A) Reflection on various influences that have been important in you religious, personal and intellectual development.
------ What are your deepest religious questions?
------ What is your current sense of strengths and growing edges for ministry?
B) A statement of your academic and professional objectives in applying to Meadville Lombard, with specific reference to your proposed degree program and career objectives.
------ Why are you applying to Meadville Lombard?
------ What kinds of challenges or gifts are you anticipating in pursuing an MDiv?
With an M.Div from Meadville Lombard, I hope to begin a career in university chaplaincy. College, whether it be undergraduate, masters, or doctoral level, is a challenging and formative experience. People at this stage of their lives are often stressed about over- or underachievement, struggling to find a place in the world, and discovering the kind of human being they want to be. It is an volatile time; depression and anxiety are common among students, and having struggled with these issues myself during my own studies gives me perspective that can be used to help others.
This uncertainty extends beyond graduation for many people. The twenties and thirties age range is often characterized by a search for meaning and stability in life through careers, love, and spirituality. It is also a time of fierce independence and identity formation, which makes ministering to this group a unique challenge. Traditional ministry through a congregation may not be the best solution for the ever-changing lives of these people. Instead, a better solution may be to expand the availability of spiritual resources using web 2.0 technology. For those unable to attend a traditional church, an online community connected by message boards, chat rooms, blogs, and new experimental technologies like Google Wave could be a way to keep in touch with the unitarian universalist faith, find support during difficult times, and share experiences with others in need. The community could be further developed by creating online covenant groups and enriched by the presence and moderation of a fully credentialed minister, who could use technology like Skype to deliver Sunday services from a distance and directly minister to those in crisis. Though online ministry has its own potential pitfalls and challenges, it can be a valuable expansion of current ministerial efforts into a rich environment of spiritual opportunities.
Both college ministry and online ministry have great potential for embracing one of the strongest areas of the Unitarian Universalist faith: social justice work. The potential power of organizing an entire internet community for community service is incredible, and many colleges have significant connections to local volunteer opportunities; all that is needed is encouragement and organization. Dearest to my heart is the work Unitarian Universalists do to support LGBTQ rights; I was filled with pride at the sight of the Standing on the Side of Love banner while marching with my church at the National Equality March, and I would love to continue that work as a part of college ministry. LGBTQ college students need extra support to withstand the difficulties of form life and homophobic classmates, and I would be honored to provide that support.
As a student of divinity, I
(tbc later)
((need to talk about personal theology and music/composition))
