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Mentoring – Do You, Are You?
Posted on May 12th, 2009 in Faith, Worship Leadership by Fred McKinnon
Over the last couple of days are Senior Leadership Team at SSCC has been up in Atlanta visiting with some of the leaders at Northpoint’s Buckhead Church, North Metro Church, Perimeter Church, and others. It’s been a trip where our senior leaders could ask some questions and seek mentoring and answers from leaders who have experience in larger churches. I’m excited that they’ve been blessed with this opportunity and can’t wait to see the fruit of it.
Asking for help is a huge step in maturity. We are so prone to arrogant thinking and it’s time we realize “we don’t have it all together”.
That being said … do you have a mentor? I don’t mean someone that you respect, but have never met. I mean … someone who you talk to frequently, who has excelled and gone further than you, and who has years of wisdom and experience under their belt. (in comparison to you, that is). How often do you meet?
Lastly, most of us have something we can impart to another. Years ago as I was being “mentored” at an annual prayer/fasting retreat, I clearly heard God speak to me and say “it’s time for you to start doing this” … meaning, reaching out and mentoring some folks. Sure, I’m getting mentored. But I also hope to mentor and impart what I’m learning to others.
I think we should be reaching out with two hands – one to be mentored, and one to offer mentoring.
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10 Responses to “Mentoring – Do You, Are You?”
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Good topic, Brother. I’m not being “mentored” right now, but I would love to be. I do attempt to mentor others when the opportunity allows, however. It’s sad, in a sense, that I’ve found many more people who would rather be left alone than mentored, though. I need to be praying that the right person will come along my path to mentor me again. Relationship is the most critical part of that equation!
I think you have good thoughts here. Does Joy mentor? Because each time I think about asking someone to be a mentor for me her name comes to my mind.
Tracie,
Joy is awesome. She really doesn’t, at least, that I’m aware of. I’m sure if I asked her, she’d say “are you kidding, what could anyone possibly learn from me” .. she’s that way, but she has lots to give.
Awesome topic Fred! Yes to both questions.
Isn’t this what discipleship is all about anyway (when you look up the real meaning of that word)
There’s tons of stuff available on this of course, but this link has some good brief info, esp in the first paragraph (ugly site warning)
http://www.bible-infonet.org/bin/feature_articles/living/cost1.htm
New blog post: Mentoring – Do You, Are You? http://bit.ly/13GeYQ
Sadly, I do not have a mentor in my life. I have longed for someone to fill that role in my life for a long time. I have no one to talk to and no one who has been doing what I do longer and better who can take my hand an lead me. I have led worship for years, but everything I have learned has been through observation of worship leaders that I admire. I feel that I have missed out on something very valuable. Even now, there is little positive said to me a a worship leader. I have a friend who has been encouraging me to find a mentor because she see’s that need in my life. What’s a worship leader to do? There is currently no body up and coming as a worship leader who I can mentor. I do have a young woman who looks to me for guidance and help in her life, but I wouldn’t exactly call it mentoring. How do you go about finding someone to mentor you anyway?
Vanessa,
Oh, wow, it grieves me to read that comment. There has to be SOMEONE. Even if they aren’t local – is there a woman .. maybe a blogger, someone whom you’ve come to respect online, etc? The world is so much smaller now thanks to social media.
And I’m positive there has to be someone (it doesn’t have to be in worship … it can just be a young woman, a mom, etc) that you can pass down some experience to … if they are willing. As you lead, they will seek you out in many occasions. some time, you may go and say “I see some incredible potential in you, and have a desire to connect and maybe encourage one another” … and see where that goes.
Amen!!
Yes, but not always as a worship leader. And none of my mentors are here where I live, so it’s more challenging. I met with one mentor every quarter for 2 1/2 years when I was in a retreat community in Chicago. Now that’s over. We’ve talked via phone several times, but it’s harder. I’ve joined a mentoring group for women in Christian leadership that will include Nancy Beach and Anne Jackson – it begins this fall. I have an ongoing relationship with a professor with Integrity Worship, but we don’t really meet. I am always wanting to learn. I’d love to have someone closer. (it is more challenging to find a female to talk to and more challenging if you find a male to figure out how to make it work!)
As for mentoring others, I work with several leaders on my team and the guy who leads worship for our students. But I’d like to do more so that is why I’m hopefully travelling to the DR in the fall to teach and train worship leaders there. It’s a dream for me to be able to do this several times a year.
And of course this is part of my desire behind providing a retreat for worship leaders….
I’ve had different mentors throughout my life.
Currently, my mentor is Darrell Evans. He’s in Texas and I’m in Kansas so we don’t really get to meet face to face very much, but I talk to him on a weekly basis.