Steve Jobs mentored Mark Zuckerberg. Warren Buffett mentored Bill Gates. Audrey Hepburn mentored Elizabeth Taylor. Biblical examples of mentors are Moses and Joshua, David and Solomon, and Elijah and Elisha. As famous as these mentors and mentees are, the most profound mentor was Jesus Christ, he disciple or mentored the twelve. Mentoring done right is beneficial for the community. Even though mentoring benefits the community of believers is also is beneficial to the mentor.
What are some of the benefits of being a mentor?
- Mentoring gives fulfillment and an increased sense of purpose and achievement while influencing people’s lives.
- Mentoring improves communication and personal skills
- Mentoring increase your circle of friends
- Mentoring develops leadership and management qualities
- Mentoring reinforces your study skills and knowledge of your subject(s)
Jesus gave a mentoring process to the church for growth. Why is it important for women to mentor other women? Because women need to be confident in their biblical knowledge, skills, and abilities. To live out the gospel, one must have confidence. Confidence is vital to transformation into the image of Christ. Having a mentor provides a gateway to increased confidence through improved skills and developed leadership competencies. Mentors in the Boundless Sisterhood community help guide young women, younger in age or spirit, through Christian living: becoming Christ-like, finding your purpose in the kingdom, and growing your spiritual gifts.
There are three critical roles of the mentor in the process: advisor, counselor, and cheerleader. The advisory role usually comes at the beginning of the relationship. This is when the mentee begins to notice the mentor’s wisdom and asks the mentor questions. This is the mentee testing the waters to see if the relationship fits. Sometimes this is all the further the relationship goes because all the mentee needs is a little advice. When the mentor steps into the counselor’s role, it is a more structured relationship with giving and take. The mentee takes the direction that the counselor provides and puts it into practice. Once the advice is put into practice, the mentee goes back to the mentor with a status report, so to speak, more advice may be given to adjust or tweak the situation. The last role a mentor has is that of a cheerleader or encourager. At this point, the mentor knows that the mentee has the knowledge that they need to be successful. At this time, the mentee needs networking connections and encouragement. Getting your mentee the right connections is crucial to the process. Without the right connections, the mentee will flounder and get frustrated. This last role the mentor plays is the most fulfilling. Encouraging the mentee and watching them succeed is personally rewarding. It is giving back to the community.
A mentor is defined as someone who guides another to more tremendous success. Becoming a mentor will cost you time and energy, helping someone fulfill their purpose in God’s kingdom – priceless!
