Minister's Development Plan
Presbyterian ministers are committed to life-long learning and ongoing formation, and the Minister's Development Plan (MDP) is one component of that. The minister works through a structured self-reflection process, guided by a facilitator. This process provides a framework for their ongoing personal and professional development, and repeats on a 3-year cycle.
In this process, the minister works with a trained facilitator to explore further into the feedback that has been provided by trusted others selected by the minister, identifying patterns and linkages, and discerning their strengths and opportunities. This process will enable a minister to keep growing and learning throughout their ministry, helping them to be committed to their own learning journey.
The intention of this process is that a minister, in working with a facilitator, is able to take some time to reflect on what is going well, and to identify a development path that will help lead them in the following 3 years.
Download the MDP Handbook or Schedule your MDP
Download a copy of the MDP Handbook here. For more information, or to schedule your next MDP, please contact Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership (KCML), email mdp@knoxcentre.ac.nz
Costs of a Development Plan
The cost for a Development Plan is $500 and is agreed to between the minister’s parish and the facilitator. If the facilitator is registered for GST, then the cost for the plan will be $500+GST on presentation of an appropriate GST Invoice. The facilitator will invoice the parish directly for the cost of this Development Plan at the completion of the process. The parish is responsible for the payment of this invoice.
The conversations between the minister and the facilitator will usually be carried out online, but a minister may request at least one of these meetings to be face-to-face. If this requires the facilitator to travel more than 25 kilometres to meet with the minister, then the facilitator will charge any direct travel costs incurred and/or milage in line with current IRD recommendations. (The parish is only responsible for the cost of the MDP. Travel costs may be the responsibility of the minister depending on their arrangement with the parish.)
Because the focus of the MDP is on the growth and development, and for the benefit of, the minister, an early part of the process is determining whether proceeding with the MDP at that time is in the best interests of the minister’s own well-being. If, for whatever reason, it is deemed inappropriate to continue at that time, the MDP process may be suspended before completion. If this occurs, then the facilitator will invoice the parish for the work that has been completed on a pro rata basis.