Invitation to apply for the role of mentor

August 2010

Invitation to apply for the role of mentor

An experiential role in mentoring, facilitation skills & spiritual direction

INTRODUCTION

We are delighted to invite applications from Ministers to be mentors for the new 1st year students who will begin their Interfaith Seminary training in November this year, 2010.

This will be a two year commitment, supporting the new students in the London programme through to their Ordination in the summer of 2012.

Our mentors have an active role in supporting both students and members of the teaching faculty, and are themselves supported by a structure of training and supervision.

Set out below is the agreement we offer mentors – the commitments we would need you to make to the Seminary, and what the Seminary will commit to you in return.

The number of mentors is directly related to the number of students so we are only able to finalise the number of mentors until close to the start of the course. The process for mentor selection includes short listing applicants and then interviewing, usually by telephone, those on our short list to make a final selection.

A MENTOR’S COMMITMENTS TO THE SEMINARY

• To be of service – to the students (particularly the study group that you mentor), at the venues (setting up on each training day), and to your colleagues (faculty, mentors, speakers, helpers etc).
• To provide regular (between each training weekend) mentoring contact with each student in your study group to discuss, well being, how they are doing re attendance, study requirements and assignments. 
• To provide regular spiritual counselling for about 6 students that may or may not be in your study group.
• To maintain a regular spiritual practice, and to deepen your understanding and awareness of the spiritual counselling model.
• To learn more about the different aspects of mentoring: supporting and counselling individuals, holding and facilitating small study groups, and large group holding with faculty and other mentors.
• To follow through with your mentoring  to the end of the 2nd year
• To uphold the vision, values and ethics of The Interfaith Seminary and Foundation at all times, and to contribute to its ongoing development.

THE SEMINARY’S COMMITMENTS TO MENTORS

• To give you the opportunity to re-experience the two year training, at ever deeper levels
• To help you develop your skills in mentoring, spiritual direction and facilitation, and to award a certificate recognising this unique experience.
• To provide an initial training weekend in 30/31 October 2010
• To provide three days per year in which faculty and mentors on each programme will meet as a holding team for co-supervision and reviewing the progress of students.
• To provide regular personal supervision on a monthly basis
• To provide a place for you at the monthly spiritual counselling group supervision sessions in London at a reduced fee, should you wish to attend, and should this group be in existence.
• To pay any reasonable expenses (in line with the Seminary's expenses policy, and up to the limits below) incurred in travelling to training weekends, study group meetings and end-of-year retreats; plus accommodation should this be necessary; and £10 per quarter for telephone bills. Otherwise this is an unpaid role, for further learning and development. 
• In order to keep student fees as low as possible, the Seminary needs to be careful about the costs it incurs.  For this reason, we are able to meet expenses only up to these limits: £50 for travel per training weekend, £30 for an overnight stay in London, and 30p per mile for car travel. Thus please be aware that mentors living far from the training centres may have to meet some of their own travel expenses.

MENTOR TRAINING DATE/S FOR 2010/2011

Induction weekend to be held September early October - date to be arranged

Other training days to be arranged with mentors

COURSE WEEKEND DATES FOR 2010/2011

Mentors would need to be available on the following training dates:

2010   
 November  -  12/13/14
 December -  11/12
2011   
 January - 22/23
 February - 19/20    
 March -19
 April - 16/17
 May - 21/22
 June - 18/19
 July  - Retreat 8/9/10/11
 July - Ordination 16
 
If you are interested, please send:

• your application letter responding to the questions below (2 sides of A4 maximum) 
• together with a brief CV (1 side of A4) 
• by a deadline of Wednesday 15 September 2010
• to Lindsay Jarrett at admin@interfaithfoundation.org, and addressed to Jackie Amos Wilkinson, on behalf of the faculty

QUESTIONS FOR APPLICANTS

• What is calling you to be a mentor?
• What gifts do you bring to offer?
• What do you wish to receive and learn?
• Apart from the supervision offered to you from the Seminary do you have the support systems in place to enable you to take on this role: practical, emotional and spiritual?
• What experience do you have as a spiritual counsellor?
• What experience do you have of holding and facilitating groups?

With love Jackie and on behalf of Nicola, Elaine, Fay, Kathryn, Christopher