Approach

The late Rev. Dr John Mallison, who for over 45 years mentored Christian leaders from across Australia and in other countries said this:

‘The vision God gives us in Christ is all about possibilities – what might be, not what is. People need not be locked into more of the same. It is about new realities which can be seen and apprehended by faith. The Good News is that life can begin again! God’s call is to actualise through the Spirit what we already are in Christ – a new creation! (2 Corinthians 5:17).

(John Mallison, ‘Mentoring to Develop Disciples and Leaders,’ 1998, Scripture Union & Open Book.)

My longing is to see Christian believers and particularly leaders grow in their faith and reach their full potential. One-to-one support will be offered in a combination of ways – coaching, mentoring and spiritual direction.

Coaching is non-directive, helping you the coachee to move towards your goals, through effective listening and questioning.  Mentoring is more directive, offering you practical suggestions and advice for you to consider.  Spiritual direction focuses on helping you grow your relationship with God.  All three approaches seek to aid character growth alongside skills and ministry development.  Please note that I am not a trained counsellor.  If I sense you would benefit from counselling, then I may suggest people or organisations who might be able to help you.

Training

I have recently completed my training at Waverley Abbey College, awaiting confirmation of the Waverley Certificate in Mentoring and Coaching. I am also currently participating in a course in spiritual direction run through South West Ministry Training Course.

These courses have convinced me that if we are to see our lives, our churches and our world changed through our Christian faith, we need to invest more time in spiritual formation for Christian believers and leaders.

The training has introduced me to a wide range of tools and perspectives to help in one-to-one work. It has been fascinating to explore and examine the different historical and contemporary approaches to spiritual formation across the various Christian traditions. Each approach and tradition contribute in distinct ways; helping develop people’s prayer life, encouraging new ways to engage with the Bible and celebrating some of the spiritual disciplines such as silence, solitude or fasting.

My training has helped me develop stronger listening skills, learn to ask more insightful questions, grow further in empathy, and explore different personality types. It has also included training in ethics and safeguarding (Level 3).