Mentoring Mondays: Biblical Mentoring is Discipleship

So isn’t mentoring really discipleship?

This is a question that comes my way often, which is why I dedicated a chapter toward unpacking the differences and similarities in  Impact My Life.  Yes, biblical mentoring is discipleship, but it isn’t limited by the traditional understanding of discipleship.  This is how I explain it, in part, in Impact My Life:

Biblical mentoring is a combination of mentoring and discipleship. Jesus set the example for us in the way He came alongside the disciples, modeled his Father’s instructions in action, answered their questions, responded to their needs and challenged them forward in their calling to glorify God. He was both their friend and their teacher. A mentor and a man who discipled others. He set a pattern for us to follow as we answer the call to go forth and make disciples (Matthew 28:19).impact_discipleship

Traditionally, mentoring takes place in the workplace or an academic environment, where a seasoned employee or older student comes alongside a younger person and trains, guides and encourages them in a particular area of expertise.

Biblical mentoring combines the heart of discipleship and methods of mentoring to cultivate relationships steeped in Truth while living out biblical application side-by-side.

In a biblical mentoring relationship, the goal is to train the younger person or believer in every area of life, not only through teaching but also by example, incorporating God and His word into every teachable spoken and silent moment. This principle is laid out in Deuteronomy 6:5-7, which indicates how to live a life that teaches by example and intentionality, particularly with one’s children, but certainly not limited to that relationship.

In other words, biblical mentoring applies the idea of training up, but expands it beyond the family unit. In a world of divorce and death, children needing mothers and fathers abound. There are an endless number of young people (and young is always relative) without an emotionally or physically present parental unit, desperately needing the practical gift of time, love and personal investment. Using a biblical mentoring approach for how to do life together, brings those lost ones into the fold, offering them life skills and Scripture lived out.

Maybe it is simply semantics or perspective or a generational shift in the understanding of discipleship and the allure of mentoring. Regardless of what you want to call it, the goal of our focus on mentoring is to raise up women confident that God has equipped through the Christ to impact the world around them, starting first and foremost in the relationships with in their family and then stretching beyond. But it starts first with following Christ distinctly — becoming a disciple who goes forward to disciple others.

Next Monday, our second mentoring group study kicks off and will be led by two women who recently completed the six week study course. One disciple reaching out to disciple others and now those disciples reaching out even further. Will you join them in this mentoring study and discipleship pursuit?

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Meet the Next Mentoring Study Leaders

The next M2B Mentoring Course kicks of with a four week long Simple Study of Impact My Life in a closed Facebook Group led by Jaci and Vanessa. These women are passionate about mentoring and equipping others to do so as well.  Both Jaci and Vanessa completed the six week M2B Mentoring Training course, and out of that experience, rose up from the 80 plus participants to serve as your leaders.

Sign up for the FREE Simple Study here.

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Jaci

Jaci serves in full-time ministry with youth and their families and Spanish speakers alongside her husband Ramon, for whom she has been married to for almost 3 years. They have a lovely daughter and another baby girl on the way!  Jaci considers herself a full time homemaker, although she has a background in physical therapy. Her passion is for the Bible and encouraging others. She also blogs at Desiring to Be Titus 2, inspired from the challenge found in Titus 2:3-5. Jaci’s life verse is Phil. 3:10. Visit Jaci at www.desiringtobetitus2.com.

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Vanessa

Vanessa finds herself mentoring daily in her full house of 5 young daughters! She was raised in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan but moved to northern Florida many years ago. Her lifelong study of dance has brought her back to the dance studio where she instructs ballet, tap and jazz to girls of all ages! Her passion for children and dance shines through in her classroom, where she is able to be a role model daily and make a positive impact on her students. Vanessa and her husband enjoy spending time together as a family, cooking, reading, traveling and playing games. Family is a first priority for Vanessa and Eric, they take much pride in caring for and spending time with their 5 daughters.

Please join us at our Facebook page this week, where we’ll be sharing an interview with Vanessa on her experience with mentoring and the training she received.

So are you ready to become equipped to mentor with confidence?

Sign up for the FREE 4 week course here.

Sign up for the 6 Week Course here.

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