Spring 2011 Character Formation – Learning Contract Template
TM 501, 601, 611
Student Name:___________________________ T/M Course # _______________
Mentoring Director: _______________________ Semester/Year ________________
Mentor Information:
Formation Group Mentor:_____________________________________________
External Mentor #1________________________________Email _____________________
New mentor? Yes___ No___
External Mentor #2 (if applicable)___________________Email_______________________
New mentor? Yes___ No___
An Introduction to Learning Contracts
God desires for each student at Denver Seminary to experience continuous transformation into the image of Christ over
the course of their studies. This “Christlikeness” involves comprehensive and ongoing maturation in every area of
one’s life, not merely those that are conventionally labeled “spiritual”. A learning contract at Denver Seminary is a
process that encourages personal and communal reflection and growth. A learning contract, in and of itself, does not
change us. None of us are genuinely transformed by our own efforts alone. We are called to diligent effort in response
to God’s prior work on our behalf and in faithful response to God’s promises (see Rom. 12:1:2; Phil. 2:12-13, and 2
Peter 1:3-11).
A learning contract calls for you to faithfully place your trust in the triune God who desires to do His work of ongoing
transformation in your life. The contract involves discernment as you identify and describe a particular concern that
you wish to address or a hunger that you wish to pursue, identify a clear and realistic growth goal in that area, then
name strategies through which you will practice new ways of being in relation to your goal. The contract also involves
reflection, through which you will process what you discover along the way. It is important to remember that
disciplines or practices themselves are NOT the primary focus of the contract. The focus of the contract is who and
what you desire to become in response to God’s initiative and empowered by His grace.
The theme, goal, and strategies of learning contracts must be approved by your mentoring director based on the
following criteria:
1) Feasibility within the scope of what a learning contract is designed to address
2) Relevance to your formation for ministry
3) Clarity and assessibility of the growth need
4) A well balanced, substantive and feasible set of strategies
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Section One – Assessment of Your Need and Goal
A. After prayerful reflection on your life (e.g. strengths and weaknesses, challenges
related to ministry context or role) describe a key area of character that you need to
address. (write 1-2 paragraphs).
B. Identify a few specific manifestations, symptoms or indicators of this concern. What
relationships and experiences have helped you recognize this as an area worth
pursuing (write 1-2 paragraphs)?
C. Explain the relevance of this area of character to your formation for ministry. For
example, how does this area of character affect your witness, leadership, sustainability,
or other vital ministry functions? (write 1-2 paragraphs).
D. Goal Statement: summarize the growth you want God to bring about in this area of your
character during this semester by creating a goal statement that is specific, clear, and
manageable. This statement should be no more than one brief sentence.
Identify your goal by completing the following statement: This semester my goal in the area
of character formation is to become, by God’s grace, the kind of person who ____________.
E. How will you recognize God’s work in your life in this area? Describe some specific
growth markers that you will look for this semester as indicators that God is indeed
changing you in this area, both internally and externally. (write 1-2 paragraphs)?
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Section Two – Learning Strategies
How will you pursue your goal? In the left column, name the intentional steps you will take. These
must clearly relate to your goal statement. In the middle column, state how you will process or
reflect on each strategy. These means of documentation or reflection need not be submitted to your
Mentoring Director.
In the right hand column, identify a target date for the completion of each strategy. If a strategy is
to be ongoing throughout the semester, list “ongoing” and state the frequency with which you plan
to engage that strategy. In general, you should seek to complete your “knowledge” strategies early
in the semester so that those resources can inform your other strategies.
STRATEGIES
“Head” (Knowledge) Strategies – What resources do you plan to
consult to inform your understanding of this area and/or your approach to it?
Examples: a book, chapter, article, seminar, video series, workshop, one-time
interview, etc. These may not be reading assignments already required for
other courses you are taking this semester. One of the two strategies in this
section must involve Scripture reflection of some sort, related to the theme
and goal of the contract.
Resource #1:
Resource #2: [Scripture reflection related to your goal]
How Will You
Document or
Process This
Intentional
Work?
DUE DATE
or
FREQUENCY
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STRATEGIES
How Will You
Document or Process
This Intentional
Work?
“Hand” (Practice) Strategies – Name at least two
observable activities. Think in terms of disciplines that you
can engage in order to forge new patterns of response to
God and/or others in the area you described. You may also
describe where you are going to place yourself in order to
practice the character quality you have named.
Practice #1:
Practice #2:
Practice #3
Relationships: Other than your external mentor(s) and
spiritual formation group members, with whom will you
process your journey? These could be friends, family, or
pastors (perhaps in other locations). Contact may be
occasional but must be more than once.
Name:
[Means of Contact or
Communication]
Name:
[Means of Contact or
Communication]
Formation Group (611 Students Only): Describe the
formation group you will commit to this semester.
Group Description:
How you expect this group to facilitate progress toward
your leaning goal:
[Day and Time of
meetings]
DUE DATE
or
FREQUENCY
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Section III – Theological Reflection/Integration Exercise
Please note: If you have also written a character contract this semester, you only need to keep one
theological reflection/integration journal, but describe how your growth process integrates with the
improvement of this skill area. This is not a personal diary but a journal specifically for you to
reflect on the relationship between your understanding of Scripture/theology and your experiences
of ministry.
What is theological reflection? Theological reflection/integration is a two-way process in which
we reflect on our lives, experiences, and decisions through the lens of Scripture or a particular
doctrine (though this is not simply citing Scripture). Also, we allow our experiences to challenge or
sharpen what we know about God and His ways. For example, theological reflection could focus
on suffering, forgiveness, prejudice or grace. It can also focus on as aspect of God’s character and
how we understand or experience God.
One practical way of engaging theological reflection for this journal is to record questions or
challenges that arise for you in ministry. These need not be traumatic or dramatic, but should
provide an opportunity for you to explore the nature of ministry. For example, you might have an
intimidating conversation that causes you to reflect on what was really at issue for the other person
and what your ministry responsibilities or opportunities were. Perhaps you received some feedback
on an act of ministry (e.g., a sermon, an event you led, counsel you offered) and need to discern
what God might be saying through that feedback. Or, you may have been confronted with a
difficult situation in which you had to make a decision from a range of options which each had
negative implications. Whatever the incident or experience, ask yourself the following questions.
 “What passage(s) of Scripture might have some bearing on this experience?”
o Example: What would Galatians 6:2-5 imply for that recent experience when an
unemployed person in our congregation asked for more financial assistance after
having turned down a job offer because it didn’t pay enough?
 “What doctrines or theological themes seem related to this experience?”
o Example: How might the doctrine of the Church inform my response to those who
want to be involved in ministry with our congregation while splitting their time,
loyalties, and gifts among several local congregations?
In your journal entries, explore the possible connections, implications that you see. Seek greater
understanding of your experience, what was really at issue, what additional questions it raised for
you, what action you decided to take and why, and what you learned from the process. You may
also want to integrate insights or information that you have picked up from other courses in your
seminary program. It is important to include some reflection on how these experiences are shaping
you personally: your character, your heart for God and others, your commitment to or direction in
ministry, etc.
Over the course of the semester you should record six separate reflections of at least one substantive
paragraph each (single-spaced). This is a required exercise that will be submitted to your
Mentoring Director at the end of the semester, along with your integrative summary. Each
reflection should be dated.