Forms For Mentoring - New England Mentored Ministry

Forms for Mentoring

You are here because you wish to work with a Gordon-Conwell student or a student has approached you to be their Mentored Ministry mentor.

“The purpose of the combined Mentored Ministry & Career Services Departments is to help students perceive, prepare and pursue their calling in Christ.”

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Commonly Asked Questions:


What is Mentored Ministry?
Mentored Ministry is the field education component of the Masters of Divinity program at GCTS. Students have the requirement, opportunity and privilege to be mentored by an experienced pastor or ministry leader and gain practical experience in one or a variety of ministries during the time they are in seminary. There are three kinds of Mentored Ministry courses:

The Orientation Saturday Mornings are expected to be the required prerequisite for the first semester. This consists of two morning meetings during the first semester. Students are encouraged to take this time to think and pray through their options for their Mentored Ministry courses, as well as find a good home church for them and/or their family. This is also the time when students will be given the Profiles of Ministry character and ministry assessment, which they are instructed to share with their mentors once they have a Mentored Ministry situation secured.

MM Courses (MM505, 605, & 705) are when students engage in actual ministry on the field. Each course needs to be 12 weeks long (a normal semester in length) and at least 10 hours per week. Up to half of the time allotted may be spent in preparation for ministry (e.g. Bible study, sermon preparation, etc.).

The MM Capstone course (MM702) is the third type of course that can be taken. The course focuses on bridging the world of the seminary and the world of ministry beyond GCTS. The course will provide an opportunity for critical reflection on the vocational preparation of the student. It will be considered an online class only available for the Old Program.

As a mentor, you would be required to meet with them personally once a week for an hour, committing yourself during that time to their spiritual growth and maturity, as well as their ministry knowledge and skills development. Written assignments are required at the beginning (Learning Covenant) and at the end (Progress Report or Final Evaluation) of each 12-week MM course.  For those doing double courses, there is also an assignment (Reflection Tool) due in the middle of the semester.

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Odds of Getting a Student: A “Disclaimer:”

Here at GCTS Hamilton, we are fortunate to have many more churches and ministries interested in having our students work with them than there are seminarians to go around. Therefore, only about ¼ of all church or ministry requests actually find a student. A majority of our students (about 98%) find ministry opportunities by word of mouth, and in addition, do their Mentored Ministry within about a 20 mile radius of the seminary.

While we love the church and are happy to make potential Mentored Ministry opportunities known, we do believe that inquirers need to be informed of the odds, so that churches’ or ministries’ hopes for (or pressures on) a student may not be too high – and so that no inordinate amount of labor be done on anyone’s part to try to arrange for something that may not be realistic.

In summary, GCTS Mentored Ministry is committed to being student-centered. We reserve the right to decline or limit certain ministry opportunities we may feel do not offer a robust or supportive enough ministry environment for students.

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What is an approved mentor, and how do I become one?
All mentors working in ministry with Gordon-Conwell students must be approved by the Mentored Ministry Office of the Seminary. Prior to commencing a mentoring relationship with a student, the mentor must have completed an Application to Mentor, agreed to the Mentoring Commitment, and have been approved by the Mentored Ministry office.

The school requires mentors to have had at least five years of full-time ministry experience before seeking the approved mentor status.

It should be noted that long years of experience and excellent skills in ministry do not necessarily qualify one for supervising ministry students. Therefore, the Seminary requires training in supervision for new mentors. Mentors are expected to attend (once) the seminary’s fall or spring New Mentor Orientation program (a 3-hour afternoon, including lunch) prior to or simultaneous with working with their student.

If a mentor is not within driving distance of the seminary, exceptions are granted with approval of the Mentored Ministry Office. Normally, approval is made complete by participation in the orientation program. If a mentor has been trained in supervision at another seminary, Gordon-Conwell will recognize such training if the other school’s program is comparable to ours. If  a mentor does not attend the New Mentor Orientation within 2 semesters of written approval, they may not continue to mentor.

Mentors will also be expected to uphold the standards of the Mentored Ministry program in order to continue their status as mentors. This includes meeting the minimal commitment of meeting with their mentoree an average of 1 hour per week for personal and ministry mentoring during the 12 weeks of the student’s Mentored Ministry course(s). It also presumes that the mentor is in basic agreement with the GCTS Community Life Statement.

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What is New Mentor Orientation?
This is the half-day training and orientation seminar that each newly-approved mentor is required to attend, once. These events are typically scheduled for an afternoon in early September and in early February. A complimentary lunch is included.

If a new mentor cannot attend the New Mentor Orientation (NMO) nearest to their approval date (given in their approval letter), they must come to the next scheduled New Mentor Orientation. Mentors who do not attend the NMO within the first 2 semesters of being approved will not be allowed to continue to mentor GCTS students.

If a mentor’s application is approved for a local summer Mentored Ministry, upon written approval, they may mentor their student through the summer and make plans to attend the Fall New Mentor Orientation. If the mentor is at a location farther than a 2-hour drive from the seminary, they will not be required to attend, and the Mentored Ministry office will provide them with the appropriate resources.

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“I would like a student. How can we get one?”
If you are already an approved GCTS mentor, then all you need to do is fill out the Position Description Form and scan, fax or mail it in to us. We will make a posting for your ministry opportunity and 1) Send it out by e-mail to the student body, 2) Upload it to the web site, 3) Post it on our bulletin board outside of our office for students to view, and 4) Keep a full description on file in our office for reference.

If you are not already a GCTS approved mentor, you must be willing to seriously mentor any student who would choose your opportunity, and to go through the process of being approved before we can post your opportunity. This involves completing an Application to Mentor and attending our ½-day new Mentor Orientation. Please read above under “Approved Mentors” to learn how to move forward.

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What denominational considerations are there?
Students sometimes ask, “Is my denominational affiliation important?” Our answer is, “It very much could be.” Here are three reasons why:

Firstly, it could make a huge difference in the kind of networking needed to find a ministry job after graduation – particularly if a student is planning on, or open to the possibility of, ordination. Frankly, we find that students with denominational affiliation have a much easier time. As we often say – unless God has clearly told you to go non-denominational, you should seek to choose an appropriate denomination.

Secondly, it is very helpful to unite and resource with other Christians who share one’s theological and methodological convictions and/or emphases. We advise students to begin the process of finding their best possible denominational fit now, rather than figuring out later that they are uncomfortable with a given ministry situation. Also, selecting a denomination (or association of churches) does not necessarily mean that they are locked in. There is often reciprocity between denominations and non-denominational churches, meaning quite a few are willing to hire people from outside their denominational group.

Thirdly, even though a student may believe that God is not calling them to ordained ministry or a job in the church, a time may come when this might change. They owe it to themselves to at least know their convictions and preferences, “just in case.” Plus, if they do choose a denomination, the inquiry or candidate process can take a long time (one to two-plus years is not uncommon), so the earlier they start, the better!

So, how can students start the process of checking out denominations? Please take a look at our Denominational Chart. We have listed the top-represented denominations from the GCTS student body and categorized them by topics that seem to matter most to our students in their selection process: church polity, theology, stance on women in leadership, and view on baptism. We have also included contact information for the regional and national representatives of these denominations for your convenience.

Finally, please note that we have several copies of The Handbook to Denominations in the United States available on loan in the Career Services office (AC233).

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