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Mentoring Ups and Downs

Over the years, I have had the privilege of mentoring and being mentored by many great people in ministry. 10 years of ministry on a college campus kept a steady flow of ministry students involved in our church’s youth ministry. I’ve enjoyed many lunches with some great men and women and watched lots of them be used in amazing ways by God. Mentoring is all about investing your time, energy, and knowledge into someone else. I believe we all need to have a mentor and be mentoring at least one person at every phase in life. You need someone who is more experienced than you pouring into your life while you do the same for someone else.

Mentoring is often difficult. While most appreciate the time others don’t seem to heed any advice that is given. Others fail to even show up and make an effort to be a part of the process that they requested. Here’s my question: at one point do you start investing your time elsewhere and in someone else who will benefit more from the mentoring relationship? Is there a point where, as a mentor, you can say,”This dude doesn’t get it” and gracefully move onto something else? I’m not talking about doing this out of the blue, but after several “warnings” and admonishments about their behavior, attitude, etc. If it’s someone you’ve been promoting for a position then can you say,”hey, I’m not comfortable giving people your name and resume anymore because of the lack of maturity and character I have seen in you.” At some point, it will fall back on you if you’ve given your blessing and recommendation to someone who is not demonstrating the gifts, calling, and character of someone in ministry.

I’m talking mainly about college age students/graduates. Obviously, with younger students and pre-teens, mentoring is a bit different, but just as vital. Author Don Miller started The Mentoring Project several years ago to deal with the crisis of children growing up fatherless in our country.  They are a great organization with some cool resources and a mission that we all can believe in.

I would love to know what you think and hear your mentoring stories.  Grace and Peace.


Donald Miller books

06428: Finding a Mentor, Being a Mentor: Sharing Our Lives as Women of God Finding a Mentor, Being a Mentor: Sharing Our Lives as Women of God

Experience the joy of sharing life experiences with your sister in Christ! Whether you’d like to pass on God-given lessons to a younger woman or learn from an older friend, these selections from Otto’s Between Women of God and The Gentle Art of Mentoring will help you nourish relationships that produce abundant spiritual fruit. Paperback.

862390: Mentoring: How to Find a Mentor and How to Become One Mentoring: How to Find a Mentor and How to Become One

Whether you’re looking for a mentor to guide you to reach your best or if you want to have a profound influence upon future generations, this book provides comprehensive information for every facet of mentoring. Seven major areas of life-family and marriage, financial, personal growth, physical, professional, social, spiritual-are targeted for steady growth and balance!

448115: Mentor Like Jesus Mentor Like Jesus

For years, businessman Regi Campbell has been mentoring small groups of young men. It was only recently that he realized his method of mentoring was the same Jesus used. By spending more time with fewer people, Campbell saw a greater impact. Mentor Like Jesus is Campbell’s revelation of what he now calls “Next Generation Mentoring.” In this book you’ll learn how to become a mentor and teacher by walking in the footsteps of One who has had lasting and dramatic impact on our world.

270472: 51 Creative Ideas for Marriage Mentors: Connecting Couples to Build Better Marriages 51 Creative Ideas for Marriage Mentors: Connecting Couples to Build Better Marriages

Whether you are a veteran marriage mentor or just beginning, the Parrott’s give you dozens of new ideas for enriching what you do with your mentorees. This book is an “idea box” of activities and innovative ways to deepen relationships between mentoring couples.

447071: Augustine As Mentor: A Model for Preparing Spiritual Leaders Augustine As Mentor: A Model for Preparing Spiritual Leaders

Augustine as Mentor is a study concerned with mentoring spiritual leaders and pastors who minister to others on a daily basis. St. Augustine had many disciples and fellow colleagues with whom he interacted in the capacity of spiritual advisor. Smither explores Augustine’s model of leadership and brings it into the twenty first century for modern leaders to follow. Paperback.

338040: The Mentor Leader The Mentor Leader

Once a star player in the NFL, Dungy went on to become an award-winning coach. Drawing on his life and career, he shares mentoring secrets to help you become the leader God wants you to be. Discover how to develop key leadership traits, positively influence your team with words and actions, maximize group performance, and more. 256 pages, hardcover from Tyndale.

805303: The Making of a Mentor: Nine Essential Characteristics of Influential Christian Leaders The Making of a Mentor: Nine Essential Characteristics of Influential Christian Leaders

Jesus ministered to many but focused on a few. He knew that by concentrating on this faithful few he would leave behind a legacy of people whose influence would continue to multiply until he returned. This book is written to stimulate you toward the same passionate desire to change people who will then change other people who will then change even more people. It will show you how to live and speak truth into the lives of others in a way that will transform them forever.

Seize this opportunity to learn what our Master has to teach us about mentoring!

Episode 30-Comic Book Day



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