BEING A mentor

Helping to mentor others is essential in the life of the church. We all need to invest in the lives of others. Are you ready to be a mentor? While none of us is perfect, mentors must be on a path where they are:

  • Actively spending time with God daily during their First 20

  • Participating in authentic relationship with other Christians

  • Prayerfully committed to leading others as they follow Christ's example

Just like when looking for a mentor, the first place to start when wanting to be a mentor to others is prayer. Be open to investing in people of the same gender who are otherwise different from you in age, race, physical ability, etc. 

PRAY

Someone may have asked you to be their mentor. Pray about what God might have you do as a mentor for this person. It may be that you haven't been asked by anyone. Instead, you might find God calling you to invest in someone else by:

  • Serving in the student or children ministries at church. Just by volunteering, you are doing this in whatever role you play. 

  • Mentoring at church or in the community.

  • Serving in a care ministry at the church or in the community. For a list of our ministry partners and ways to serve, click here.

  • Investing in a neighbor or co-worker who is newer in his or her faith journey.

  • Taking time to encourage a younger relative.

If you are a parent, God has already chosen some of the people whom you should be mentoring - your kids! Check out our family resources to help your family along the way! You may also have capacity to invest in someone outside your family. If so, go for it!

ASK

Have a conversation with the person God places on your heart to see if he or she is willing/able to commit time to connecting with you once a month via phone or in person. (Of course, if it's your children, they don't really have a choice - God chose for them.) Try not to be discouraged if the person can't commit to having a mentor right now. God has the right person ready and waiting for you!

Once you’ve established who you will be mentoring, it’s time to start talking! We’ve provided some talking points for your first time together here.