Mentors
The Bishop called to ask if I would serve as a first call mentor for a new pastor in the area. The Bishop was a colleague whom I respected, so I said ‘yes.’
I am not sure what I was expecting to happen when I said ‘yes’ to being a mentor, but my ‘yes’ opened the door to a wonderful relationship filled with mutual learning and growth.
Traditionally, to be a mentor means
- modeling a roll, behavior, or activity,
- sharing your experience in a roll, behavior, or activity, and
- accompanying another person as they learn a roll, behavior, or activity.
Over time as a mentor, I shared my experience with ministry. I provided samples of bulletins, letters, and agendas. I served as a sounding board to work through situations and generally offered a listening ear. The mentor relationship, however, was not simply one way. Through the relationship, I encountered new voices in theology. I saw a different perspective on congregational ministry and discovered the priorities, passions, and concerns of a younger generation. At times it was hard to tell who was mentoring whom.
While we don’t always use the term ‘mentor’ in congregational life, modeling helpful practices and accompanying individuals along the way can play a powerful role in cultivating congregational vitality both for the mentor and the mentee.
Here are a few places where mentoring relationships could be developed and prove beneficial for everyone involved.
- Faith Formation Ministries – Pairing someone new to the faith with someone who has a history with the faith provides both individuals a new perspective.
- Music Ministries – The language of faith is often translated into music. Pairing someone who knows church music with someone who is learning can create a wonderful new melody.
- Leadership – Instead of electing someone or recruiting someone to a position and wishing them the best of luck, imagine the power of having an existing leader share what they have learned with a future leader.
- Helping Ministries – Effective helping ministries are often grounded in relationship. Walking with someone in their time of need instead of assuming you know the appropriate next step creates better outcomes.
- Generational/Life Stage – Pairing individuals from different generations/stages of life can create opportunities for genuine growth and development.
Reflection by Pastor John Wertz, Jr.
Questions for Reflection:
- Who has been a mentor for you in your life? How did your mentor help you learn and grow?
- What opportunities do you see for mentoring in your congregation?
- Which mentoring opportunity do you think would be a good place to start? What is the first step to creating that mentoring relationship in the congregation?