Ministry Mentorship Program at CBTS

The Ministry Mentorship (MM) program is designed to facilitate relationships between students and experienced ministry leaders acting as mentors, so that students can learn personally and professionally from those who are more mature.

A mentor is a godly Christian who commits to five or six meetings with his or her student over the course of a semester, about once or twice per month. Meetings should generally last one hour, and can take place in a variety of settings—over a meal or a cup of coffee, on a trip, in a home, or after church. The goal is to give enough time at each meeting that a relationship is built through conversation, exhortation, encouragement, doing ministry together and prayer. It is through genuine, transparent relationships with students that tough questions are asked and answered, heart issues are revealed and addressed, and ministry experience is gained.

The seminary establishes only general guidelines for what occurs in these meetings, leaving the particulars up to each mentor and student to determine. Below is a suggested schedule for the first semester to get the relationship and conversation rolling:

• Meeting #1: Get acquainted, share life stories and testimonies of salvation, set learning objectives and practical ministry goals for the semester, evaluate character issues
• Meetings #2-5: Meet to touch base, have some Q & A, discuss how practical work is progressing, discuss character issues and track growth. During these meetings the mentor will begin to ask questions about character or ministry issues that emerge in conversation. These will become the focus of intentional growth throughout the year.

Since mentoring is a new experience for many students and mentors, some resources are provided below to assist the student and mentor in developing the maximally effective relationship possible.

The Mentoring Relationship

How To Find a Mentor

Finding a mentor is often one of the most difficult parts of the program. It is important that students find a mentor with whom they enjoy spending time. A mentor must be “a people person” to some degree, and be willing to show interest in the student. The mentor must have the time to spend with the student on a regular basis. The mentor must be able to ask insightful questions, and be able to guide the student in areas of personal growth and professional development. For help finding a mentor, read the following article: http://www.breakfastwithfred.com/library/article/93/how-to-find-a-mentor/

Traits of a Good Mentoree

The mentoring relationship depends primarily upon the initiative and teachableness of the student. A student (or mentoree) must know what he wants to learn, how he needs to grow, and what the mentor can do to help him. A student must initiate meetings and come prepared to ask questions and tap the experience of the mentor. For help learning to become a good mentoree, read the following articles: http://www.breakfastwithfred.com/library/article/12/traits-of-a-good-mentoree/

http://www.breakfastwithfred.com/library/article/90/developing-the-art-of-being-mentored/

Caring Mentoring

Many ministry leaders have never been formally mentored, so when asked by a student to be a mentor, they are at a loss to know how to be a good one. Mentorship is primarily a commitment to care and share. It is a commitment to enter a genuine relationship of caring where the mentor opens up his heart and takes lasting interest in the student. Consequently, mentoring goes beyond a formal classroom relationship. Also, mentoring is about sharing experiences and skills so the student can progress in preparation for ministry. For help becoming a caring mentor, read the following article:

http://www.dts.edu/utility/file.aspx?FileID=325

The Mentoring Meeting

Initial mentoring meeting

Getting started in a new mentoring relationship can be difficult and awkward. Even if the student and mentor have known each other for awhile, the formal relationship of mentoring can be strained at first. The goal of the initial meetings is to move past the uncomfortable stage and move into a relaxed and focused relationship. For help with the initial mentoring meetings, read the following article:

http://www.dts.edu/utility/file.aspx?FileID=329

Mentoring Meeting Agenda

Every time a student and mentor get together, the meeting will be somewhat different. To help facilitate smooth meetings, however, a general plan for the meeting will help. For help planning your mentoring meetings, read the following article:

http://www.dts.edu/utility/file.aspx?FileID=336

The Heart of Mentoring: Asking Powerful Questions

Much of the mentoring relationship depends on the student knowing what he or she needs to learn. The student should be continually thinking of questions to pose to the mentor so their time together is used fully. Often, students struggle with knowing what and what kind of questions to ask. For help learning to ask questions effectively, read the following articles:

http://www.mcs.edu/Mentoring/heartof_mentoring.html

http://www.multnomah.edu/Common/PDF/College/StudentMinistries/mentorhandbook.pdf