At the heart of the program is the EfM Mentor. An EfM Mentor is a facilitator and an administrator. As a facilitator, an EfM Mentor leads participants through theological reflections within a sacred space.
To pursue a call to mentor an EfM seminar group, you must first become an accredited EfM Mentor, beginning with Foundations of Seminar Life Training. Each mentor training requires 18 hours and uses two learning modes—individual study and group learning (either onsite or online). You will spend about two hours in Individual Study using the Pathwright platform before participating in the Group Learning either Onsite or Online. Attendance at a mentor training is not a guarantee of accreditation. Once granted, your accreditation is valid for one year with a grace period of six months.
The seminar participants create a covenant of group norms and expectations together, which addresses how they will study, pray, learn, and have challenging conversations. As our culture encourages divisiveness, a safe space to have conversations regarding matters of religion, tradition, culture, politics, beliefs, and experiences as adults is needed now more than ever. Seminar groups encourage each other to become spiritually mature Christians discerning ministry as mature citizens and followers of the Way.
To lead a seminar in through the EfM: Classic or EfM: Wide Angle curriculum, a mentor’s accreditation must be current. Mentors are expected to seek accreditation annually and are given a six-month grace period to find appropriate mentor training. At the training, mentors receive a trainer evaluation with the date of the training – accreditation expires 18 months from that date. It is up to our mentors to find training within that period to remain current.
Here is a current list of training offerings:
