Mentoring
at Lichfield's Darwin Park Community Church
What is a mentor?
The word mentor originates from Homer's Odyssey where Mentor had the role
of bringing up Telemachus while his father was away at war. While mentoring
relationships take many forms, the one familiar to most people is when an
older person (the mentor) guides, tutors, coaches, or otherwise influences
a younger person (the protege). This is the kind of relationship Mentor had
with Telemachus and that Paul had with Timothy.
Yet, mentoring is also happening today through peer relationships between
people who are basically the same age - within five or six years of each
other. Peer mentoring has enormous benefits. Two examples from Scripture
of peer mentoring that spring to mind are Jonathan and David and also Barnabas
and Paul.
Benefits of Having a Mentor
There are numerous benefits to being in a mentoring relationship:
- A mentor promotes genuine growth and change
- A mentor provides a model to follow
- A mentor helps you reach your goals more efficiently
- A mentor plays a key role in God's pattern for your growth
- A mentor's influence benefits other in your life
Biblical
Examples of Mentoring Relationships:
Old Testament
1. Jethro & Moses (Exodus 18) - Jethro taught Moses how to delegate work
2. Moses & Joshua (Deut. 31:1-8;34:9) - Moses prepared Joshua to take over
leadership of Israel after he died then to lead them into the promised land.
3. Moses & Caleb (Numbers 13; 14:6-9; 34:16-19; Joshua 14:6-15) - Moses
prepared Caleb for leadership and inspired him to trust in the Lord's promises.
4. Samuel & Saul (1Samuel 9-15) - Samuel helped prepare Saul to become
king of Israel and even when Saul rebelled against the Lord Samuel kept challenging
him to repent and to turn back to the Lord.
4. Jonathan & David (Peer Mentoring - within 5 or 6 years of each other)
(1Samuel 18:1-4; 19: 1-7; 20:1-42) - An outstanding example of peer mentorin,
Jonathan and David remained loyal to each other during the troubled days of
Saul's reign as king.
5. Elijah & Elisha (1Kings 19:16-21; 2Kings 2:1-16;3:11) - The prophet
Elijah took Elisha under his wing and trained him in the ways of the Lord while
Elisha ministered to the needs of Elijah.
6. Johoiada & Joash (2Chronicles 24:1-25) - The priest Jehoiada helped
Joash - who came to the throne of Juday at the age of 7 - learn to rule according
to the principles of the Lord. Unfortunately Joash turned away from the Lord
after his mentor died.
New Testament
1. Barnabas & Saul/Paul (Peer Mentoring) (Acts 4:36-37; 9:26-30; 11:22-30)
- Barnabas stood by Saul after his conversion and introduced him to the church
/church leaders in Jerusalem.
2. Barnabas & John Mark (Acts 15:36-39; 2Timothy 4:11) - Barnabas left
Paul to work with John Mark. Later Paul came also to the conclusion that John
Mark was "useful to me for ministry". John Mark is believed to have
been the primary author of the gospel of Mark.
3. Priscilla & Aquila and Apollos (Acts 18:1-3, 24-28) - Tentmakers Priscilla & Acquila
served as spiritual tutors to Apollos at Ephesus. As a result Apollos became
one of the early church's most powerful spokesman.
4. Paul & Timothy (Acts 16:1-3; Phillipians 2:19-23; 1&2 Timothy) -
Paul invited Timothy to join him during one of Paul's missionary journeys.
Timothy eventuallybecome pastor of the dynamic church at Ephesus.
5. Paul & Titus ( 2Corinthians 7:6, 13-15; 8:17; Titus) -
