Mentors in the ALP/CLP Program

Mentors provide a vital link for participants in the Authorized Lay Preacher/Commissioned Lay Pastor Training Program between the academic classroom setting and the "real life" of service in local churches. The role of the Mentor is to provide an objective "listening ear," to act as a source of information and encouragement, to provide professional and spiritual nurture, and to function as part of the training team.

Mentors should be active minister members of the Presbytery of Kiskiminetas. Mentors for participants in the training program will be assigned by the Committee on Preparation for Ministry. Mentors for Authorized Lay Preachers and Commissioned Lay Pastors will be assigned by the Committee on Ministry.

Mentors will be assigned for a period of one year. If it is mutually agreeable to both Mentor and participant in the training program the assignment may be renewed for the second year. Those continuing on for the third year of training as Commissioned Lay Pastors may continue with the same Mentor or request a new one. Mentors and participants in the training program will attend an orientation at the beginning of the process.

CHARACTERISTICS OF MENTORS

The Mentor is a good Role Model

The way the mentor relates to the participant should demonstrate the same kind of openness and caring which Authorized Lay Preachers and Commissioned Lay Pastors should develop.

The mentor should be committed to her or his own professional, personal, physical, and spiritual growth and should encourage the participant to be committed as well.

The Mentor is Approachable and Non Judgmental

The mentor should seek to listen empathetically to the concerns of the participant before giving advice and to present critiques in a positive manner.

The Mentor is Accessible

It is desirable that the mentor and participant be geographically accessible.
The mentor should be willing to make time available for phone conversations and meetings.

THE PARTICIPANT/MENTOR COVENANT PROCESS

The participant in the Authorized Lay Preacher/Commissioned Lay Pastor Program is responsible to initiate and maintain contact with the mentor as outlined below.

The Participant/Mentor Covenant for Reflection Upon Coursework

1. Participants will submit a brief Personal Reflection Paper to mentors within 2 weeks following each class session.

The content of the paper will include brief reflections on:

a. How am I growing spiritually/moving on my faith journey because of this course?
b. What content/information am I learning?
c. What am I learning about doing ministry in this area?
d. What more do I need/want to know about this subject?
e. Any assigned reflections by the instructor.

2. Participants will arrange a monthly hour-long meeting with Mentors to discuss progress in training. This meeting will include discussion of the paper, coursework, and any other issues deemed appropriate by either the mentor or the participant.

3. At the conclusion of each Trimester participants will write a more comprehensive Reflection Paper answering the same questions in depth.

4. Mentors will submit a brief written evaluation of the participant's progress to the CPM following the conclusion of each Trimester. Particular attention should be paid to whether the participant addressed the issues posed by each of the questions above, and whether the participant has been faithful in maintaining contact. Mentors should share the content of these evaluations with participants.

The Mentor/Participant Covenant for Training in Preaching

1. After the conclusion of the second Trimester of the first year, participants will also submit one exegetical paper and one sermon (and sermon tape as available) per Trimester to the mentor for feedback and discussion.

2. The mentor should provide honest, loving, helpful critiques of exegesis and sermons.

3. The mentor should urge the participant to give high priority to sermon preparation. Mentors should share generously their experience of preparing and preaching sermons. Participants should be encouraged to view and read sermons of outstanding preachers.

4. When the participant begins to preach with regularity in the churches, the participant and mentor should review sermon feedback forms together during their monthly meetings.

The Participant/Mentor Covenant for Spiritual Formation

1 The mentor should seek to be a source of support, encouragement, and enthusiasm for the participant, both within scheduled reflection sessions and in other interactions. Mentors and participants should pray for one another between meetings.

2. Mentors should be prepared to share participants' challenges, growth, concerns, and joys. Mentors should seek to be attentive to the presence of God in the participant. Meetings should begin and end in prayer, and should be conducted as conversations between friends in Christ.

3. Mentors should regard their role as one of "equipping the saints for the work of ministry, for the upbuilding of the body of Christ" (Eph. 4:12). The Mentor/Participant relationship should be a model of community building and the conduct of covenant relationship.

The Mentor/Participant Covenant to Report upon Preparation for Service as
Commissioned Lay Pastor/ Authorized Lay Preacher

1. The participant is responsible to schedule all meetings and to submit all required papers to the mentor.

2. The mentor is responsible to submit a brief evaluation after each Trimester to participant and CPM.

3. Both participant and mentor are responsible to submit an annual report to the CPM.

4. The CPM may seek additional input for evaluative purposes from participants or mentors at any point in the training process.