Mentoring and Coaching Guide

Introduction

The Board of Ministry wants to emphasize that the local church and local pastor are significant keys to effective ministerial development on the district. Rather than largely a district responsibility, it is primarily a local church responsibility to identify, evaluate, encourage, hold accountable, support, challenge, develop, test and approve those called into ministry in the Church of the Nazarene.

The Board of Ministry counts on churches and pastors taking that responsibility seriously.  With that in mind, the Board urges local pastors and church boards to be active in the process for developing ministers and careful in their recommendations.

It is also for this reason that the Board of Ministry has implemented a requirement that every Local  Licensed Minister and District Licensed Minister be in a covenant relationship with a Local Mentor who is an ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene.  This is likely to be their lead/senior pastor, but may also be an ordained staff member, retired ordained minister, or another ordained minister on their Regional Area.  A licensed minister should seek to enter this covenant relationship with their Mentor and ask her/him to complete an annual Local Mentor’s Covenant, engage in regular mentoring conversations, and complete the annual Local Mentor’s Report.

What every local mentor needs to know…

1.  A Local Mentor is an ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene (Pastor, Associate Pastor, Retired Pastor, etc.).

2. Every person seeking ministerial licensing or credentialing (local license, district license, ordination) in the Church of the Nazarene on the Florida District is required to be in a covenant relationship with a Local Mentor in their local church except in the case of a pastor of a local church, in which case another ordained minister on their Regional Area will serve in this role, and in situations where language differences may be unmanageable, in which case an arrangement will be made involving the district’s ethnic coordinator (e.g. Hispanic and Haitian Ministries).

3. The Local Mentor will serve as a mentor, prayer partner, and encourager. He or she will also hold the advisee accountable to the process of ministerial development. This is a vital role in the growth of a person who is responding to their sense of God’s call on their life. The Board of Ministry also relies on the Local Mentor and local Church Board to help the local licensed minister to identify and develop gifts and graces for ministry and to only recommend for District License those they have carefully observed to possess such gifts and graces.

4. One who is called to ministry will approach their Local Mentor with a request to enter into a covenant relationship (covenant provided by the Board of Ministry). Both will sign the covenant. The Local Mentor covenants to pray for their MIT, meet with them at least quarterly, be available for specialized needs for mentoring, and provide the Board of Ministry with an annual report (provided by the Board of Ministry to the MIT) as to the MIT’s progress in the ministerial development process. The MIT will bring this report to their annual interview with their small group of the Board of Ministry or as directed in other correspondence from the Board of Ministry.

The following is designed to assist Mentors in ongoing conversation with their MIT:

It is the desire of the Florida District Board of Ministry that you have quarterly contact with each MIT. If at all possible, make the first one in person. Be sure to establish agreed upon best practices in mentoring with members of the opposite sex.

The top categories and questions in all four areas should be reviewed regularly. The “Exploration” section should be worked with in an ongoing manner.  Revisit areas that you think need follow-up work.

Make the MIT comfortable, knowing you are coming along side to offer support and encouragement.

Reframe the questions/discussion to make your time conversational and uplifting.

Make notes as you go along as well as at the conclusion of each meeting. Add follow-up notes in subsequent conversations. You are to oversee and monitor the progress of this MIT so, over the next several years, you should see growth in content, competence, character and context.

Note: You will need to make an annual report of your mentoring for the annual interview in January. This will enable the regional team to be informed as they work with you in guiding each MIT on his or her journey.