Mentoring Emerging Leaders-Pt. 4

Last week we continued in a series looking at the role of a mentor and how to use teachable moments and offer godly counsel to those we disciple. Today we will close out this series by examining how we should be ready to ask deep questions and share spiritual insights with those we disciple.

Be Ready to Ask Deep Questions

A godly mentor should ask deep questions. A deep question is one that requires more than a simple yes or no answer. It is a question that requires thought and reflection. Skilled mentors tend to ask question after question to help those whom they disciple or mentor to arrive at the answer for themselves. In addition to asking deep questions, skilled mentors listen well. They listen to what is said and what is not said. They “hear between the lines” so that their understanding is deepened and the mentoring relationship can grow.

Share Spiritual Insights

Godly mentors and disciple makers not only model lives that are consistent with the gospel, but they also share spiritual principles and insights. They take advantage of those teachable moments we talked about, and they share their faith in a systematic way. These should include things like the following:

Relationship with God

Godly mentors should model a rich and growing relationship with the Father as well as share meaningful spiritual insights that would help their mentees grow in their walks with God. Share things like helpful spiritual disciplines, scriptural precepts, and principals for spiritual growth. Don’t be afraid to share spiritual markers and real-life situations about how God worked to grow you and help you become more dependent on Him.

Servant Leadership

Another thing you should share with your mentee is the idea of “servant leadership.” A call to ministry is a call to lead the way Jesus did, as a servant! “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

Discovering Spiritual Gifts

Help your mentees discover and use their spiritual gifts, especially those motivational gifts that will fuel their ministries. You can help them discover their spiritual gifts by using a spiritual gifts inventory and observing them as they serve and minister. When you recognize a particular gifting, encourage and talk to them about it. Be careful to ask deep questions and listen to their responses. Help them celebrate as they sense what God is doing in their lives.

Practical Ministry Skill Development

Give those you disciple opportunities to do some things they can use as they mature and develop—things like preparing and delivering a sermon or devotion, making a hospital visit, or leading one of the ordinances by officiating the Lord’s Supper or baptism. When doing this, follow the model Jesus used from Scriptures:

• Jesus did it, and the disciples assisted.

• The disciples did it, and Jesus assisted.

• The disciples did it, and Jesus watched.

It is important to model the role before your mentees, so they don’t just hear what to do, but they can see what to do. Imitation may be a high form of flattery, but it is also a crucial part of learning how to live a godly life.