This last month I’ve been gathering up loose ends in order to close up the inquiry phase of ordination and enter the candidacy phase. I met with the Presbytery’s Committee on Preparation for Ministry (CPM) in mid-March for our annual review meeting. This was quite a helpful meeting, especially as the specifics of our future relationship began to surface and take shape.
I’m scheduled to go before the Committe and the Presbytery in late May in order to request permission to move on to the candidacy phase. Before then, I need to make some progress on the following issues:
- Connecting with a local Presbyterian church with which I can intern during my candidacy.
- Arranging for CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) through a local hospital.
- Making contact with the Presbyterian Church’s mission arm in order to investigate ways that Lea and I can get connected with other missionaries who are ministering close to Estonia.
- Preparation for my ordination exams which will take place in late August. These include Theology, Exegesis, Presbyterian Polity, and Worship & Sacraments.
Hi, I’ll be taking my ords in August also, how are you preparing/studing for the exams? Did you know that aprox. 50% of the students failed in Jan 2006 (nationwide), myself included.
Hey Maria. Here’s my study plan:
1. Study the Book of Confessions (study version) and Book of Order
2. Try to integrate my old Theology notes into a flowchart I can memorize.
3. Brush up on my Greek, reread Fee’s “NT Exegesis” and study a few commentaries for background info on the NT book.
4. Familiarize myself with past exams online here and take a look at some graded and commented exams which resulted in a grade of 4 or 5 (see if you can find these from former students or they may be on file with your Presbyterian Studies Office).
5. There is also a helpful web site for preparation for the ords here. It contains a link to a forum discussion on preparing especially for the theology exam which may be helpful.
Do you have any suggestions based on your first try?
Best of luck to you.
Another helpful link:
http://www.whitneyhq.com/church/documents/how-to-pass-the-ords.php