LMC Formation Plan

In keeping with the discernment stage’s heart-development focus, the Local Church Mentor and the individual will put together a Formation Plan consistent with bolstering the five areas cited under the Heart column of the Outcomes-Based Ordination framework.

Spiritual: exemplifies a spiritually formed and Spirit-filled identity rooted in Christ

  • Anchors identity and calling in Jesus
  • Forms lifestyle through spiritual disciplines
  • Evidences being Spirit-filled through fruitfulness

Holy: lives a holy, healthy lifestyle

  • Demonstrates emotional and mental health
  • Exhibits physical wellness and freedom from addiction
  • Lives a simple, financially prudent lifestyle

Loving: develops healthy, loving, and respectful relationships

  • Prioritizes spouse and children (if applicable)
  • Models respect for self and others
  • Displays love to all people everywhere

Compassionate: displays a heart moved over poverty, discrimination, and injustice

  • Expresses broken-heartedness over injustice
  • Tempers differences with mercy and respect
  • Challenges injustice and discrimination

Humble: maintains a non-defensive posture

  • Demonstrates teachability
  • Fosters accountability to others
  • Cooperates with FM peers, ministries, and other Christian groups

Sample Formation Plan (Focused on Heart Development)

Spiritual: exemplifies a spiritually formed and Spirit-filled identity rooted in Christ
  • Anchors identity and calling in Jesus
  • Forms lifestyle through spiritual disciplines
  • Evidences being Spirit-filled through fruitfulness
/ Read four chapters of Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice: Experiments in Spiritual Transformation (Willard & Johnson, 2006) per week. Write a paragraph-long reflection after each experiment describing how the reading and experience shaped you.
Holy: lives a holy, healthy lifestyle
  • Demonstrates emotional and mental health
  • Exhibits physical wellness and freedom from addiction
  • Lives a simple, financially prudent lifestyle
/ Participate in the church’s Financial Peace University in order to come up with a plan to address debt.
Continue to walk at least 30 minutes, 4 times a week.
Loving: develops healthy, loving, and respectful relationships
  • Prioritizes spouse and children (if applicable)
  • Models respect for self and others
  • Displays love to all people everywhere
/ Take daughters out to breakfast once a month.
Be home at least three evenings a week.
Compassionate: displays a heart moved over poverty, discrimination, and injustice
  • Expresses brokenheartedness over injustice
  • Tempers differences with mercy and respect
  • Challenges injustice and discrimination
/ Participate in the City Library Book Club’s discussion of Same Kind of Different as Me.
Volunteer at least four times at the church’s food bank, intentionally listening to the clients’ stories.
Humble: maintains a non-defensive posture
  • Demonstrates teachability
  • Fosters accountability to others
  • Cooperates with FM peers, ministries, and other Christian groups
/ Receive a 360-degree evaluation of work as worship leader; process with Mentor.