Formation Mentors – Information for Students

At Morling, we believe learning is not just about gaining knowledge but also growing in wisdom, godliness, and self-understanding. This growth happens best in community, through reflection and dialogue. Normally speaking (though not, of course, for all people, at all times) the primary context in which we are formed as disciples of the Lord Jesus is the community of the local church to which he has given us, and our formation as disciples is fostered by the wisdom of others within that community as they share their lives, their example and their understandings with us. The formation mentor requirement that we embed in many of our subjects is aimed at connecting the formal academic studies you undertake here at Morling with that larger process of formation in community.

What You Need to Do

For selected units, you are required to:

●        Meet three times during the semester with a Formation Mentor of your choice.

●        Reflect on your learning and its impact on your understanding of yourself, the world, and Christian ministry.

●        Use the Discussion Starter Questions (available on your Moodle unit) to guide your conversations.

●        Submit a written reflection on one insight gained from these meetings as part of your assessment.

Note: If enrolled in multiple units requiring a Formation Mentor, you still only need three meetings total, not per unit.

Choosing a Formation Mentor

Your mentor should be:
✔ A committed Christian whom you trust, typically (though not necessarily) within the local church that you belong to.    
✔ A person of wisdom—this could be a pastor, church leader, or someone else you know.

The role of a formation mentor is not to act as a counsellor or spiritual director, or as an academic tutor who is an expert in the content of your Morling studies. Their part is simply to be a wise, trusted Christian with whom you can meet up from time to time, to reflect together on what you have been learning in your studies and its implications for how you understand yourself, your world, and the nature of Christian Ministry  

Steps to follow each semester you are enrolled in an applicable unit:

1. Provide your mentor with a copy of the Information for Formation Mentors sheet (see below).
2. Share the link to the Consent Form (https://form.jotform.com/250408246315047) and ask them to complete it by Week 3 (or Week 2 for summer online study). 
3. In addition, let us know who your mentor will be and which units you will be discussing using the Formation Mentor Notification Form (open in a new window or complete below)
4. If you can’t find a mentor by Week 3, contact the unit coordinator to discuss an alternative way of fulfilling the objectives of this learning activity and assessment item.

Scheduling Your Meetings

Aim to schedule your meetings in advance:

• Semester Units: Meet during Weeks 4, 8, and 11.
• Summer Online Units: Meet during Weeks 3, 6, and 9.
• Meetings should aim to be around 1 hour in length.
• Keep a record of your meeting dates.

During Your Meetings

• If you haven't shared your unit outline, do this in your first meeting.
• Use the Discussion Starter Questions relevant to your unit or units (you will find them in your unit on Moodle).
• Take notes after each conversation for use in your final reflection.
• Keep a copy of your notes, so that you can provide them if requested (e.g. if there is a need to determine whether the piece of writing submitted as a reflection at the end of the semester was your own work, or was created using AI).

What If You Are Enrolled In More Than One Unit With A Formation Mentor?

• If you are completing more than one unit with a formation mentor during a semester, you only have to meet three times in total.
• This might mean that you meet for a slightly longer time each meeting to cover your reflection of both/all units you are completing.

What If You Can’t Meet Three Times?

If your mentor withdraws or cannot meet as scheduled:

1. Try to reschedule.
2. If that’s not possible, contact your unit coordinator ASAP to discuss alternative arrangements.

Information for Formation Mentors

Please download this document and share it with your Formation Mentor before they sign their Consent Form (https://form.jotform.com/250408246315047)

Notification Form