IMPORTANCE OF MENTORING AND STEPS TO

MENTOR YOUNGER LEADER IN LOCAL CHURCH

BASED ON CHRIST’S MODEL

Submitted To

Global School of Open Learning

In Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirement for the Course No. DY 634

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP

by

Vivek Ray
ID No. M14J002

6 Aug, 2019

GLOBAL SCHOOL OF OPEN LEARNING

Table of Contents
1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 3

2. Definition of Mentoring ....................................................................................................................... 3

3. Importance of Mentoring ..................................................................................................................... 4

3.1 Importance to Kingdom ...................................................................................................................... 4

3.2 Importance to leader .......................................................................................................................... 4
3.3 Importance to follower ....................................................................................................................... 5
4. My Personal experience........................................................................................................................ 5

5. Steps to mentor Young leaders in Church ............................................................................................ 6

5.1 Choosing Mentees: ............................................................................................................................. 6

5.2 Relationship with mentees ................................................................................................................. 8
5.3 Primary goal of mentorship ................................................................................................................ 8
5.4 Procedural Structure ........................................................................................................................... 9
6. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 11

7. Bibliography ........................................................................................................................................ 12

List of Illustrations

Figure 1: Levels of mentoring relationships in Church.................................................................. 7

Figure 2: Christ model of mentoring relationships ........................................................................ 7

Figure 3: Steps to mentor Young leaders in Church .................................................................... 11

2
1. Introduction

Mentoring is often described as “working yourself out of the job.” This could sometime be true

in a corporate environment. However, for a Christian leader, mentoring is an integral part of

the ministry. It is God’s way to establish His kingdom on earth. In this writing I have briefly

explained what is mentoring, stated its importance along with my personal experience. Then I

have laid out steps on how church leadership can mentor and raise younger leaders, based on

Jesus’ model.

2. Definition of Mentoring

Mentoring is a relatively new word, and several definitions have been proposed. It has wide

variety of uses describing the range of activity and functions which can be considered to be

mentoring. The word has traditionally been used to describe the process of investing oneself

into someone else to enable him or her to realize the fullest potential and thus live with purpose

and satisfaction.1

According to Keith Anderson and Randy Reese “Spiritual mentoring is a triadic relationship

between mentor, mentee, and the Holy Spirit where the mentee can discover, through the

already present action of God, intimacy with God, ultimate identity as a child of God, and a

unique voice for kingdom responsibility.”2

1
D. G. Boldeau, "Developing a mentoring model, based on Christ's approach to discipleship, for intern pastors
in the British Union," (D.Min diss., Andrews University, 2014),
http://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1017&context=dmin.

2
Keith R. Anderson and Randy D. Reese, Spiritual Mentoring: A Guide for Seeking & Giving Direction (Downers
Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 12

3
 Howard and William Hendricks says “At their best, mentors nurture our souls. They shape our

character. They call us to become complete men, whole men, and, by the grace of God, holy

men.”3

So, mentoring is a positive, developmental relationship, where the mentor acts as a guide,

supporter, sounding board and, a role model, but the responsibility of development lies with

mentee. It is a relationship based on understanding and trust. Within Christian framework, the

Holy Spirit adds a powerful dynamics to this relationship.

3. Importance of Mentoring

3.1 Importance to Kingdom

Patrick Morley his Bible Study observes Jesus’ mission as ‘Total global Conquest,’ for

Kingdom of God. For this he needed men of equal talent. His strategy was to pick up a dozen

men and equip them.4 He spent majority of his time in mentoring the Twelve, who then not

only proclaimed the gospel but trained and mentored their followers. This is how the New

Testament Church grew. Therefore, mentoring is important as it is God’s method to establish

His kingdom.

3.2 Importance to leader

Mentoring is important to a Christian leader as one of his primary responsibility as God’s

servant. The Great Commission is not an evangelizing commission, but a mentoring

3
Howard G. Hendricks and William D. Hendricks, As Iron Sharpens Iron: Building Character in a Mentoring
Relationship (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2009), 18.
4
Patrick Morley, "The Mentoring Method of Jesus," YouTube, June 6, 2016, accessed July 3, 2019,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufHZhZqUK_A.

