June is for Mentoring

Ok, maybe the connection between June and mentoring isn't as strong as May and Flowers, but today I'm embarking on a summer adventure in spiritual mentoring. I'm not sure how this is going to play out, but I'm excited nevertheless. There are several reasons I'm becoming more excited about mentoring...

• I've recently started getting together one-on-one with several young men at Calvary and I'm loving it! We're each learning quite a bit, about ourselves, about Scripture, and about following God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.
   
• In the past year as I've been studying at Rockbridge Seminary I have had a different mentor for each course, and I've had some great conversations and encouragement through this.
   
• I want to do a Ministry Project on Mentoring for a competency requirement at Rockbridge on building healthy relationships. That will involve some reading and self-assessment, but primarily involves some practical project or experience in which I'm actively involved in mentoring.
   
• I hope to meet with several other folks at Calvary who are involved in the Men's Ministry and/or have shown some interest or experience in healthy mentoring relationships. If there's interest we might even get together as a group and discuss what spiritual mentoring might look like in our church. The traditional model of older believer passing on great wisdom and instruction to a younger believer is daunting for both - are there other approaches which are more mutual, relational, and where the agenda isn't set by the 'mentor'?

So, stayed tuned for more on mentoring this month - what it is (and isn't), different approaches that people take, insights gained and shared with those I'm getting together with, and some book reviews. If any of you have insights or experiences you want to share, please share in a comment!