Shaping the Hands

We believe the best way to develop practical ministry skills requires field work that supplements classroom instruction. The goal of the fourth objective of the Mentored Ministry program, “Shaping the Hands”, is to provide students a mentor who will give them the opportunity to take risks, fail, learn, grow, and succeed in the practice of [...]

Shaping the Mind

The third objective of the Mentored Ministry program is perhaps its most challenging. “Shaping the Mind” speaks to the task of theological reflection and the ability to integrate a biblical foundation into all aspects of life and ministry. There are two immediate challenges that make this task difficult. First, the ability to do theological reflection [...]

Shaping the Will

I love the opportunities I get to share with students the story of how God has directed my life steps as I have learned to trust him. The journey of submitting my human will to God’s will has not always been a smooth process. However, as one wise Christian leader recently reminded me, “when God [...]

Shaping the Heart

In many ways, the first objective of the mentoring program also serves as the foundation of the entire ministry. Shaping the Heart is about helping students develop their inner life through a core set of spiritual habits. Through the safety of a mutually agreed upon relationship, the goal is for students and mentors to develop [...]

Why We Do What We Do

Recently, President Richard Milliken and I were invited to give a presentation on our mentored ministry program at the annual meeting of the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE). ABHE is the national accrediting body for colleges and universities who focus on theological and ministerial training. All total, ABHE institutions serve nearly 38,000 students. It [...]

Discovering Purpose

Have you ever had a student express to you frustration or confusion about their purpose in life? Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults (Oxford University Press, 2009) reports that while some emerging adults have a clear sense of purpose in life, the majority do not. The majority are filled with [...]

Living Without Regret

As mentors, God may call us to help a student deal with the consequences of poor choices made in the past. In the context of a safe, grace-filled relationship, God may be calling us to help lead students to healing and wholeness through Biblical repentance and reconciliation. As we continue to look at cultural trends [...]

Transition! Transition! Transition!

Smith and Snell in their book Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults (Oxford Press, 2009), demonstrate that the most pervasive and consistent theme in the lives of emerging adults is frequent and varied life transitions. They change jobs, schools, majors, places of living, and friends at an alarming pace. Change [...]

The Simplexity of Mentoring

Every time I have a conversation with a prospective mentor I go through the same struggle. How do I communicate the reality of mentoring truthfully and with authenticity? Mentoring is about helping a student grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ in a relational context. Sounds simple right? Anyone can do it! No special education [...]

The Danger of “Wish Dream” Thinking

“He who loves his dream of a community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though his personal intentions may be ever so honest and sacrificial.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together We often speak of the importance of unity and community but often behave in ways that damage these ideals. [...]

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