4
 commission (Go and make disciples....), which is not limited to saving souls but discipling

them to maturity and train new leadership for the task. Rev. Dr. Chris Gnanakan states,

“Mentoring is a mark of true spiritual maturity. It involves watching God develop others

through you and rejoicing that they are being greatly used by him. This requires nothing

less than a heart that is totally committed to God, seeking nothing less than his kingdom.”5

3.3 Importance to follower

Paul was converted through a powerful encounter with resurrected Jesus. But he would have

never achieved his potential without mentoring of Barnabas. Mentors are God-ordained help

for every young believer with a call, through whom Holy Spirit minsters. Mentoring therefore

is important for every follower of Jesus Christ.

4. My Personal experience

Professionally I had been a college teacher, corporate trainer and strategic consultant. My own

lack of mentors during initial years of my career impressed upon me the importance of having

mentors. My profession gave me opportunity to mentor people and prevent them from

repeating mistakes I had committed because of my lack of mentorship and teach them what I

had learned the hard way. Their success gave deep satisfaction and a meaning not only to my

job, but also to my failures which became lessons for others. Over years I too was blessed with

mentors in certain areas of my profession. However I realized the full scope of mentoring only

after I gave myself to the Lord.

In the secular world mentoring relationships are often laced with vested self-interest. Whereas,

Christian mentorship is a selfless act of servant leadership. Right from my infancy in faith to

5
Chris Gnanakan, "Old Testament Mentoring: David & Solomon," Dr. Chris Gnanakan, last modified November
13, 2015, https://chrisgnanakan.wordpress.com/2015/11/13/old-testament-mentoring-david-solomon/.

5
 my role as a leader, I have found leaders in Church and fellowship who are willing to invest

their time and effort in mentoring so I may grow and become more useful for God’s kingdom.

Though personal examples they helped in development of my character. I am blessed by their

fellowship and by the time they spend in counseling, equipping and guiding me. They

challenge me as well as empower me and encourage me. Similarly, it has been my joy to

mentor others and see them grow, transform and emerge as leaders.

5. Steps to mentor Young leaders in Church

Mentoring reflects the very pattern of Jesus with his own disciples. The twelve learned and

experienced in their discipleship relationship with Jesus over three years that prepared them to

be “apostles.”6 Jesus pattern of discipleship was similar to rabbi of those days, with the

difference that he made disciples not unto himself but for the Kingdom. Krallmann claim that

Jesus mentoring precedent and prototype for raising up movement leaders is the method He

expects all succeeding generations to follow.7 Therefore a study of four Gospel is the basis of

the steps given here to mentor young leaders in local church.

5.1 Choosing Mentees:

Jesus had four levels of relationships and roles of influence. First, was His relationship to the

multitudes; whom he taught and healed (see Matt 5:1; 9:8). Second, was his relationship to his

followers, whom he led by example and sent two by two to preach (Luke 10:1-17) and lovingly

shepherded and cared for them (Acts 1:15-26). Third, he had an even closer relationship with

the Twelve who were with him constantly for three years being equipped as future church

leaders and Gospel preacher (Matt 10:2; 20:17; Mark 3:14). Fourth were the inner circle to

6
Alexander B. Bruce, The Training of the Twelve (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1971).
7
Günter Krallmann, Mentoring for Mission (Waynesboro, GA: Gabriel, 2014), 131.

6
 whom He set aside special time (Matt 17:1-8; 26:37; Mark 5:37-43; 13:3) as they would be

key leaders in early church.8 This is illustrated in Figure 1. Similarly, the Church leadership

must have a mentoring relationship with entire congregation. But a few much be chosen for

progressively more intimate mentoring up to an inner circle who would later take up the baton

of leadership of the church. This is illustrated in Figure 2.

Teacher & Healer

Sr. Pastor/Pastor

Shepherd & Leader

Shepherd & Leader
Discipler
Discipler
Mentor
Inner Mentor
Circle Future Sr.
of 3 Pastors

The Twelve Sr. leaders/Asst.

