We’re only a couple of weeks into the fall semester at Southeastern Seminary, and already I’ve met with several students seeking a mentor. I’m pleased with that request because I’m convinced all of us need a mentor. Seminary is a great place to find a mentor, but that search must begin in the home and the local church.
With that need in mind, here are several previous posts that I hope will challenge you to find and be a mentor:
Why You Need a Mentor, and How to Find One
7 Reasons Why Pastors Must Invest in a Few Young People—and How to Begin
10 Reasons Leaders Don’t Disciple the Way Jesus Did
7 Reasons Baby Boomers Struggle Being Mentors
Mentoring that Usually Won’t Work with Christian Millennials
12 Guidelines for Enemy-Threatening Mentoring
By the way, SEBTS now has a Doctor of Education degree in Discipleship and Mentoring. Dr. Jim Shaddix and I have the privilege of teaching the mentoring classes. If you’re interested, contact me at clawless@sebts.edu.
The older I get, the more I realize how invaluable mentoring is. The mentor not only shares his knowledge and experience with his mentee and provides helpful feedback , he also gives the mentee “permission.” The concept of “permission” I learned while I was a social worker. “Permission” is not necessarily given verbally. It is often as not given non-verbally–through our actions. My grandfather gave my older brother and I “permission” to stop smoking by quitting himself. I gave a teen age girl who had been sexually abused by her father “permission” to trust men by showing that a man could be trustworthy. A former pastor gave me “permission” to take a leadership role in planning worship and leading services by not only encouraging me to take such a role but also by providing me opportunities to plan worship and lead services without his close supervision.