Field Education Experiences Field Education is an integral part of the Master of Social Work curriculum, providing you the opportunity to apply what you learn in the classroom. You have the opportunity to work with real-life clients under the supervision of a seasoned social worker. My experience in this course has been very helpful to me. My main goals were accomplished and I will continue to keep my focus on teaching and giving out the Word of God to the children in Children/Youth Sunday school, to the elderly in the Nursing Home and also to the congregation of people.
It is very important to teach children about the goodness of Jesus. In (Proverbs 22:6), it states that we should train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. The Word of God must be applied to our lives daily and we must look to Him to be our leader and guider. One of my goals was teaching Children/Youth Sunday school. My goals are to insure that all my children know that they are valued and loved, by God and by us, and to help them grow into ways of being themselves that enable caring, responsible community and that strengthen their experience of the love of Christ.
It is my goal to equip children to know Jesus in a fun and exciting environment. It is important to keep the children busy and let them give me feedback on what they had learned from the lesson. This process will help them to stay in tune with what you are teaching and what they are learning. It takes patience and communication to work with the children. When I first started teaching the Children/Youth Sunday school, it took some planning and studying to keep the children from becoming bored with the lesson. Children are taught they can make the choice to live the righteous life through prayer, Bible study and worship.
Children are encouraged to read aloud, share what they have learned from the lesson and participate in various activities. The teacher and the student must work together in order to keep interest in what they are learning. I would prepare puzzle games for them to do and ask them questions about the lesson. Once we had completed our task for the day, we would go over scriptures for children’s hour. We are always doing new things and preparing new things to help keep them occupied. Although, the smaller children didn’t understand everything, I would let them color pictures from their Bible coloring book.
They had fun coloring while I continued working with the older children. Children will listen and learn if you make things exciting for them to learn. At the end of our lesson they say their Bible verse for children’s hour. Fourth Sunday is our Youth Sunday and they render the service. It is so amazing how they will do everything just like the adults do when we render the service. They really do watch what you are doing so therefore, it is very important to set good examples for your children. It is my goal to continue to teach them about the goodness of Jesus and embed the Word in them.
So therefore, if we are claiming salvation, then we should act the way that God would have us to act and lead them in the right direction. Hopefully I will be able to make a difference in their lives and they will see that they need Jesus to make it just like we as adults need Him to make it. Another goal I have reached was visiting the elderly in the Nursing Home. This task can be challenging as the seniors find themselves in a culture that has little time for the elderly. You also have to invest in demonstrating a lot of love and care.
They are very valuable to God, and we need to communicate this clearly by showing them that they are loved by others. It is great to give them encouraging words and to let them know that with God they can make it. Remember many of these folks are ready to look death (and life) in the face and so there are many open hearts. We need to be there to give them that opportunity for eternal life. The Nursing Home has been a very good learning experience for me. It taught me to care more for elderly people because they did not ask to be there but while they are, we need to show them love.
Remember, it could be us in there. They are so excited about the Word of God and it is such a blessing for me to give it out to them. We usually take the patients gift bags on holidays. They enjoy the fruit, socks and the sugar free candy that we place in the bags. When I see the looks on their faces it makes me happy and I must continue to do God’s Will. My goal will always be to continue to give out the Word of God to the ones that are unable to go out and get it for themselves. I must be willing to tell men and women that the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life.
Jesus loves us all but He doesn’t like our sinful ways. We must study the Word of God in order to give His Word out to others. My final goal that I have achieved is being a minister. Literally, a minister is a “servant,” but the word has taken on a broader meaning in religious circles. Today, a Christian minister is seen as someone authorized to conduct religious services. A person, who leads worship services, administrates a church, or conducts weddings and funerals is considered a Christian minister. In Romans 15:16 Paul says that he was called to be “a minister of Christ Jesus” to the Gentiles.
God gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. ” So therefore, any person who desires to serve God by “proclaiming the gospel so that others might become sanctified by the Holy Spirit” is a Christian minister. Broadly speaking, being a servant of Christ makes one a Christian minister. A minister should not be a recent convert and must “have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap. ”
My goals for being a minister are to continue to bring forth the Word of God. I enjoy reading the Word and studying it, so that I will be able to preach the Word of God to the congregation. I want to be a blessing to others and to give out a Word that will stay with them. I want people to see the light in me so; I must keep God’s commandments. I must walk upright before God and obey Him. As being a minister, I must continue to tell dying men and women know that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. I cannot live my life any way I desire and expect to make it to God’s kingdom.
The right way is the only way and that is God’s way because He is about righteousness. Therefore, I must not side with wrongness, but I must show others who I am serving. I must continue to delight myself in Him and do well. I must hold on to God’s unchanging hands and never let go. God is my keeper and I will serve Him to the best of my ability. I am willing to help out wherever I am needed. However, my title does not just pertain to preaching the Word of God but it is to be a help to others that are in need. I can remember the experience I had when I had to go to the prison to speak to the incarcerated.
We would go every fourth Saturday of the month as part of our Prison Ministry. Although, I knew God was with me, I was still very nervous and I did not feel comfortable. It was a good experience for me visiting and giving the inmates encouraging words but it was not the field I decided to work in. I was able to attend some of the visits but I decided to continue in another field but other members stayed in the Prison Ministry. The inmates were always eager to hear the Word so you had to make sure that you knew what you were talking about especially when it was concerning the Word.
These inmates knew the Word because that was all they had to do was to read their Bible. The other members still go but it was something that was not for me. I had to be stronger and wiser when I went to give the Word. I did not want them to see that I was so nervous. It was great to give them encouraging words but, it was not good to let them see you sweating. In my conclusion, I thank God for the ones who are able to go and to give them encouragement. I pray that they will give their lives to Jesus and not to return to prison. I hope and pray that these men and women of God will be able to make a difference in their lives.
I know that there is nothing too hard for God but as for me, this was not a stronger area for me. It made me so nervous and I certainly did not want to say anything wrong to make them get upset. The others that attended did not have a problem with speaking to them about what they were going to do when they got out. Some of them talked about how they were making plans to do better and to stay out of trouble so they would not have to go back to prison. So therefore, applaud the ones that have chosen this field and I pray that God will continue to use them to help the inmates that desire to be helped.