Veta Morphus Program

WHAT IS THE Veta?

Veta (or Veta morphus) provides students with the opportunity to grow in the Christian life, develop skills for employment, and gain academic credit at the same time.

Veta Morphus enables you to complete the 10741NAT - Certificate III in Christian Ministry and Theology, offered through Evolation Learning Pty Ltd RTO #45219. This may contribute to your Secondary School senior certificate and ATAR. Veta Morphus is a structured course that promotes the Christian growth of Senior Secondary Students (Years 11-12) and which develops in students the critical capacities required for work in ministry settings.

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW?

Why would I choose to do the Veta?

Students who do the Veta are likely to be interested in the Bible, Christian service and ministry. Veta is a course that combines academic studies and experienced based learning. Veta It is not merely about learning a bunch of Bible facts, or passing a course. Veta is an action and reflection experience, where the truths of the Bible are lived in everyday experience and then formed into your character through deep reflection and Godly relationships. It is a powerful and life-changing opportunity.

You will be placed into situations where your heart, your mind and your imagination can be captured by Christ and then, once captured, transformed by the experience of the radical life you are challenged to live, which is what lies at the heart of the Christian vocation.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2a

When can I do the Veta?

At Waverley Christian College, you will complete your Veta program in Year 11 (recommended) or Year 12 of Secondary School.

How long will the Veta take me to complete?

You should be able to complete Veta in one year if you commenced it in Year 11 (recommended) or Year 12.

WHAT DO I STUDY?

Students study six strands.

Strand 1 - Retreats

Retreats “… encourage one another and build each other up …” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Definition: Successful completion of the course requires students to participate in three weekend retreats or equivalent training approved by the State Coordinator, and competently complete any associated work. These are community experiences where students gather together for worship, input, group activities, discussion and workshops … plus down time to spend with friends!

Purpose:

To share experience and mutual encouragement beyond your local setting.
To receive guidance re: course requirements/competencies.
To receive specialist training.
To build a sense of community and support.

Specific Tasks:

Participate in Retreats or approved alternative assessment
Check off course requirements with PGS
Complete reflection, after Retreat, in online Workbook.

Time Commitment: Three weekend Retreats, consisting of 60 hours of active engagement, or similar total.

Strand 2 – Bible Engagement

“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; ...” Deuteronomy 11:18a

Definition: Successful completion of the course requires students to read the allotted Bible readings throughout the program and journal on their experience. There are Old Testament readings, New Testament readings and Psalms included in your Bible engagement plan in order to give you a good overview of the Bible during the course of the year.

Purpose: To develop an understanding of Scripture. To integrate personal story with the biblical story. To gain skills in applying acquired knowledge.

Specific Tasks:

Engage the Bible readings and complete journaling. Encouraged to engage in different styles of journaling.

Time Commitment: 45 hours total consisting of work completed outside of Peer Group:

Bible Engagement:

As per the Bible Reading plan.
Journaling on your Bible reading: 84 entries (minimum)
30 mins a day x three per week x 30 weeks = 45 hours
You will have five chapters or more of reading per week over the year. You may choose to read one chapter a day, or complete all five in one sitting. However, you must complete three separate journal entries over the course of the week on those readings.

Strand 3 – Peer Group

“… encourage one another and build each other up …” 1 Thessalonians 5:11aDefinition: A Peer Group is a small group (normally 4-8 people) who meet together as part of the Veta experience. The Peer Group is guided by a Peer Group Supervisor (PGS). Successful completion of the course requires students to meet with a Peer Group and their PGS to engage in discussion around ministry, faith and biblical reflection. A goal of the Veta program is that students apply and continue to research what they have discovered. To achieve this goal we have included, in the Learning Exercises, a component for you to work on outside of your Peer Group time.

Purpose: To integrate ministry experience with biblical reflections and personal faith journey. To build a peer relationship of challenge, encouragement and support. To access resources through an experienced PGS. To receive guidance/input re course requirements.

Specific Tasks:

Participate in 30 x 90 minute Peer Group sessions (or equivalent)
Invest in peer relationships.
Complete:

15 x Learning Exercises completed through Online Quizzes
3 x Spiritual Practice Exercises (found in Online Workbook A)
3 x Seminar Presentations (Biblical issue, Cultural issue and Personal issue).
Check off course requirements with PGS.
Maintain student hours tracker on a weekly basis.
Complete the prior reading and research of the Learning Exercises before attending Peer Group. These are designed to assist you in understanding the Christian life and often include additional reading material.
3 x Seminar Presentations - You have been allocated five hours per seminar to prepare for your presentation.

Accountability: Your PGS is required to maintain records of attendance, check satisfactory completion of reading material and online activity exercises, participation in Christian community, mentoring sessions and ministry placement.

Time Commitment:

Peer Group Sessions:

30 sessions x 90 mins = 45 hours.
Activity Research and Preparation: 15 hours.
Three Seminar Presentations, Preparation, Research and Development: 15 hours.

