Seventh Day Church of God (Reformed), London
Mentorship Guide
1 Thessalonians 5:11: Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
OVERVIEW
The journey as a Christian can be a lonely road. However, the Lord recognized the importance of having support along the path. In fact, some of the stalwarts in the Bible were themselves mentored and having gone through a period of mentorship, found themselves strengthened and equipped to lead God’s people at the appropriate time. Examples of mentorship relationships abound, including, Elijah and Elisha and Timothy and Paul. Indeed, while Jesus often took Himself away for time alone, He Himself could be called the ‘Great Mentor’, having led the 12 disciples - God’s Church has its foundation in mentorship!
While personal one on one time with Jesus is critical, the Christian journey is not meant to be trod without support. Mentorship is one of the important aspects of a Christian’s journey. It is part of the ministry for mentors who have an opportunity to become an encourager, equipper and exemplar, helping to build and replenish Christ’s church.
Recognizing the value of mentorship to the growth of the Church The Seventh Day Church of God Reformed Mentorship Programme is being introduced to provide support and guidance for young Christians and those wishing to grow in the faith. Through the programme we pray that mentees will be encouraged and empowered to grow towards spiritual maturity in Christ.
Benefits of Mentorship
Persons may have different objectives for seeking out a mentor. It may be that you are a young Christian or facing a particular challenge that you need help to get through. Still others may desire to deepen and strengthen their relationship with God. However, becoming a mentee does not necessarily mean that you are weak, suffering or lacking in something. Rather, mentorship is also a tool for sustaining and refreshing your walk with the Lord!
GUIDE TO MENTEES
Many people seek mentors for professional development. For the child of God mentorship is aimed at encouraging and supporting your growth in Christ. This may also result in improvements in other areas of your life, as you seek to be more disciplined in your Christian journey.
Guide for Engaging Your Mentor
Mentorship offers the opportunity to learn from others, to grow in knowledge, faith and dedication to the Lord and to foster accountability throughout the Christian journey. The following are important in getting the most from the experience:
- Trust is the hallmark of good mentorship. In the same vein, a guiding principle in the mentee/mentor relationship is confidentiality. Both parties must feel free to talk knowing that the content of discussion will not be shared without the mentee’s permission.
- Be honest with your mentor
- Communicate expectations and goals.
- Be realistic in your expectations of your mentor.
- Commit to meeting agreed times and deliverables.
- Be receptive to feedback
- Be willing to accept positive encouragement and also critical feedback.
- Understand that the relationship between you and your mentor is not one-directional. Your mentor will also be motivated by your response and growth.
GUIDE FOR MENTORS
It is understood that the desire to become a mentor is not about having achieved perfection. Those who choose to mentor are not perfect, but instead demonstrate a willingness to offer guidance to young and maturing members of the Seventh Day Church of God Reformed and those desiring to join the faith. As mentors, you are informed by your own journey and led by the Holy Spirit. The aim is to help your mentee along their journey to becoming stronger more empowered children of God. Through mentorship, the Church will produce believers who can then go on to mentor others and lead God’s people, as with Paul, Timothy, and the 12 disciples. In the process, it is hoped that your journey will also intensify as you exercise your faith in helping your mentee.
Trust is the hallmark of good mentorship. In the same vein, a guiding principle in the mentee/mentor relationship is confidentiality. Both parties must feel free to talk, knowing that there is trust, confidentiality and honesty.
As Paul showed his love, respect and desire for Timothy to grow in faith. So too your role will be to help your mentee grow in confidence and experience in the Lord.
What to Expect
- Mentors are expected to establish the code of conduct and mode of communication in the first meeting with their mentees. This first meeting is an opportunity to share your vision for your role as a mentor and invite feedback from your mentee.
- Aim for consistency and honesty in your interaction
- Approach your role with humility and from a desire to see your mentee grow in Christ.
- Establish a time frame for contact that works for both you and your mentee, including time to meet and pray.
- Not everything may be perfect, so go back and assess the time, rules and format for communication to see what, if anything needs to be changed.
- Lean on the Holy Spirit’s guidance on how to be an effective mentor.
- Expect that you may find yourself being tested along this journey. Spending alone time with the Lord will be important in ensuring you do not become overwhelmed in your role.
Benefits of Mentorship
As a mentor you will have the opportunity:
- to deepen your relationship with the Lord and to grow in spiritual maturity
- to positively impact a life
- gain a sense of fulfillment in carrying out this important ministry
- play a role in building God’s church.
Ideas for Building your Relationship with your Mentee
- Pray that the Holy Spirit reveals what your mentee needs to grow spiritually and how best you can help their growth.
- Talk with your mentee and get their thoughts on how they want you to help them in their journey.
- Consider developing with your mentee a growth plan, which begins with an identification of the areas in which your mentee wishes to grow and opportunities for addressing these.
- Communicate around concerns or struggles including your own, if this helps to instill confidence in your mentee.
- Design a Bible study plan.
- Discuss and confirm prayer times.
- Commit to agreed times and deliverables.
- Invite your mentee to reflect on their actions and experiences.
- Celebrate growth in your mentee.
- Have reasonable expectations and be there, in a non-judgmental what, where your mentee makes an error.
- Listen to your mentee. As you offer advice for their growth, also listen to them and try to appreciate their journey.
- Be prepared to give honest and constructive feedback.
- Note their progress and growth.
- Approach your mentorship role with humility.
- Keep record of each session.
- Confirm the ideas discussed during the session
Ultimately, being a mentor does not mean that you are perfect and are the best Christian. There may be times of uncertainty in your journey, including knowing what to say and when. If you’re unsure about where to begin, or how to handle a matter, look to the Holy Spirit for guidance. A good starting point is to acknowledge what the Holy Spirit has done in your life. Also look for insights from the mentorship relationships presented in the Bible (see below for resources and examples as you prepare for your role).
KEY RESOURCES IN YOUR ROLE AS A MENTOR
Bible Verses:
- Proverb 27: 17
- Acts 8: 27-31
- Acts 11:25-26
- 1 Thessalonians 2:8
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11
- Titus 2: 6-8
- Proverbs 22:6
- Proverbs 9:9
- 1 Corinthians 11:1
- John 14: 26
- Mathew 28:19-20
- Hebrews 13:7
- Colossians 3:16
- Philippians 4:9
- 1 Peter 5:3
- Galatians 6:1
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17
- Philippians 4:13
Biblical Models of Mentoring/Lessons on mentorship from the Bible:
- Jesus and the disciples, especially Peter (Matthew 16; Luke 22) - check these
- Paul and Timothy ( 1 and 2 Timothy)
- Elijah and Elisha (I Kings 19:19-21; 2 Kings 2)
- David and Solomon (1 Chron. 28 – 29)
- Barnabas and Paul (Acts 11: 25-26)
- Naomi & Ruth (the Book of Ruth)
- Moses and Joshua (Exodus 17:8-16 & 24: 12-18; 32: 15-18 - 33-12; Numbers 11, 13-14, & 27: 13-23; Deuteronomy 3: 21-29; Joshua 1)
- Lois, Eunice and Timothy (2 Timothy 1:5)
Version History: Created June 16, 2021