principles of mentoring: 1

Technically it's still summer where I live but the leaves are falling and the mornings are wonderfully crisp. I want to thank all of you who prayed with me through the summer. Your prayers strengthened us through a full few months.

Now on to the new mentoring moments series. Each week (barring another computer crash) I will share some thoughts on a subject very dear to my heart: mentoring. Please feel free to email me questions throughout the Fall at contact@truthportraits.com.

Principle #1: Don't get hung up on terminology. Focus on following Jesus' example of growing others.

In our day people often snag on whether they are coaching, discipling, mentoring, teaching, guiding...Please know that I will use these words synonymously. Many books have been written distinguishing these phrases as different forms of investment. But as I share over the next few months, I will not expend energy trying to determine where one form begins or where another overlaps.

One of my first personal (as opposed to group) Bible studies was on the life of Jesus as a mentor. I walked through the gospels and considered each interaction he had with others. Regardless of what we call it, Jesus' model is life-changing.