Peer Group meetings general outline: Peer Group is the lynch-pin that holds the Veta experience together. These meetings are your primary time for discussion, reflection and integration of the material you are learning. They are also the place where you cover important course administration. It is important that you make the most of this opportunity to grow.

Three Types of Activities:

Learning Exercises - These are exercises or activities to help you in your own spiritual walk and to deepen your knowledge of God, your faith and how you live that out! They are also designed to help you in practical skills that you can put into place during your Ministry Placement.
This component is to be discussed within your Peer Group after completion.
Seminar Presentation(s) - Seminars help you engage life at a deeper level in areas that are of interest to you. The three Seminar Presentations focus on a Biblical issue, Cultural issue and Personal issue. By applying the skills required to deliver a seminar, you will not only discover new information for your life, but the skills needed to communicate your new found knowledge to others. You will be expected to prepare, research and develop your Seminar Presentations outside of Peer Group in your own time.
Spiritual Practice - A spiritual discipline or exercise is practised or explored as a group. These are designed to help you grow in your relationship with God.

A Peer Group Session:

You can expect to have the following components in your Peer Group:

A discussion on life in general. Discussion points from your Bible Engagement.
Clarification of any problem, point of interest or question/s you may have arising from your Bible Engagement.
Weekly focus which may be a Learning Exercise, Seminar or Spiritual Practice.
Pray about whatever has come up in the meeting.
Administration of the group and group activities.
Next meeting information.

Strand 4 – Ministry Placements

“… I will show you my faith by what I do.” James 2:18

Definition: Successful completion of the course requires students to undertake practical application of ministry skills and work in an environment that serves for reflection. The is sometimes referred to as ‘Work Placement’ or ‘On-the-Job Training’.

Purpose:

To help students engage in God’s mission to the world.
To provide students with opportunity to express, explore and develop their gifts.
To encourage students to test and challenge their personal direction and sense of God’s call on their life.
To provide work place experience.

Planning:

When planning their Major and Short Term Ministry Placements, students need to be able to do the following in their Ministry Placement:

Engage with other people in this ministry.
Be the next step for their growth in this particular ministry e.g. not something they have been doing for years.
Able to mentor others involved in this ministry.
Things that they can move toward that will force them out of their comfort zone and to rely more on God.
For students, to meet the criteria listed in the Major and Short Term Ministry reviews in Online Workbook A. Students are to use this opportunity to not just do what is comfortable, but to expand their ministry in ways that they would not normally engage.

Specific Tasks:

Major Ministry Placement (Minimum 40 hours).

All students must engage in one Major Ministry Placement. This may be an ongoing role in a leadership team or a personal ministry usually on a weekly or fortnightly basis for at least six months.

This activity must:

Take a minimum of 40 hours of active service.
Grow and develop the student and allow reflection on how this ministry fits in with the mission of God.
Require the student to take specific responsibility for a substantial part of the ministry involving a group of at least five people.The level of engagement will depend upon the student’s personal capacity; however it is clearly not enough to simply ‘turn up and help out’.
Involve the student in all aspects of planning, preparation, implementation and evaluation.
Utilise a broad range of gifts and skills requiring effort and creativity by the student . The student should challenge themselves to go beyond their current level of ministry experience and not merely repeating what they have done before.
Ministry hours must be recorded.
Students are expected to fulfil all obligations associated with any ministry role/s they adopt. Participating in meetings, training activities, events and taking on responsibilities appropriate to their gifts, experience and skills is expected.
YOUR MAJOR MINISTRY PLACEMENT CANNOT BEGIN AND WILL NOT BE RECOGNISED UNTIL THE MAJOR MINISTRY START UP ASSIGNMENT HAS BEEN COMPETENTLY COMPLETED. This is a legal requirement for your protection.

Your Major Ministry Placement may include the following:

Being on the planning team for a major event.
Leading a regular small group.
Participating in the leadership of youth/children’s/worship etc. team at church.
Running a prayer group/outreach activity at school.
Running an after school club for Primary Students.
Teaching Sunday school.
Leading a community care ministry.
Teaching an ESL class. *These are examples. Major Ministry placements are not limited to the above options. If you are unsure if your choice of Major Ministry Placement is suitable, you may need to discuss this with your Peer Group Supervisor.

Short Term Ministry Placement (Minimum 16 hours): All students must engage in one Short Term Ministry Placement which contributes a minimum of 16 hours (including any training leading up to the ministry experience and debrief at the conclusion) towards the overall 56 Ministry Placement hours.

This activity must:

Be of an intensive nature.
Run across a minimum of two days including one night.
Take a minimum of 16 hours of active service. Hours spent sleeping cannot be counted as part of the Ministry Placement.
Grow and develop the student and allow reflection on how this ministry fits in with the mission of God.
Involve the student in all aspects of planning, preparation, implementation and evaluation.
Involve engaging in intentional community with a group of at least five people e.g. sharing meals and accommodation.
Utilise a broad range of gifts and skills requiring effort and creativity by the student. The student should challenge themselves to go beyond their current level of ministry experience and not merely repeat what they have done before.
Ministry hours must be recorded.
Students are expected to fulfil all obligations associated with any ministry role/s they adopt. Participating in meetings, training activities, events and taking on responsibilities appropriate to their gifts, experience and skills is expected.
YOUR SHORT TERM MINISTRY PLACEMENT CANNOT BEGIN AND WILL NOT BE RECOGNISED UNTIL THE SHORT TERM MINISTRY START UP ASSIGNMENT HAS BEEN COMPETENTLY COMPLETED. This is a legal requirement for your protection.

