JLA | SEU Ministry Practicum Project | Leader Overview

This page equips Practicum Leaders with the clarity and tools needed to guide students through a key component of their journey: the JLA | SEU Ministry Practicum Project.

This hands-on leadership project is required for Southeastern University academic credit** **and is designed to reflect each student’s current stage of growth: Spark, Flame, or Ember. These stages represent increasing maturity, ownership, and capacity, and are used throughout all JLA systems, communications, and SoulTrics evaluations.

The practicum project should be tailored to the student’s development stage, help fulfill real needs within the ministry, and create opportunities for leadership advancement. Practicum Leaders will provide oversight, development, and feedback as students complete their projects.

As you lead, develop, and evaluate your students this semester, let this resource serve as a foundation for assigning, refining, and completing a meaningful practicum project that both honors your ministry and empowers their development.

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⭐ SPARK – Discovery of Purpose and Passion

• Who They Are: New to leadership, eager to learn
• Focus: Humility, responsibility, spiritual rhythms, and a servant’s heart
• Role: Active team member within a practicum ministry
• Goal: Transition from participant to servant-leader by showing initiative, reliability, and a willingness to grow
• **LEADER Values in Action: **Begins demonstrating consistency, teachability, and spiritual engagement

Project Examples:

• Assist with planning, setup, and breakdown for a recurring ministry event
• Help develop or organize a volunteer handbook or onboarding guide
• Conduct weekly interviews with team leaders and present key takeaways to staff
• Maintain inventory and weekly ordering of supplies for a recurring event or service

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🔥 FLAME – Growth in Capacity and Commitment

• Who They Are: Taking ownership and leading others under guidance
• Focus: Developing leadership voice, strengthening team culture, and growing through responsibility
• **Role: **Team Leader within a practicum ministry
• **Goal: **Lead others while remaining teachable, contribute meaningfully to team health and results
• LEADER Values in Action: Lives with intentionality, models honor, practices ownership, and encourages others

Project Examples:

• Co-lead a 12-week small group or breakout session for students or team members
• Design and execute a 12-week volunteer onboarding and training pipeline with oversight from leadership
• Lead and manage a recurring event or program (e.g., weekly huddles, service elements, or team gatherings)
• Coordinate a team-wide health initiative such as check-ins, development plans, or recognition systems
• Create and launch a 12-week marketing content series (e.g., devotionals, team emails, communication templates)

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🔥🔥🔥 EMBER – Endurance, Legacy, and Influence

• Who They Are: A seasoned student leader who multiplies impact by leading leaders and shaping systems
• Focus: Vision-setting, team multiplication, ministry systems, sustainability, and culture
• Role: Coordinator or “+1” leadership role
• Goal: Leave a lasting legacy by developing others, carrying weight with integrity, and influencing the ministry beyond the immediate
• **LEADER Values in Action: **Fully trusted, consistently honors the mission, equips others, and owns results

Project Examples:

• Build and implement a 12-week system for recruiting and retaining volunteers
• Develop a reproducible planning guide or playbook for a specific event or ministry function
• Launch a new system or structure (e.g., communication flow, program schedule, team calendar)
• Create and lead a culture-building strategy across multiple teams, supported with resources and feedback loops

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Academic & Leadership Accountability

This project is a required component of the Southeastern University practicum course and directly impacts the student’s overall grade.

Practicum Leaders are responsible for:

• Assigning a ministry project appropriate to the student’s stage

• Supporting the student in planning and execution

• Completing the SEU evaluation form at the end of the semester

The JLA Site Director will review, finalize, and submit all evaluation forms to SEU for students academic credit

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Thank You For Your YES!

This project not only fulfills academic requirements but also gives students a meaningful opportunity to step into real leadership. As a Practicum Leader, your guidance, feedback, and belief in them can shape their confidence, calling, and clarity for years to come.

Let’s keep developing leaders—together!