Mentorship Groups

A faculty/staff-led mentorship program designed to encourage students to grow in their ministry effectiveness and Christian walk.

Apply to Join a Group

Program Highlights

  • Small groups led by faculty and staff
  • Groups meet at least four times per semester

Mentorship Groups provide opportunities for our students to build mentoring relationships with faculty and staff that extend beyond the academic setting and meaningful relationships with their peers. The men and women leading each Mentorship Group have a great desire to be honest and transparent about their own lives and how they daily live in worship.

Every group consists of a small group of students who meet with a faculty or staff member four times a semester for shepherding, wisdom, and fellowship. Students who desire to be a part of a Mentorship Group will be placed in a group of their choosing unless the group is already filled. All students wanting to participate must register through the online form that can be found on the Mentorship Groups webpage.

Dillon Dunk

Student Testimonial

"My faculty mentorship group has been such a blessing during my first semester here at Southwestern. Dr. Okinaga has helped keep me accountable and in the Word every day for the past few months, and he has been a huge encouragement during this new season in my life. I am so thankful for his mentorship, and I highly encourage others to sign up for a faculty mentorship group in the future!"

- Dillon Dunk, SWBTS student

General Information

Program Focuses

  • Mentor relationship that extends beyond the academic setting, focusing on the person
  • Discipleship for present and future vocations
  • Guidance in navigating through the difficulties of life

What Does a Meeting Consist Of?

  • Fellowship and talking about life
  • Based on the leader and on the student
    • The group leader might focus on certain themes or key principles to walk through with the group

Basic Eligibility Requirements

  • Must be a 2nd-year TBC student or older to participate
  • Enrolled at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary as a graduate or doctoral student; or Texas Baptist College as a college student
  • Minimum GPA: 2.5
  • Maintain the status of a part-time or full-time student
  • Must be able to meet with their Mentorship Group at least three times a semester
    • If students miss two meetings, they will be placed on probation for the next semester
  • Genuinely interested in being mentored with a willingness to share testimony and life victories/struggles

Expectations

  • Follow through with the committed times that you have scheduled with your professor
  • Be open and honest and willing to share

Unique features of the groups

  • There is no curriculum that guides the group as much of the conversation will be unique to what the leader and students are addressing in their own lives.
  • When joining a group, students can choose from different leaders at various times to meet as a part of selecting a group.
  • Students are not bound to a group within their school. In this way, an SCMW student could meet with a SOT faculty member.

FAQs

When registering, students will select three leaders and their available times to meet. We partner students with leaders based on availability and preferences.

Join a Mentorship Group

Apply Now