Do you find that true in your life?
I'd be hard pressed to find one time in my life where I didn't want some type of mentor. Someone to help me get from here to there in music, knowledge, faith, skill, worship leading, exercise, or something else. I've been blessed to have some of those relationships in the past, and look forward to more in the future.
But the reality for many people is they never have a mentor, even though it's one of the most needed roles in their lives. The space remains, and no one is there to fill it. And, if there is someone there to fill it, neither mentor or mentoree are really sure how to fill it, so the relationship yields less than expected.
It can be more frustrating than helpful.
Thankfully, there are resources out there. I've come across one thanks to a class at Northern that I plan on referring to for a long, long time - Connecting: The Mentoring Relationships You Need to Succeed in Life, by J. Robert Clinton and Paul D. Stanley.
The first thing I found helpful is Clinton and Stanley go through eight different types of mentoring in three groups: Intensive (Discipler, Spiritual Guide, Coach), Occasional (Counselor, Teacher, Sponsor), and Passive (Contemporary Model, Historical Model). If you ever didn't know how to mentor, I guarantee it helps to narrow down what you expect mentoring to look like.
Second, it's super practical. This is one of those books you can pick up, flip to a page, and use what you learn. It's not written as theory, though it is grounded in a solid theoretical understanding of mentorship.
Third, it comes from a Christian standpoint. This is especially important for me because my mentoring is more along these lines than, say, a business model of mentoring, or a sports model. However, these principles are transferrable into other types of mentoring as well.
Clinton and Stanley's book will be very helpful for anyone seeking to have or be a mentor.
But you don't have to take my word for it!
8 comments:
LaVar Burton was the pimp of the 90s. Star Trek TNG and Reading Rainbow! and in one glorious episode he combined the two!
I didn't know he brought them together... amazing!
there was a whole episode of reading rainbow going through star trek TNG's special effects and set!
oh hey it is mostly on youtube check out how awesome this is! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCsD5PRoX7I
DAN! I've made a realization within the last few days. Since I moved to Indy I have constantly been thinking about how I don't have a solid community of friends like I used to have...i.e. young/single/believers/etc. And I've failed to think about what I HAVE been given. For the first time in my life I have older spiritual mentors...something I've wanted for quite some time. My small group is like my spiritual family....siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. Such a great realization!! Now it's on to truly tapping into that gift. :)
Rach - Nice! What made you realize that?
So many people desire that, and it's so good that you have it. The hard thing might be to learn exactly how to tap into those resources. If they're not able to give what you need, maybe you can find a way to help communicate what they can offer, especially if they're willing!
That's good news. :) Thanks for sharing!
It was a combination of a lot of conversations and God smacking me upside the head. ;o) Piece by piece it all started coming together in my head. And then on sunday at church I got wrapped up in a big hug from 4 of the older ladies in my small group and one of them said, "I love that we've become a family," and it all made sense. Pretty awesome stuff. God is good. :)
Ha, beautiful. :)
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