There is a powerful tool we can use to help people grow,
heal, and cause lifelong change. It is called mentorship. Guest writer Dan
Saint, Youth Director at the Mission Church, Appleton, WI, has written an
article for us on how to do mentorship. Dan not only has been mentoring
students for all of his adult life, but he also experienced firsthand the
benefits of it. Dan describes his mentor as a pivotal reason for why he was
able to persevere and become the person he is today. He was able to ask his mentor tough questions
about marriage, careers and life, and through spending time with his mentor he
was able to see 1st hand how to navigate the troubled waters of
life.
There
are people in the world that can learn from books easily, I am not one of them.
The well documented learning style ‘learning by watching and then doing’ is the
only one that people are actually born with. The rest are taught, and so
mentoring comes into play. Mentoring is inviting someone that you value and see
great potential in, to be a part of your life. This could mean someone on your
sports team that you invite to practice with, instead of practicing alone. This
could be a coworker that you take to lunch once a week or ask to help you with
an important project. I have seen amazing mentoring done when a senior high
student stuffs their annoyance with a younger student and shares life with them
instead. Sharing the joys and pain of life has a cost, as do any truly deep
relationships, but you will find life so much better when you share it.
What is a mentor? (from the Quest for Authentic manhood
by Robert Lewis)
A
mentor:
a. supports
rather than competes
b. primarily
a cheerleader, not a critic
c. seeks
to encourage the development of gifts while seeking to protect you from costly
mistakes
d. admires
and delights in you because they instinctively recognize your value and
potential
e. not
necessarily a close friend but is a close confidant.
For a mentor it is important to choose a READY person to
do life with (from the Be-With Factor by Bo Boshers and Judson Poling)
A mentee is:
- R- Reliable, must demonstrate trustworthiness and handle basic responsibilities well.
- E- Excited, should be eager to be mentored and be a self-starter.
- A- Authentic, must be honest and willing to be real.
- D- Daring, must be willing to grow and be stretched and have an appetite for progress.
- Y- Young, must be willing to learn, to be teachable and open to receiving feedback and correction.
If you want to be mentored or mentor, I could not more
highly suggest reading “the Be With Factor”. It is full of helpful information
and guides you through the important parts of being a mentor.
Mentoring can be a life changing process. You could help
a person turn a corner and achieve things they never would have otherwise, and
have your own life changed in the process.
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