Spiritual Formation

Spiritual Formation

At Tyndale, we view your entire education as Spiritual Formation. We are called to make disciples. In order to intentionally help you in your holistic growth, we address many different areas of life. Your mind will be enriched academically. Your character will be formed through class interactions, interpersonal relationships, community duties and involvement in your local church. 

Mentoring Program

Within our framework of spiritual formation is the small group mentoring program. All students enrolled in the Master of Evangelical Theology, Master of Divinity or Certificate of Theological Studies will be involved in mentoring classes. Visiting students who are registered on a “full-time” basis for a term are also required to register for a mentoring class. Students are assigned a personal mentor from either faculty or staff, or if necessary, other qualified individuals. Each mentor has a group of three to four students with whom they interact both on a group basis and individually. The goal of these relationships is to walk side-by-side with each student through their time at Tyndale. This allows students to have someone who is focused on personally caring for them and helping them to process their life in community.

Each term the mentoring program is designed by the Director of Spiritual Formation. There is usually a specific theme and a syllabus that sets forth the goals and requirements. Mentoring groups meet once a month during the fall and spring terms. The mentor leads the first session and students take turns leading the remaining group sessions. These group sessions allow the members to interact with the materials being studied, to provide a safe place to share struggles and joys and to uphold each other in prayer. In these groups, the body of Christ can be edified and encouraged. Between the monthly meetings, students schedule individual meetings with their mentors. These sessions allow the student and mentor to go more deeply into personal growth issues. It also provides students with a person to whom they can go if they are experiencing challenges in whatever area of life.

Tyndale’s mentoring program is graded. This is done both to account for the time it takes to be involved in the program and to hold people accountable to their groups. While the program is graded, the grade is not the main point of this important discipleship component of your Tyndale education. The goal is to cause one another to grow in grace and to develop in spiritual maturity. Students should gain a deeper relationship with God, acquire a better understanding of themselves, and be able to better interact with others with love and kindness. All of this will have an important by-product of developing and enhancing your skills for ministry.

For more information on the specifics of the Spiritual Formation program click below.