Competencies and Lenses, Defined

Part of Information for All Levels of the RE Credentialing Program

Competency: an area of knowledge and skill that helps you do a good job as a religious educator.

Lens: an approach to your work and your world that comes into play through many aspects of your professional life. “Look through” the lenses as you do your work and reflect upon your role. Weave them into the competencies addressed in your portfolio. At the Skilled level, apply each lens in the four required competencies. At the Advanced Level, address each lens in five or more competencies. At the Leadership Level, show how you apply each lens to all three of your portfolio competencies.

See each level’s section for details about each of the lenses and competencies, including required competencies and elective competency options for each level – Skilled, Advanced and Leadership. You will notice that each Competency includes three things to help you know more about what the Religious Education Credentialing Committee (RECC) or Professional Development Programs Manager (PDPM) is looking for in order to feel confident in granting you the credentialing status you seek. These three things are:

  1. A “tagline,” or short one-line narrative description of the competency
  2. Scope of Knowledge and Skills, a list of various elements that would be included within this area of competence – elements like information, knowledge, and skills.
  3. Examples, a list of possible ways to demonstrate to the RECC or PDPM your competence in this area. Please keep in mind that these are simply examples. The work you include in your portfolio to demonstrate the competency may look quite different.

The Scope of Knowledge and Skills, and the Examples, are not intended to be exhaustive lists—you may find other knowledge, skills, or ways to demonstrate your competence in this area. Neither are you expected to provide proof of every item listed. These are guidelines to help you understand generally what the RECC or PDPM looks for in terms of competence. Additionally, this should not be viewed solely as a “checklist”; in some cases your competence will be demonstrated with a straightforward example (a budget, a newsletter article, etc.), and in other cases you may demonstrate ways in which you have grown through your professional life and how you might continue to do so.

These guidelines are here to support you. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask the PDPM.