ____ No |
| Name of candidate ________________________________________________ |
| President or Designee Signature _____________________________________ |
| Title __________________________________ Date _________________ |
| Telephone Number ______________________________________ |
Part 3: (to be Completed by Congregational Council Officer) |
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A person in the PMA Discovery Phase commits considerable time and effort to training / education as well as service. There are expenses for this training / education. It is suggested that the Congregation commit its support to the individual in accordance with its gifts and resources. This congregation commits to the following support for the individual during the PMA Discovery Phase: |
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| ____ | $ ________ for each course completed for PMA credit (the costs include tuition which is usually about $150 plus books and materials). At least 3 core courses will be completed furing the Discovery Phase. |
| ____ | $ ________ for costs of attending the required annual PMA Convocation. (The costs usually total about $80 for registration plus transportation.) |
| ____ | For other costs associated with training / education as a PMA. (These may include costs for conferences / workshops and for other books / materials) Our commitment for support is listed below: |
| List the $ support (or limits on support) by category: | |
| President or Designee Signature ________________________________________________________ | |
| Title _________________________ Date ________________________ | |