Program for Spiritual Mentors
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• Who is eligible to be a Spiritual Mentor?
  An individual may be recommended to the program by a pastor, Ultreya rector, a Mentor, or other recognized leader in our spiritual community. The ministry is one we are called to, not one we "volunteer" for. However, this doesn't mean an individual can't discuss a sense of call to the ministry of spiritual direction and seek a recommendation to the program.
  
• What qualities should a Mentor have?
  - Be a mature Christian
  - Be a mature adult, secure in his/her identity
  - Be a listener (able to listen without "fixing" the other person or pushing their own agenda)
  - Be able to maintain confidentiality
  - Be able to make a two-year commitment
  - Be recommended by a pastor or other recognized spiritual leader
  
• Is mentoring similar to therapy?
  Therapy and counseling deal with particular issues in an individual's life. The goal is a healthy resolution of these issues. Spiritual mentoring is about finding and responding to God in all facets of life, in the midst of suffering and of celebration--and in everything in between. Spiritual Mentoring is not counseling or psychotherapy.
  
• How are Mentor's trained?
  Spiritual Mentoring training is available at Spiritual Direction schools, such as, Pecos Benedictine Monastery in Pecos NM, Mercy Center in Burlingame CA, Heart Paths training in Dallas TX, Shalem in Bethesda MD. For continuing education and peer group supervision, Mentors join in small groups for training and discussion and meet once a month, normally on the third Thursday of the month at 7:00PM. Mentors benefit from sharing their experiences and concerns with the other Mentors in the group (always within the bounds of confidentiality).