By Tim with help from ACMN members on our April 2021 Member Networking Zoom

My training was largely around the concepts, skills, resources, and practices that would enable me to become an effective mentor.  I was also being mentored and there was comparatively little reflection on what might enable me to be a ‘good’ mentoree. 

This would all make good sense if 90% of the effectiveness of mentoring was wrapped up in the role of the mentor.  However, after mentoring now for over 20 years, I am very aware that this is not the case.  In the most productive relationships I have been involved in, both mentor and mentoree bring different but equally significant elements to the relationship.  Mentoring becomes a genuine partnership in which both mentor and mentoree have complementary roles to play. 

Continue reading “‘Mentorability’: What makes a ‘good’ mentoree?”

Following are 10 components of resilience with development strategies for times of adversity like COVID-19.    

What we are experiencing with COVID-19 and its implications for community life is not just higher stress, it is unusual adversity.  This requires more than simply up-scaling normal self-care practices.  Self-care is critical and remains needed, however in times of adversity a different capacity we refer to as resilience is required for the length of time the adversity impacts us.  

Continue reading “10 components of resilience in ministry as we face COVID19”

COVID-19 is creating significant adversity in ministry and leadership.  As I talk with pastors, there are 10 ways in which this impact is being felt.   

Pastoral load is significantly increasing because of the pandemic
Many church members are anxious and stressed.  They are isolated, fearful and some may be ill and even dying.  At times like this people usually turn to the church for solace and at present the lack of physical church support is very challenging for them and for us who minister.  In the last few weeks, I have heard of ministers making around 20 calls a day to members of their churches. 

Continue reading “10 ways COVID 19 is significantly impacting Christian leaders and pastoral ministry”

It has been great to catch up with folk at the Mentoring Seminars we have been running this week in Sydney and Adelaide.

Rick and Sally were hosting the Sydney Event and Tim was in Adelaide.  We all appreciated Keith Farmer’s reflections on emotional health and mentoring.  Steve Smith complemented the input in Sydney and Tony Ling contributed in Adelaide, both from their own research.

If you attended the seminar and are looking for some reproducible copies of the handouts for use in mentoring please follow the links below.

Continue reading “Emotionally Healthy Mentoring Seminars 2018”

Emotionally Healthy Mentoring

2018 Australian Christian Mentoring Network Training Seminars

Continue reading “Emotionally Healthy Mentoring – 2018 Training Days”

Listening in different ways: How conversations move in a mentoring session

By Tim Dyer

Continue reading “Reflecting on the modes of mentoring”

Our ACMN team enjoyed catching up with many of our subscribers, members, and friends at the Conflict Competent training last week. It was great to hear some unique input at each session and be part of the rich discussions and reflections on mentoring people in Conflict.  For the full notes and links to presentations, please register / log in on this site and follow the link to Conflict Competent Notes and Files.