Once an aspirant is accepted into the program, they become a CLM candidate and begin the process of working towards being commissioned as a CLM.

The candidate and the CLM Council work together to have a mentor assigned to the candidate. The candidate makes first contact with their mentor.

The candidate joins a CLM Candidate Peer group for peer support. Peer groups could be formed based on commonalities such as stage in the process, areas of focus, geography, etc. Meet at least monthly. Peer groups will do the readings together.

The mentor, covenant partner and candidate formulate a learning/serving agreement for the first year. This learning plan should include measurable objectives. Periodic revisions are encouraged with approval of all parties.

The candidate will schedule regular meetings with their mentor and covenant partner.

The candidate will write yearly reports in January and should include your activities and reading so you have a portfolio already in place for your final commissioning. The report should track status, outstanding issues and significant revelations and observations and reflect progress within the learning/service agreement. These quarterly reports should be submitted to the CLM Council liaison, mentor and covenant partner and copied to Beth Casebolt to be included in your file.

The candidate will provide periodic (monthly, quarterly) updates to the congregation through a mutually agreed upon means, such as newsletter articles, church website blog.

The candidate will participate in an annual review with their mentor and covenant partner to assess progress in the current learning/service agreement and create the next year's agreement. One question to be addressed in this review is how have you been transformed during this program?