HDS - OMS - Field Education Handbook

Project: The Sufi poet, Rumi, wrote: "Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you truly love." The Harvard Faith Café is a project helping Harvard community members explore what they truly love and to live their passion out in day-to-day life. Participants share one belief: there is a positive, creative force within each of us whose inspiration pulls us toward more harmonious, more fulfilling lives. Participants have diverse names for this force -- some call it God, Allah, Buddha nature, inner teacher, divine spark, authentic self, wisdom, love -- and they share a common desire to say "yes" to it.

The Harvard Faith Café carefully assembles groups of three or four Harvard community members to journey together over a semester (or longer if they choose), meeting for two and a half hours bi-weekly. Through silent, creative reflection -- some choose to meditate, pray, draw, write, dance, etc. -- each participant explores what he or she loves. Reflections are shared with the group, and group members offer deep, respectful listening as well as feedback to help illuminate the reflection. Each participant sets an intention to do something in furtherance of what he or she loves before the next meeting.

Student Involvement:

i. Administration and Program Development: Field education students will help expand the Harvard Faith Café from an initiative that supports two or three "Faith Café's" per semester (mostly at HDS) to one that is eventually able to support hundreds of Cafés across all Harvard campuses by (1) developing a training program for those who wish to facilitate Faith Cafés, (2) developing a process by which participants are selected and assembled into groups, (3) developing materials to help participants offer deep, respectful listening and illuminating feedback, (4) developing a feedback loop from participants to the Harvard Faith Café to ensure institutional learning and maturity, (5) conducting outreach across Harvard -- including alums -- to invite individuals to participate, (6) developing project materials to support outreach, (7) building an active advisory board, and (8) researching grant opportunities and writing grant proposals.

ii. Public Leadership, Community Organizing, and Planning: Field education students will develop project materials to support outreach to the Harvard community, develop a feedback loop from participants to the Harvard Faith Café to ensure institutional learning and maturity, build an active advisory board, and conduct outreach across Harvard -- including alums -- to invite individuals to participate in the program.

iii. Religious Education and Spiritual Development: Field education students will develop a training program for those who wish to facilitate Faith Cafés and develop materials to help participants offer deep, respectful listening and illuminating feedback.

iv. Pastoral Care and Counseling: Field education students will facilitate Faith Cafés, part of which involves creating a safe environment for participants' reflections, sharing and feedback; encouraging reasonable intention-setting; managing meeting schedules and timing in a way that fosters predictability, continuity and trust among participants; and responding to participant questions and concerns.

v. Preaching and/or Worship: Field education students will facilitate Faith Cafés, part of which involves offering one's own reflections, sharing and feedback; setting one's own reasonable intentions; and creating a safe, sacred setting.

Arts of Ministry Competencies: Preaching and Worship. Pastoral Care and Counseling. Religious Education and Spiritual Development. Administration and Program Development. Public Leadership, Community Organizing and Planning.

Supervision: Students will meet weekly for individual supervision. In addition, students will meet together along with the supervisor for bi-weekly Faith Cafe meetings.

Notes: The site will pay for student expenses related to this field education placement, including any travel, materials, workshops, etc.

Harvard Divinity School

Ministry Studies

Field Education Handbook