Mentoring

by Linda Hubbard

Mentoring is not a program or a ministry; mentoring is a one-on-one relationship.  The mentoring objective is to build relationships that influence others.  Ministry actually becomes a byproduct of mentoring. Oftentimes people, young or old, stop growing spiritually; they become stuck in a rut and cannot seem to get unstuck by themselves.  A “life coach” or mentor can come alongside and help them move to the next level (or step) of spiritual growth. As encumbered travelers at the airport can go a greater distance in a shorter amount of time on the moving sidewalks, mentoring relationships often see similar results.  Something happens to our motivation when someone issues a challenge wrapped with encouragement.

Once we catch this vision of one-on-one relationships that prompt spiritual maturity and build the body of Christ, we can begin to develop a ministry of such relationships. Begin by targeting your “faithful women.” 2 Timothy 2:2 states, “And the things thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men [human beings—faithful women included] who shall be able to teach others also.”

Mentoring and being a mentee (those being mentored) is not for every woman.  Remember the objective is to accelerate spiritual growth, so good mentees need to be faithful women who exhibit qualities in the following areas:

1. Being goal oriented
2. Actively seeking greater responsibility
3. Initiating
4. Showing an eagerness to learn
5. Being willing to assume responsibility for
   their own growth and development

Faithful women who desire to be mentored will not expect someone to pick them up, tell them what to do, and manage their lives.  Rather, they will be proactive in their desire to grow spiritually.

Your “faithful women” will also include mentors who will be characterized by:

• Having qualities a mentee needs
• Having an ability to cultivate relationships
• Being willing to invest their time, energy,
  emotion, trust into another
• Having respect of other Christians
• Having a network of resources
• Being an active advisor of others
• Possessing a balance of talking and listening
• Having a consistent lifestyle
• Having the ability to discern/diagnose needs of others
• Showing concern for the interests of others

Target smaller areas within your church where your “faithful women” will be active, such as adult Bible study classes.  Exposing the ladies to the new concept over a three to four-week period creates anticipation and excitement.

Advertise an Orientation Coffee where the mentoring concept is introduced and profile cards distributed; conclude with the ladies’ individual decision to participate or not.

Develop a Prayer Team of those overseeing the mentoring ministry.  The team studies the profile cards, prays, and matches the mentor and mentee.

At Kick-off Night, the official beginning of mentoring ministry, there is a teaching time for the mentors, and then the mentees are asked to join the mentors.  They (mentors/mentees) meet each other and set their first meeting for beginning a one-on-one relationship.

Half-time Refresher is the half-way point in the mentoring ministry. All of the ladies in the mentoring ministry meet to encourage, inspire, and keep things going.

Final Fellowship is the conclusion of the mentoring ministry for this round.  All of the ladies in the mentoring ministry meet to bring closure to their one-on-one relationships and to share testimonies of how God has worked in these relationships.

The emphasis of this article is to Look for the “faithful women” needed for a mentoring ministry.  The brief ministry structure gives the big picture perspective.  Future editions of The Rib will consider the ministry structure in more detail and will discuss the guidelines for the one-on-one relationship agenda.