Formation Mentors – Information for Students

At Morling, we believe learning is not just about gaining knowledge but also growing in wisdom, godliness, and self-understanding. This growth happens best in community, through reflection and dialogue.

What You Need to Do

For selected units, you are required to:

• Meet three times during the semester with a Formation Mentor of your choice.
• Reflect on your learning and its impact on your understanding of yourself, the world, and Christian ministry.
• Share your unit outline/s with your Formation Mentor (cut and paste from the Australian University of Theology website - the link is on your unit's outline page on Moodle)
• Use the Discussion Starter Questions (available on your Moodle unit) to guide your conversations.
• Submit a written reflection on one insight gained from these meetings as part of your assessment.

Note: If enrolled in multiple units requiring a Formation Mentor, you still only need three meetings total, not per unit.

Choosing a Formation Mentor

Your mentor should be:
✔ A committed Christian whom you trust.
✔ A person of wisdom—this could be a pastor, church leader, or someone else you know.

Steps to follow each semester you are enrolled in an applicable unit:

1. Provide your mentor with a copy of the Information for Formation Mentors sheet.
2. Share the link to the Consent Form (https://form.jotform.com/250408246315047) and ask them to complete it by Week 3 (or Week 2 for summer online study). 
3. In addition, let us know who your mentor will be and which units you will be discussing using the Formation Mentor Notification Form (open in a new window or complete below)
4. If you can’t find a mentor by Week 3, contact the unit coordinator to discuss an alternative way of fulfilling the objectives of this learning activity and assessment item.

Scheduling Your Meetings

Aim to schedule your meetings in advance:

• Semester Units: Meet during Weeks 4, 8, and 11.
• Summer Online Units: Meet during Weeks 3, 6, and 9.
• Meetings should aim to be around 1 hour in length.
• Keep a record of your meeting dates.

During Your Meetings

• If you haven't shared your unit outline, do this in your first meeting.
• Use the Discussion Starter Questions relevant to your unit or units (you will find them in your unit on Moodle).
• Take notes after each conversation for use in your final reflection.
• Keep a copy of your notes, so that you can provide them if requested (e.g. if there is a need to determine whether the piece of writing submitted as a reflection at the end of the semester was your own work, or was created using AI).

What If You Are Enrolled In More Than One Unit With A Formation Mentor?

• If you are completing more than one unit with a formation mentor during a semester, you only have to meet three times in total.
• This might mean that you meet for a slightly longer time each meeting to cover your reflection of both/all units you are completing.

What If You Can’t Meet Three Times?

If your mentor withdraws or cannot meet as scheduled:

1. Try to reschedule.
2. If that’s not possible, contact your unit coordinator ASAP to discuss alternative arrangements.

Information for Formation Mentors

Please download this document and share it with your Formation Mentor before they sign their Consent Form (https://form.jotform.com/250408246315047)

Notification Form