Mentoring in all Shapes and Sizes
Mentoring can be for discipleship, discernment or formation. In the Uniting Church we appoint mentors for people in a Period of Discernment, Pastors, Candidates for Ordained Ministry and people in the beginning of their first placement. There is also a lot of informal mentoring that happens in churches.
Lately I have been thinking about people who have had an impact on me as a Christian. My family were not church attenders, the youth group parents were the ones I went to with questions about the Bible and life. Youth group met at their place for Bible Study, they were at the youth services, and anything else that happened. They were the ones I asked about how do I know if God wants me to marry this person?
Then there was the Minister who helped me see God as a loving presence, not an angry judge. I was going through a difficult time. I wondered if God was real, if God loved me, because people were telling me this was part of God’s plan, and I wondered what I had done to make God this angry. Because of this person I stayed in the church.
Another ten years passed and my Period of Discernment mentor encouraged me to reflect, to acknowledge and accept the gifts I had, to listen to the voices that thanked me for preaching, for caring, for leading. I learnt to recognise what I am good at, instead of only noticing what I am not good at.
A few years later, in my first year in my first placement as a Uniting Church Minister, the Presbytery appointed a supervisor, someone to meet with me each month. She was a blessing; helping me work out priorities and time management. Listening, encouraging and guiding, and lots of tips.
These are some of the people who have had a major impact on me as a Christian and as an Ordained Minister. Each of them was a mentor, though only one was called a mentor.
Mentoring can be for discipleship, discernment or formation. In the Uniting Church we appoint mentors for people in a Period of Discernment, Pastors, Candidates for Ordained Ministry and people in the beginning of their first placement. There is also a lot of informal mentoring that happens in churches.
I have been privileged to be a mentor for people in their Period of Discernment and early Ordained Ministry.
Thank you to the Carl's and Elaine's, the Beth’s, the Simon’s and the Nancy’s of this world.
Consider becoming a mentor
If you are interested in being a mentor, or gaining skills in mentoring, training is held twice each year and there is a session coming up soon.
Our next training session is Saturday 31 May at the Centre for Ministry and zoom. Training in November will be over three Tuesday afternoons on zoom.