Registration Development Agreement

Ministry roles can be amongst the most critical and demanding leadership roles on the planet. Serving a community of faith well requires considerable theological, sociological, organisational, technical and relational expertise. The Baptist Union of New Zealand acknowledge more ‘learning’ than the minimum requirements of Baptist Registration are desirable to support and sustain robust leadership and excellence in ministry and Carey Centre for Lifelong Learning fully support this.

Under this category of your Registration Development Agreement there is a requirement to undertake a specific number of Approved learning hours – a minimum of 2 hours of which must be from the ‘Priority Learning’ options.

Approved Learning is learning that will sustain, support and develop your role in ministry. This learning needs to be planned in conjunction with the person nominated to conduct the annual review of your Registration Development Agreement in October of each year.  Example goals can be found here. It is important that your selected activities for your personal growth and learning relate specifically to the goals that have been set.  This can include retreats, conferences, Carey Centre for Lifelong Learning webinars or courses, NZQA study, self-directed learning (e.g., books, articles, videos, workshops), Sabbaticals, and other learning (e.g., leadership courses). Please note that:

• Retreats are to represent no more than 1/3^rd of the total learning requirement.
• For self-directed learning, while we acknowledge that everyone reads at different paces, and books vary in length, as a general guide we expect that each book you read will contribute a maximum of 6 hours towards your Personal Growth and Learning. e.g., 2 books will contribute a maximum of 12 hours.

Priority learning options will be formed each year through the Leadership Coordination office of the Baptist Support Centre and the number available and content will differ each year depending on what is determined to be ‘priority’ . The 2 hours of learning will generally consist of in-house webinar/s which will be visible to you for selection, on your registration application form so it’s easy to see what’s required (see below for upcoming priority learning options).

The ‘Personal Growth and Learning’ hours required are dependent on the hours you are working in your role. The learning hours have been structured to represent less than a weeks’ worth of learning equivalent to the hours worked.

To help you determine what’s required for your situation, the following will assist. You are encouraged to share this with your nominated reviewer :

Priority Learning Option 2024

For 2024, one priority learning is being provided.  More detail will be provided ahead of applications for registration 2024 opening in November 2023.

“Safe and Healthy”– Boundary training for Baptist Registrants .
Date to be confirmed

Note: Zoom links for the above priority learning options will be emailed closer to the dates for each event.

This engagement aligns to the value of of associating together as a collective of faith communities seeking to bring gospel renewal to people and places.

The Baptist Whānau Engagement requirements are dependent on the hours you are working and the category of registration you are applying under. To help you determine what’s required for your situation, the following may assist.

Scroll down to find the category you are going to apply under to see the requirements for you under this element of your Registration Development Agreement :

For those registrants for whom geographical and/or financial constraints mean that attendance at a Baptist whānau event is not practicable every year, an alternative can be negotiated with their Regional Leader and endorsing leadership.

 External Supervision provides a forum where you are able to critically engage with your work, reflect on your actions, review your decisions, and learn. It is an interactive dialogue between you and your supervisor. Through supervision, you should feel empowered to develop your vocational strengths and competencies and be supported in your personal and professional growth and development. It will also provide you with accountability in professional standards (e.g., ethics and safety) and is a practice that the Baptist Union of New Zealand are very committed to. All Baptist Registrants are required to have external supervision support with the exception of those applying under the Baptist Entity category. 

External Supervision Support Requirements 2024  :

2024 is being regarded as a transitional year in terms of external supervision support, with an increasing number of supervisors becoming approved in 2023 and 2024.  For 2024:

If you are working 120 or more hours per month you are required to have at least bi-monthly supervision (i.e. minimum six times per year).

If you are working 40-119 per month you are required to meet with a supervisor a minimum of three times per year.

Please note that: 

(a) Your supervisor for 2024 cannot be your line manager, or anyone who has any direct assessment of your role. Your supervisor also needs to be external to the local church or ministry organisation that you are working in, and external to your family/whanau context.

(b) If your supervisor for 2024 is not from the approved supervisor list they will be required to confirm that they will provide supervision that covers the Baptist Union of New Zealand’s 4 aims of supervision:

To support practitioner professional development
Supporting and encouraging you, as registrant, in your development of insight, knowledge, and skills beneficial to your vocational context.
Reflecting on learning and learning experiences, by you as a registrant, as well as identified learning outcomes related to your Registration Development Agreement.

To support practitioner wellbeing
Ensuring that supervision covers your wholistic well-being; mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, relational.
Ensuring that there is reflection on your ministry/life balance, stress levels, ‘sabbath’, recreation, replenishing activities, holidays/leave.

To support practitioner safe and ethical practice
Supporting and encouraging awareness of  ‘best practice’ for wellbeing and safeguarding of others, your organisation, and your wider community related to your ministry and influence.
Supporting and encouraging healthy boundaries related to your personal and vocational context; relational, sexual, ethical, moral, and legal boundaries.

To support practitioner reflective learning
Supporting you to reflect “on practice” in the context of supervision to benefit your ministry “in practice”. 

It is suggested that you have a conversation with your supervisor about these requirements before listing them as your supervisor in your 2024 RDA to ensure that they’re in agreement with these elements being included in your supervision, before they are contacted by one of our team.

External Supervision Support requirements going forward: 

To date, the Baptist Union of New Zealand has trained/orientated nearing 100 supervisors for 2024 with their pilot training course (for those without existing supervision qualifications), and online orientation sessions(for already qualified supervisors) and due to the success of this approach, further training and orientation will be more widely available in 2024 ready for the 2025 Baptist Registration year. The Baptist Union is committed to recruit and train sufficient numbers of supervisors to provide affordable professional supervision for all Baptist Registrants. When applying for Baptist Registration in 2025, there will be a requirement to be receiving supervision only from supervisors who are on the approved list.

This transition is summarised below: 

The Annual review is now an integral part of the Registration Development Agreement (RDA). This is to be conducted by your nominated reviewer and is a 2 part process :

(1) considering progress against your current RDA (i.e. what has worked well, what has been less effective and what needs to happen)… and

(2) identifying goals and activities to be undertaken for Personal Growth and Learning, Baptist Whānau Engagement and External Supervision Support , for the upcoming registration period. (what is the plan ahead?)

More information on the Annual Review of the Registration Development Agreement can be found here

When applying for Baptist Registration, you will be required to confirm that your annual review has taken place and the Carey Centre for Lifelong Learning will contact a random selection of reviewers each year for feedback.