Discipleship and Mentoring
When you try to describe a “disciple” to someone outside of the church, the best concept I know is mentoring. A mentor is someone who comes alongside and encourages, demonstrates, answers questions, and helps a person on the journey. When I think of the wonderful stories that have come out of Mentors Care at our area schools, I think of men who took on struggling students and kept believing in them, refocusing attention, modeling ways to get things done, modeling genuine love and encouragement. What Dena Petty did with her Mentors Care directors resulted in over 90% graduation rates among the students who paired with a mentor. Read more about Dena Petty’s story.
When we think of discipling someone else in their faith, we’re dealing with similar processes. We model faith, we model confession and seeking forgiveness, we model service, we model integrity and character, and we model praying for each other. We model opening our Bibles and seeking God’s leadership and instruction. It doesn’t happen through lectures or arrogant bragging. It happens through MODELING and MENTORING as one Jesus-follower shares the experience with another Jesus-follower.
I was discipled by Ross–a guy who had found freedom from drug addiction through Jesus. He welcomed me, laughed with me, modeled prayer before me, and invited me into the Bible in terms I could understand. It changed the course of my life. I was discipled by Keith–someone I least expected to have an impact on my life. But week after week, we sat in the living room with about 8 other students and he challenged us to believe Jesus and see His instructions in scripture. I was discipled by George–an older believer who spent an hour every Monday with me, talking through life, relationships, and my walk with Jesus.
They all modeled the Walk before me. So, as you read this, I ask you two questions:
- Who discipled/mentored you?
- Who has God placed in your life and what are you doing to help that person know Jesus?
If every Jesus-follower chose to give their encouragement and open faith to another, our world would be so different.
Dena Petty is again looking for men and women who will choose to help mentor struggling middle and high school students. I hope you’ll pray about volunteering. And every day, Jesus is looking for men and women who will invest their time in others who need to know Him. Become a mentor today!
Ready to invest your life?