Your Short Term Ministry Placement may include the following:

Leading on a camp.
Participating in beach mission.
Running a holiday program.
Helping on a school camp.
Taking a team to an event.

Accountability: You need to find someone to be your Ministry Placement Supervisor for each Major and Short Term Ministry Placement.

Total Time Commitment:

Ministry Placement contributes a minimum of 56 hours total for Veta Morphus students, consisting of the Major Ministry Placement (40 hours) and the Short Term Ministry Placement (16 hours).

For your Major Ministry Placement all students must complete:

Major Ministry Placement Plan, Student Hours Tracker, Major Ministry Placement Reflections, Student Hours Log and Mid-Year and End of Year Reviews.

For your Short Term Ministry Placement all students must complete:

Short Term Ministry Project Plan, Student Hours Tracker, Student Hours Log, and Short Term Ministry Placement Review.

Strand 5 – Mentoring

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17

Definition: Successful completion of the course requires students to meet monthly with a Mentor.

Purpose: To promote Christian growth in the student. To provide a role model for the student.

Specific Tasks:

Meetings between the Mentor and the student. Complete Mentoring reflections and associated assessment work. MENTORING SESSIONS CANNOT BEGIN AND WILL NOT BE RECOGNISED UNTIL THE MENTORING START UP ASSIGNMENT HAS BEEN COMPETENTLY COMPLETED. This is a legal requirement for your protection.

Accountability: The student needs to find someone to be their Mentor. Veta Youth asks your Mentor to respect your privacy and ethical responsibilities in regards to confidentiality, by not talking about your conversations with others inappropriately. Confidentiality, however, is not secrecy. If you tell them about issues where there is reason to believe you have been harmed, are being harmed or are harming others, Veta Youth requires these adults to report this to the relevant reporting body. If possible, we ask the adult to tell you that they are passing on or reporting information.

Time Commitment: 10 hours with a minimum of seven meetings plus reflections.

Strand 6 – Christian Community

“… you are the body of Christ …” 1 Corinthians 12:27

Definition: Successful completion of the course requires students to participate in the life of a Christian Community. Christian Community is a group of people who gather together in the spirit of Christ to worship, to grow in experience and understanding of the way of Jesus, to care for one another, and to participate in mission for their community.

Purpose: To receive ongoing support in Christian life. To further ground your Veta experience and learning within the context of a local Christian community.

Specific Tasks:

Participate in community life.
Grow in knowledge and experience through the various elements of the regular corporate gathering of Christians.
Complete Christian Community Hour’s Tracker and Christian Community Reflections. If you complete the required hours early in the year, you will still need to complete the Christian Community reflections in online Workbooks 1, 2 and 3.

Accountability: Your PGS is required to check your participation with Christian Community.

Time Commitment: You are required to complete a minimum of 30 hours over a minimum of 10 sessions throughout Terms 1, 2 and 3, plus Reflections.

HOW IS THE Veta ASSESSED?

Veta is assessed through online submissions based on your six strands. All assessments are Externally assessed (non-school based) and on a Compentent / Not-Yet-Compentent basis.

Assessment work will come in the form of Online Workbooks. Online Learning Workbooks

Students will have access to their four Student Assessment Workbooks online during the year. Workbooks 1 and A will be available in Term 1 once the student’s enrolment process is complete. It is the student’s responsibility to keep these up to date and bring the electronic device on which they are completing their Workbooks to all Peer Group meetings. Each Activity in the Workbook must be submitted for assessment after completion.

Students should also be aware that they will not have access to work submitted after they complete the entire course. Students should download a copy of their work for their own records prior to end of the course if they wish to keep what they have done.

WHAT MUST I DO TO BE AWARDED A Veta CERTIFICATE?

To be awarded a Veta certificate, you must successfully complete assessments and placements based on the six strands.

HOW ARE MY RESULTS REPORTED TO ME?

Statement of Results

Students and parents are able to track their results via the Veta online platform. The final Veta Statement of Results will be mailed to you by the RTO/Veta in December.

Veta Certificate

You will also receive a certificate if you have satisfied the requirements for graduating with the Veta.

WHERE CAN THE Veta TAKE ME?

This opens the doorway to a variety of ministry and community service employment opportunities. It can also be used as credit for some diploma’s and ministry degrees.

Where do I get more information about Veta at Waverley Christian College?

For more information about Veta at Waverley Christian College you can speak to the following people:

Mr Andrew Hindle - Head of Teaching and Learning
Mr Andrew Aldous - Careers and VET Coordinator
Mr Jeremy Dover - Veta Coordinator