Field Assignment

The field assignment is an integral part of STAMP. It will be conducted from July to December each year. As a STAMP student you will be allocated a six month field assignment at a participating congregation in Australasia. This is your chance to get mentored by some of the most experienced and talented Christians within the church in Australasia.

During this practicum assignment you assist the local congregation in areas of service, edification, evangelism and by simply encouraging the brethren. You will be required to submit a ‘journal’, cataloging their field experiences, to graduate from STAMP. If you have chosen to study with OTEN you may continue your studies while in the field. Of course, you will also need to adhere to a STAMP Code of Conduct - which should be no problem. Read on and learn more about the field assignment.

Commencement

Field assignments will commence in the first week of July each year, after the completion of the classroom work.

Duration

The field assignment will normally be for a six month period. However, by negotiation some STAMP students may stay longer with their assigned congregations.

Preparation For the Field

Preparation for The Field—Building a Profile

In addition to the student’s classroom course work, a profile will be completed on each student determining their suitability to go into the field. This profile will take into account the student’s character, abilities, interests and any areas that need development. This profile will be completed in conjunction with the student in question.

Although a robust selection process will be conducted at the STAMP application stage, some students may not be suitable for field assignment.

Students will also nominate the congregations they would like to serve and any other students with whom they would like to work.

This process will commence several months prior to the field assignment date.

Preparation for The Field—Congregation Compatibility Assessment

Congregations who have registered and requested STAMP students will be able to view the student profiles and work toward a suitable ‘match’. This process will be completed in conjunction with STAMP staff. It is envisaged that, where practical, congregations will be able to meet the students prior to selecting their candidates, thus promoting a ‘best fit’ situation.

Preparation for The Field—Congregation Relationship Development

Once a field assignment has been confirmed (this will happen during the classroom phase of STAMP) both parties will begin to correspond regarding specific aspects of the field assignment, including accommodation and program development.

The STAMP student will be encouraged to visit the congregation, where practical, as often as possible prior to the commencement of the field phase. A representative, preferably the nominated supervisor of the congregation, will be encouraged to visit the student at Gosford.

Once In The Field

STAMP Responsibilities

A member of the STAMP staff, responsible for the practicum phase, will contact the student throughout the practicum phase to see that all is well. The same member of staff will also regularly liaise with the student’s supervisor for the same purpose.

Host Congregation Responsibilities

Congregations who host a STAMP student/s would be required to meet the following criteria:

• Doctrinally stable and free of internal disunity.
  


• Willing to work with STAMP.
  


• Not “issues-driven” and are in fellowship with the brotherhood in general.
  


• Able to provide a range of work for their STAMP students.
  


• Able to provide a supervisor (does not have to be a full time worker) who can train, guide and counsel STAMP workers during the practicum phase. This supervisor will also need to provide a report to STAMP as to the satisfactory completion of the field assignment.
  


• Can arrange, but not fund, accommodation and transport (if required) for the student.
  

Student Responsibilities

The STAMP student carries a great deal of responsibility during the field assignment. They will need to be accountable for their actions whilst in the field and adhere to a code of conduct that is agreed upon in gaining entry into STAMP. Their responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• The student will need to diligently carry out all tasks and programs set for them by the congregation.
  


• They will need to keep up with their OTEN course work.
  


• A ‘journal’ will need to be submitted to STAMP at the end of their field assignment recording observations about their experiences, challenges and growth whilst on the field assignment.
  


• They will need to maintain their financial income (probably from Youth Allowance) whilst in the field.