Habit #9: Week #2: Have a Mentor
9 Habits for Effective Life Group Leadership
Habit #9: Week #2: Have a Mentor
Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
- 2 Timothy 1:6-7
“A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you.”
— Bob Proctor
"Learning is finding out that you already know. Doing is demonstrating that you know it. Teaching is reminding others that they know just as well as you. You are all learners, doers, and teachers."
— Richard Bach
Last week, we discussed the need to mentor someone and keep them taking their next steps. This week, I want to talk about the need to be mentored and keep taking the next steps.
Effective Life Group leaders know they need to be mentored.
Paul and Timothy
In the Bible, we have more information written to the church at Ephesus than any other New Testament Church. Paul writes the letter to the church at Ephesus. Then the Spirit writes a letter to the church at Ephesus in the book of Revelation. However, Timothy while serving at Ephesus as pastor receives two letters from his mentor, Paul. We know Paul considered Timothy a spiritual child.
Paul describes the type of relationship they have in 2 Timothy 1:6-7:
6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Here are three tips for being mentored to be an Effective Life Group Leader:
Be humble - You don’t know everything. Keep asking the questions you need to move forward.
Find a mentor with more experience in the areas you need mentoring. - When you know what you don’t know look for someone who can help you find the right answers.
Show appreciation for your mentor by applying their advice early and often. Lack of influence is the worst feeling for a mentor. Mentors want to feel useful and not listening to them is a sure way to make sure they don’t want to mentor them again.
Here are three ways you can be mentored:
People from afar - Reading books and listening to podcasts fall into this category.
People who you know but don’t mentor you one-on-one - Pastor Danny speaking at dream team night or these emails
People who are mentoring and coaching you directly - You have an agreed-upon relationship with someone who is ahead of you and who meets with you to help you grow as a leader - then are in this category.
All are valid and you can use multiple ways at once.
Being mentored will require openness and humility on your part. However, when utilized mentors become our next step in building the kingdom. When we make ourselves vulnerable, it makes it easy for people to see me through the lens of Sunday: Everybody's Welcome. Nobody's Perfect. And with Jesus, Anything Is Possible.
