Mentoring is all about investing in the lives of others. It was the way of Jesus. He invested in 12 men, who continued His mission of making disciples after His resurrection. They followed Jesus into the Galilean hillside to learn about His “Upside-Down Kingdom.” He mentored them in His ways of prayer and fasting. The Gospel-writer Mark gives a picture of this mentorship when he describes Jesus’ intentionality with his disciples. “He had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a Shepherd. So He began teaching them many things.” (Mark 6:34)

Jesus showed them the way of love, joy and peace by modeling for them the spiritual disciplines of silence, solitude, and keeping the Sabbath. As I spent time studying the life of Jesus in His gospels this summer, it inspired me to share with people what I have learned. I want to take these treasures I have been given and invest them into the lives of others. That’s mentorship.

Mentoring moments in the community of Orchard Hill Church are as varied as the flowers on display at Phipps Conservatory! One mentor pair meets weekly on FaceTime to discuss a chapter of the Gospel of Mark and pray together. Another mentor pair meets in person at a park to learn together from a book called Discipleship Essentials. Another pair is slowly working through a comprehensive Bible study together called Seamless.

Three women in a mentoring community are in a group text that alerts their phones at 3:15 pm each afternoon with prayers and encouragement! Mentoring also happens on Wednesdays at noon when a handful of Orchard Hill staff women gather during lunchtime to study God’s Word and pray together. One young adult mentor takes a teenager, who is skeptical about faith, on outings to get a milkshake or walk through the Botanical Gardens at Phipps. That’s mentorship.

WHAT IS MENTORING? IT IS INTENTIONAL DISCIPLESHIP.

To be a disciple is to be a student, one who observes questions and makes applications. Mentoring simply cultivates a teachable heart. The reality is that we are all flawed people in desperate need of God’s grace, and we must be teachable in His Word. Disciples learn together as our Teacher leads us to grow in wisdom and understanding. Mentoring happens in pairs and triads, but it also happens in Life Groups.

In fact, author Natasha Robinson says in her book, Mentor for Life, “Mentoring across racial, ethnic, generational and socioeconomic lines influences the way we experience God and love others.” She affirms that commitment to mentoring requires that we embrace people as God does and welcome diverse relationships that reflect true unity in the body of Christ. That’s mentorship.

Do you feel isolated and alone in your journey toward knowing God? Are you interested in investing in a friendship with another disciple of Jesus? Women who would like to explore mentorship or a Life Group with intentional discipleship as a focus, go to the Women’s Ministry Page: https://www.orchardhillchurch.com/women.