mentoring ... is a versatile personal relationship focussed on the development of the mentee. It requires the mentor to be approachable, respected, flexible and, above all, to be a good listener. For the mentoring relationship to be effective there needs to be a build up of trust and well-intentioned challenge by the mentor. This enables mentees to set their own goals. All these skills can be developed over time and in mentoring skills workshops.
Well mostly that would fit coaching, and with a little shimmy to allow for the change of context and focus, spiritual direction. The shimmy would be 'own goals' where we would want to build in some recognition of goals being congruant with growth in Christlikeness or in relation to God. That said, I would tend to the view that who we are created to be is very congruant with theopoiesis, so there is something in all of that about discernment of what is truly 'us' and what is merely ephemeral, and that too is compatible with coaching at its best.
I'm interested too in how these kinds of insights become part of ministerial formation. I've already written on these kinds of topics in my MA and an article or two. The main article, written for an Anglican audience is Wisdom is proved right by all her children: Life Coaching, Christian ministry and mission, and the MA is Life Coaching Spiritual Direction and Culture.
My take is that, when I see through the pages of the gospels, Jesus encounters spiritually open people, there are a lot of things that he does that are picked up in coaching and mentoring. I think we can use the tools of coaching and mentoring to recover important dynamics of Christ-like ministry in our contemporary situations, including evangelism.
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1 comment:
I am a mentor for several years now, at work, sports and life. Thank you for highlighting qualities of a good mentor such as being approachable, respected, flexible and a good listener. I would think of these when I work with my mentees. Have you been to www.YoungEntrepreneurSociety.com? It has relevent topics on coaching, mentoring and other stuff.
Thanks again
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