MENTORSHIP

Stephanie Grunau, Bearspaw Associate Pastor

“Together is better!” Have you heard that statement before? Different people and organizations have used this idea in a number of ways over the years and it certainly is a theme we can easily find throughout the Bible.

Discipleship, the process of listening to God’s voice, doing what he says, and helping others to do the same, is a “together is better” concept. As a believer, helping someone else along their journey benefits both! Jesus mentored the Twelve disciples, “his own who were in the world” (John 13:1), to know him and, through him, to know the Father and represent God's love in the world. Even as he reminded them, “servants are not greater than their master,” he washed their feet.

Recently three people, all in different stages of life, approached the Associate Pastors here at RockPointe to discuss mentoring. How can we help disciple people who want to grow on their spiritual journey? Is there a way to connect these people? Are there opportunities for younger generations to connect with older generations to be mentored and grow?

What excellent questions. As a body of committed Jesus followers, who want to live as Jesus lives and love like Jesus loves, these questions are ones we all should consider.

What makes a good Christian mentor?

A spiritual mentor leads by example. They realize it is not necessarily the words they say, but it is their actions that speak the loudest. They seek to honor God in the choices they make on a daily basis. This provides guidance for those they mentor and encourages them to do the same. They ask, “How can I help you get to where you want to go?”

Maybe you feel like you should have your life all perfectly packaged in order to mentor. Maybe you’re afraid of the time commitment or the unrealistic expectations. I read an article by Elisa Pulliam who addresses this, “Take heart, friend, we don’t have to have it all together to be perfectly used by God as a mentor. Mentoring can be messy, imperfect, and totally uncomplicated. And that’s good news because biblical mentoring matters so much more than ever before. Mentors don’t do the life-changing — they are simply the vessel God uses to set the stage for His Work.”

Here’s some questions for you to consider this week:

• As a part of life in the church, have you made friends with others who are in a different stage of life than you?

• Do you have skills or knowledge that someone else might find of value? On the flip side, do you have an area in which you would like to grow?

• Would you consider asking someone to either mentor you or for you to mentor them? Pray and ask God for his direction regarding this.

Let’s continue to grow into a community that does life together. Let’s watch for ways we can mentor one another and encourage each other in the process!