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Mentoring
added to ELM certification
PRAISED BE JESUS
CHRIST!
(Now and Forever)
I have lost count of the number of times I have used this column to
write about ELM, the diocesan Ecclesial Lay Ministry certification
program. Begun back in 1998, it was initiated by the bishops of the
state in recognition of our firm conviction that the non-ordained who
minister in our parishes represent the Church and therefore must know
the mind of the Church and reflect it. As such, the Church is
responsible for calling, forming, resourcing, supporting and evaluating
those who assume the role of ecclesial lay ministers. The goal from the
beginning has been that every lay person called to a leadership role in
our Local Church, employees as well as volunteers, will commit to
certification.
Those expected to achieve certification are directors of religious
education, parish secretaries, RCIA coordinators, directors of liturgy,
youth ministers, and pastoral associates.
Acknowledging that this would not happen overnight, the year 2007 was
set as the time-frame within which those in leadership roles would be
expected to achieve certification. After that date, the expectation is
that all new hires and volunteers will commit to certification.
I regret that not every pastor has taken this seriously, but am most
grateful to those who have. Four parishes have been awarded recognition
as “Parishes of Distinction in Catechetical Formation”: Our Lady of
Grace, Noblesville; St. Joseph, Pulaski; Holy Trinity, Bryant; and St.
Alphonsus, Zionsville.
Currently, 228 individuals are enrolled in ELM. Fifteen of these
received certification in October.
There is more to ELM than its 10 academic courses. A spiritual dimension
is most important. The same is true of training in pastoral/professional
skills. I am most pleased that ELM now has begun a mentoring program for
new students.
Mentoring is an age-old practice of pairing one who is experienced and
learned in a particular area that requires expertise and lived
experience with a beginner, a novice, in the enterprise they wish to
undertake. In the context of the Judeo-Christian tradition, significant
mentoring relationships include Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha,
Paul and Timothy, and Jesus and his apostles.
Mentoring assumes a relationship built on trust where the mentor leads
by example as well as insight. The role of the mentor is to inspire,
motivate and empower the person being mentored. In the Judeo-Christian
context, mentoring assumes helping a person discover their authentic
self as they realize the God-given talents and charisms which are to be
employed for the benefit of their brothers and sisters in building up
the Church.
Fundamentally then, a mentor is a trusted advisor and helper to a person
new to their field. The mentor provides support, challenge and vision to
the novice. Support includes listening with the ears of the heart,
establishing positive expectations, encouraging initiatives, affirming
talents and abilities, applauding new endeavors and appropriate
risk-taking, helping the person being mentored make ministerial
corrections, and sharing their own knowledge, skills and wisdom.
Challenge includes introducing alternative ways to view a situation,
daring the student to develop more fully their ministerial skills and
exploring more deeply their ministerial identity. Vision includes
helping the mentored to see beyond the horizon, enabling the novice to
perceive with both insight and foresight, and staying with the student
through difficult transitions in pursuit of their goal.
ELM students are expected to meet with their mentor for a period of 12
months. During that time, the students have four face-to-face sessions
and also four telephone conversations. During the year of mentoring,
students and mentors explore together issues the student is experiencing
in a ministry setting as well as emerging questions and issues the
student has about his/her calling to ministry and identity as a
minister.
The essential mentoring models which the ELM mentoring program utilizes
are the resource, the consultative and the spiritual-guide models of
mentoring. The resource model helps the student reflect on his/her
ministry to discover ways to approach a particular endeavor and to
determine what resources may be helpful. In the consultative model, the
mentor’s role is to assist the student in developing the capacity to
decide wisely and act maturely in coming to a decision regarding a
particular issue or problem. This is a collective effort where the
student takes the initiative both in raising the issue to be discussed
and determining an appropriate solution after consultation with the
mentor. Finally, the spiritual-guide model is at the heart of the ELM
mentoring program. Here the mentor engages with the student in the art
of theological reflection, the purpose of which is to understand God’s
presence and activity in the ministry at hand, as well as to come to a
clearer understanding of God’s call to ministry.
In summary, the ELM Ministerial Mentoring Program in essence is a holy
conversation eliciting a dialogue between the mentor and the student
under the watchful eye of the Holy Spirit. These holy conversations are
intentional and their goal is to help the students: understand
themselves more clearly; develop and refine their pastoral skills;
sharpen and clarify their theological understanding; and deepen their
commitment to Jesus Christ and his Church.
Back in 1998, when the ELM program was begun, the vision driving it was
for laity called to leadership roles in our parishes to have formation
similar to the ordained, albeit much less intrusive. Initially, the
emphasis was on doctrinal formation. This was rooted in the realization
that even those with academic degrees, including those at the graduate
level, often lack formation in certain areas judged important by the
bishops of the state. Academics remain a crucial part of the program.
Over time, however, spiritual formation has been given an
ever-increasing amount of attention. It has become a strong part of the
certification process. Now, with the mentoring aspect of ELM, the
program is being enhanced even more.
The efforts of this Local Church to prepare and certify lay parish
ministers was recognized and affirmed in 2005 when the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a document on lay ecclesial
ministry titled “Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord: A Resource for
Guiding the Development of Lay Ecclesial Ministry.”
This diocese is on the right track. The challenge is to get people to
board the train. |