Pastors
70 & 120 Small group
leaders/ workers
Multitude Congregation

Figure 2: Christ model of mentoring relationships Figure 2: Levels of mentoring relationships in Church

But how choose the mentees? Jesus’ selection of the Twelve was not a haphazard or incidental

process. He spent much time in prayer before carefully choosing His disciples (cf. Luke 6:12-

19). Patrick Morley points out that Jesus choose those who were FAT, i.e. Faithful, Available

and Teachable.9 They were faithful in following Jesus; available to extent of abandoning all

(occupation, family, and even life itself) to follow Him (Luke 14:25-27, 33), and were

teachable accepting His his authority and Lordship. Same parameters must be used to choose

8
E. Robert Logan and Neil Cole, Raising Leaders for the Harvest (St. Charles, IL: ChurchSmart, 1992), 2:11-12.
9
Morley, "The Mentoring Method of Jesus,"

7
core group and inner circle of mentees in the Church, in whom Church Leadership will invest

maximum time. Logan and Cole observes, “Concentrated influence into the lives of a few

future leaders can mean an investment that will multiply and outlast the [mentor’s] own life.”

5.2 Relationship with mentees

There was a strong relational emphasis was inseparably linked to Jesus’ theocentric theology

of leadership development.10 The intimate relationship between Jesus and the Twelve is

evident from the language Jesus uses for them in comparison with the wider band of disciples.

While the word “disciple” is found in the Gospels around 225 times in relationship to his

followers, he applies this term only twice to the Twelve (John 13:35, 15:8). Instead, he called

them “my brothers” (Matt 12:49, 28:10; John 20:17), “children” (Mark 10:24, John 21:5),

“friends” (John 15:13-15), and “my friends” (Luke 12:4).

The next step therefore is to develop strong intimate relationship with the mentees, based on

love, transparency and trust. In a non-threatening, nonjudgmental and informal environment,

mentees feel free to be vulnerable, sharing their success as well as failures making it easier for

mentors to guide, teach and build.

5.3 Primary goal of mentorship

Jesus’ mentoring of his disciples had one primary goal, i.e. to develop and mold them into

devoted followers who would then be fruitful disciple makers (Matt 28:19-20). Craig Ott points

out that in order to achieve this outcome, Jesus pursued three objectives:

10
Ken Davis, "Mentoring Church Planters," Journal of Ministry and Theology 14, no. 2 (2010): 35

8
1. Affective-behavioral: Though Jesus’ mentoring was always in context of ministry, his

priority and primary concern was always upon building character in his men. This is most

evident in his focus on godliness in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7).

2. Cognitive: Ddevelop an understanding Christ’s core message, and

3. Instrumental: develop practical ministry skills.

Accomplishing these comprehensive training objectives empowered and enabled Christ’s

disciples “to reproduce his life and work in persons who would in turn reproduce the same in

others.11 Mentoring of young leaders in local church must have the same objectives.

5.4 Procedural Structure

Krallmann states that in his mentoring ministry, Jesus’ aspiration was not to turn the Twelve

into “brilliant scholars” or “shrewd theologians” but to be his reliable and Spirit empowered

witnesses (Mark 13:9; 15:27; Luke 24:48; Acts 1:8), continuing his mission, proclaiming his

message, and representing his person and work accurately.12 Therefore, the broad procedural

structuring of the mentoring young leader must also be shaped after the model of Christ.

Craig Ott points out that Jesus’ training model included four key elements: Extended

observation, verbal instruction, actual ministry experience, and reflective debriefing. 13

 Observation: It is noteworthy that the disciples spent at least nine months hearing and

watching Christ do ministry before doing any ministry on their own. It is well known fact

that people do what they see rather what they are told. Hence, young leaders must be

11
Craig Ott, "The Training of Lay Leaders in West German Free Churches: A Contextualized Model," (PhD
diss., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1991). 31-36,51
12
Krallmann, Mentoring for Mission, 49-75.
13
Craig Ott, "The Training of Lay Leaders 31-51.

