1. PURPOSE
1.1 The policy outlines the principles that guide the School of Theology’s (SOT) approach to support and guide all students.
2. SCOPE
2.1 All SOT students.
3. POLICY
3.1 In SOT, we believe that the kingdom of God is a kingdom of relationships. Beyond equipping students with knowledge, a key distinctive of SOT is our intentional efforts to create an environment for every student to experience kingdom relationships and community life during their SOT course. This is also vital for the student’s development, through close discipleship, where their values can be challenged and refined and their characters molded to Christlikeness. While this experience is more suitable for onshore courses, SOT makes every effort to include offshore students wherever possible.
4. PROCEDURES (ONSHORE COURSES)
4.1 Orientation Day:
4.1.1 An Orientation Day is planned for all students on the first day/week of school. Students have the opportunity to get acquainted with fellow students through interactive team-bonding games and activities.
4.1.2 Each students receives a copy of the Student Handbook, which contains essential information about the school and its policies.
4.1.3 Students are introduced to all faculty members and administrative staff during Orientation Day.
4.2 Ministry Teams:
4.2.1 All students are assigned to a Ministry Team. Each team consists of less than 20 students, with a balanced mix of members from City Harvest Church (CHC) as well as international students.
4.2.2 Each Ministry Team is led by one or two Team Leaders, who are usually CHC members and recommended by their pastoral staff.
4.2.3 Ministry Team leaders are encouraged to organise study groups, prayer support groups as well as fellowship sessions with the Ministry Team.
4.2.4 Ministry Team members learn how to collaborate and work with others, through the Ministry Team’s mission trip and other group work such as mock cell group meetings.
4.3 Involvement in CHC:
4.3.1 All SOT students are expected to be actively involved in church activities. This involves regular attendance of weekend services and cell group meetings. International students are assigned a CHC cell group, allowing them to participate in a vibrant faith community, fostering interactions with fellow cell group members, church leaders, and pastors.
4.3.2 All SOT students are expected to serve in a local church ministry. Students are given the opportunity to engage in various departments in CHC as part of their ministry practicum.
4.4 Student Feedback Channels:
4.4.1 Pastoral 1-on-1 Session: All students will be involved in at least one personal meet-up with a staff member during the school term. During this session, the staff member enquires about the student’s well-being, how they are coping with the SOT schoolwork, their financial situation, as well as their prayer needs.
4.4.2 Feedback Email: SOT faculty staff’s contact information is available in the Student Handbook which is given out to all students on orientation day.
5. ALUMNI SUPPORT
5.1 The SOT Alumni is set up to create a community and space for SOT graduates to remain connected and updated on the upcoming events for alumni. The online SOT alumni portal is regularly updated to include devotion sharing from pastoral staff and testimonies from fellow alumni to keep the graduates connected.
5.2 SOT alumni gatherings are organised in various countries to connect past and present SOT students, for fellowship and networking purposes.
6. FORMS & RECORDS
6.1 All forms and records should be retained for archival purposes, or for a minimum of five years, whichever is longer. This is consistent with CHC’s document retention policy.