Explore the Call just got better!  Explorethecall.com has released a new and free companion resource entitled, Nurturing the Call.  This discussion guide was created as an easy tool for pastors or mentors to guide students who are listening to the Explore the Call podcast and website. This powerful resource provides a simple platform to help facilitate regular mentoring meetings for those exploring God’s call to ministry.  Click the hyperlink titles below to download the pdf document.

The Mentor’s Guide was created for busy pastors or mentors. Since the teaching content has already been provided online, all the mentors have to do is to be available for a regular meeting over coffee or a burger and spend about 15-20 minutes preparing for the mentoring meeting.  The guide includes a summary of the podcast topics students will be listening to, possible questions a student might ask as well as suggested questions the mentor might use for one-on-one discussion.  

Download Mentor's Guide

The Participant’s Guide was designed to correspond with weekly podcast topics while also maximizing mentoring meetings by giving students questions to think about before hand as well as a list of suggested questions to ask the mentor.  The guide walks the student through independent study and helps them come prepared for face to face mentoring meetings.

Download Participant's Guide

Explorethecall.com has created an internship manual entitled, “The Experience” to help students get a taste of what ministry is like through either a short or extended internship experience in a local church.  The Experience manual was created through a group brainstorming session with Gene Roncone, District Youth Director Tom Groot and a group of lead and youth pastors from the Ohio Ministry Network.   “We wanted to create a flexible framework that could be used to expose students exploring a call to the most important aspects of full time ministry”, said Gene Roncone host of the Explore the Call weekly podcast.  The manual provides:

• Structure for a one-week experience during a holiday break from school, a summer experience, or a semester career internship approved by some school districts.

• A daily schedule with hourly tasks to help both students and supervisors stay focused within a flexible schedule.

• Worksheets to help interns learn from interviews with both paid and volunteer ministry workers.

• Debriefing worksheets to help the students arrive at meetings with their supervisor prepared and focused.

• A toll free support number for questions and comments.

The Experience internship manual is available as a free download from the equipment room at explorethecall.com.

Download The Experience Internship Manual

Episode 4:   Called to Be a Missionary? 
Episode 14: Talking With Pastors About Your Call 
Episode 18: Custom-Designed for Ministry 
Episode 21: Biblical Qualifications of Ministers 
Episode 24: How to Choose a Bible College
Episode 27: Starting Your Library
Episode 29: Dating While Preparing for Ministry
Episode 30: When My Family Isn’t On Board

• www.zbc.edu Zion Bible College (sponsor of Explore the Call)

• www.colleges.ag.org Complete list of Assemblies of God colleges within the United States

• www.goag.org Network of short term missions opportunities for students and adults.

• www.christianbook.com Christian Book Distributors Discount book retailer and resource for Explore the Call’s beginning library package.

• www.servingsweetspot.com Web site with free online spiritual gift inventory for Explore the Call subscribers. From the home page, fill in the “first time” registration and in the “assessment code” window type in “ExploretheCall” without spaces. You will then be given access to the site.  

• www.wim.ag.org Web network dedicated to developing, mentoring, and resourcing women in ministry.

• www.globaluniversity.edu Provides independent correspondence courses called “Berean School of the Bible” that can give you an early start on some very basic courses similar to the kind you would receive in Bible College.

• The Call of a Lifetime: Is the Ministry God's Plan for Your Life?, by Keith Drury

• My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

• Sorting It Out: Discerning God's Call to Ministry, by Alice Cullinan

• With Unveiled Faces: Experience Intimacy With God Through Spiritual Disciplines, by Keith Drury

• S.H.A.P.E.: Finding and Fulfilling Your Unique Purpose for Life, by Erik Rees

• Congratulations You're Gifted!: Discovering Your God-Given Shape to Make a Difference in the World, by Doug Fields and Erik Rees