Intellectual wellbeing, learning, purpose and challenge
Learning new things is stimulating and can help to lift your mood. You will know the thrill of mastering a skill, and that is not something that goes away when we commit to lifelong learning.
We also, by God’s grace, accumulate emotional intelligence, which in turn builds resilience. This makes a huge difference in whether you can approach what is in front of you with optimism and creativity. It will also equip you to be assertive and to make choices that reflect a grounded and godly approach to dealing with the challenges you will face.
A healthy mind helps you ensure there are things each day that you choose to do, not just responding to what others expect you to do.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
~ Romans 12:2
Make active choices to ensure you are flourishing in this mind space
- Look through training opportunities offered in the Diocese – is there something else you would like? Get in touch
- Pick a book off your shelves that you haven’t got round to reading yet
- Learn something new; a new recipe, a DIY or gardening project [it’s amazing what tutorials you can find on YouTube]
- Consider learning a new language, perhaps BSL?
- Meet up with someone who has a very different perspective than you for conversation – with grace you will expand one another’s minds
Something to read
Theology Munch is an in-person group who will grapple with a theology book over three months, allowing us to go deep. Email to find out more.
Something to listen to
All in the mind on BBC Sounds: exploring how we think, feel and behave
Story: Attending to mind
Give yourself space each week for prayer, reading and reflection. Use a mentor and a spiritual director to help you develop good reflective practice. Live with Sunday’s scripture from Monday.
~ Experienced vicar
Red Flags
Notice when your self-talk becomes unkind – speak to yourself as you would speak to a much-loved friend.
Has it been a while since you have engaged in any training other than what you absolutely have to?
Story: The importance of self-awareness
Through many difficult lessons learned during times of weakness and vulnerability, I realised that the most important lesson was the art of ‘letting go’—or, more specifically, holding more lightly onto things that seem important. This lighter touch comes from acknowledging that I am not the one in control. While this realisation can be unsettling, I have discovered great comfort in surrendering control. In releasing my grip, I open myself to God’s will and understand that I am merely a part of a larger plan. This release also frees me from the clutches of my own ego.
Ego is a subtle and envious companion in ministry. It can easily take over, pushing God to the sidelines. When I succumb to my ego’s demands for attention and validation, the result is always the same—exhaustion, stress, and near burnout. Therefore, I have learned to hold more lightly to the things that matter, and to no longer listen to the voices that flatter and feed my ego. While it might be pleasant to hear such voices, I now recognise that if taken too seriously, they lead me inward toward self-focus rather than outward toward others.
~ Vicar in first post of responsibility
One-to-one facilitation
Providing space and support to think through a specific situation or challenge
This is part of the Ministry support framework. Read more →
What 1:1 facilitation is, and what it is not
This is a facilitated conversation whereby the person knows something at the end of the conversation that they didn’t know at the beginning. So this process can help you explore issues, make a decision about a next step in a process, help you scope out a complex web of relationships, start a project and so on. It is most effective when you are in a good place with the time and energy to give to your personal development. A facilitator can help in a crisis but the focus then is more on survival than personal development – prevention is always better than first aid.
This process does not depend on the facilitator being more experienced than you; it is not about someone giving you advice. It is based on a deep understanding that you have all the resources you need within you – all you need is someone to help you uncover them.
These facilitated conversations are not Spiritual Direction, where the focus is on your relationship with God, though it goes without saying, your walk with God will be part of the conversation and thinking and may well allow you to find ways of developing your relationship with God.
Neither are they Counselling. This is not the right space to process complex emotions, though it will be understood that these may well be part of the deep thinking and talking that will be the work of these sessions.
We are developing a team of trained people to offer this one-to-one work, who themselves will be engaging in their own work and ongoing development, as you are.
Meetings
- The first meeting is a maximum of 1.5 hours allowing half an hour to discuss the process, the way you want to work, and looking through the agreement, and the intervals between sessions and 1 hour for 1:1 support
- A further two sessions of 1 hour maximum followed by a review
- The 1:1 support may continue for a further three sessions followed by a review
- It would not be expected for the 1:1 support to continue beyond six sessions
- Following 1:1 support, people will be expected to join a supervision group if they do not already belong to one
Practicalities
- Those receiving support would ordinarily travel to the facilitator. However, if that is not possible, travel expenses are available for facilitators
- Alternatively, it may be agreed that sessions happen online
- If the 1:1 support is felt to remain useful after six sessions, there would be a conversation between Kate, the facilitator and the person receiving 1:1 support to discuss next steps
- If it is felt the situation is too complex, a referral for professional coaching may be made [see 5]
- The Diocese will commit to the safer recruitment, support, training and group supervision to all people engaged in delivering 1:1 support