9
 allowed to observe their mentors emulating Christ in their ministry. Compulsory Note

taking and debriefing sessions would encourage mentees to be more observant.

 Verbal instruction: The majority of Christ’s personalized instruction of his disciples

focused primarily on basic understanding of the Gospel (Matt 13, Luke 17-19) and the

Christ-dependent life (Matt 5-7, John 15-16). There was little instruction on precisely how

the disciples were to do mission. The classroom sessions therefore, must fulfill the same

objective. The focus of verbal instructions must be Gospel, the kingdom principles and

dependence on God.

 Actual Ministry Experience: Ott points out that this “experiential learning” such as

sending them out in pairs (Matt 10, Luke 10; cf. Mark 6:7-12) was “not in a controlled or

artificial setting” and more than a “trial run.” “The disciples were ministering to real people

with real needs.” 14 Similarly, young leaders in the church must be given enough ministry

experience in the real world. This must not be restricted to evangelization, praying for

people’s needs etc., but also to teach and mentor younger believers, so that they can grow

in this extremely important area of ministry. It must not be forgotten that Jesus, the Master

discipler commissioned disciples to multiply disciples (Matt 28:18-20).

 Reflective Debriefing : Following ministry assignments, Christ called his teams back for

a brief period of informal debriefing, allowing his disciples an opportunity to both evaluate

and reflect on their ministry experiences (Luke 9:10- 11; 10:17-24; Mark 6:30-31; 9:14-

29). Ott observes that these debriefing sessions are crucial and must not be focused merely

on the functional skill development but also on the total personal and spiritual development

of the mentee.15

14
Craig Ott, "The Training of Lay Leaders 31-51.

15
Ibid

10
6. Conclusion

The above discussion explored the importance of mentoring for the Kingdom, the mentor as

well as the mentee. The paper also proposed steps for mentoring younger leaders in the church

based on the model of Christ. These steps can be diagrammatically represented as Figure 3.

Choosing new
mentees/ Mentees
new level of
leadership
Building new
Reflective
level of intimacy
Debriefing
in Relationship

Setting &
Actual Ministry
Redefining
Experience
Objectives

Verbal Observation
Instructions period

Figure 3: Steps to mentor Young leaders in Church

It is evident from the figure that mentoring is a cyclic process, where the young leaders grow

to a level of maturity to be chosen into a new level of leadership and more intimate mentoring.

Though the primary goal and objectives remain the same, they will have to be redefined for

each new level. Finally, it is recommended that every leader in Kingdom of God (including

senior leaders) must consider having mentors for partnership, accountability and personal

growth and because every leader is primarily called to be a disciple.

11
7. Bibliography

Anderson, Keith R., and Randy D. Reese. Spiritual Mentoring: A Guide for Seeking &
Giving Direction. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1999.

Boldeau, D. G. "Developing a mentoring model, based on Christ's approach to discipleship,

for intern pastors in the British Union." PhD diss., Andrews University, 2014.
http://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1017&context=dmin
.

Bruce, Alexander B. The Training of the Twelve. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1971.

Davis, Ken. "Mentoring Church Planters." Journal of Ministry and Theology 14, no. 2
(2010).

Gnanakan, Chris. "Old Testament Mentoring: David & Solomon." Dr. Chris Gnanakan. Last
modified November 13, 2015. https://chrisgnanakan.wordpress.com/2015/11/13/old-
testament-mentoring-david-solomon/.

Hendricks, Howard G., and William D. Hendricks. As Iron Sharpens Iron: Building
Character in a Mentoring Relationship. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2009.

Krallmann, Günter. Mentoring for Mission. Waynesboro, GA: Gabriel, 2014.

Morley, Patrick. "The Mentoring Method of Jesus." YouTube. June 6, 2016. Accessed
July 3, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufHZhZqUK_A.

Ott, Craig. "The Training of Lay Leaders in West German Free Churches: A Contextualized
Model." PhD diss., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1991.

Robert Logan, E., and Neil Cole. Raising Leaders for the Harvest. St. Charles, IL:
ChurchSmart, 1992.

12