Are you a mentor? Thinking about it? Or maybe you’re a ministry leader who wants to weave mentoring into the fabric of your church or ministry but aren’t sure how?
I know mentoring is often awkward and sometimes intimidating.
That’s why The M.O.M. Initiative has done everything we can to make it easy peasy for you, your women’s ministry team and ministry organizations to mentor moms inside the four walls of the church as well as in para-ministries, organizations and in your community.
Each ministry leader and mentoring momma who is courageous enough to step outside of her own world to enter the world of another mother is definitely my hero and I can’t tell you how it makes my heart smile big time to see God’s girls fulfilling God’s Titus 2 plan!
Today, I want to share 10 things EVERY mentor and ministry leaders needs to know to help you in your journey to being a woman who impacts her community and this culture for the Lord Jesus Christ through the power of mentoring!
So…. as you consider being a mentor or leading a M.O.M. Group or a small group or really, being in any kind of leadership role, you will best first your newfound relationship by committing to…
1. Be prepared ~ Mentors loose effectiveness when they meet with their mentee(s), M.O.M. Group or small group an
are unprepared. If you know you’re not in a season in which you can take on the role of mentor, please wait until you can. It will only frustrate you and hinder what you hope to accomplish.
2. Bring the coffee and cookies where permitted ~ If you’re holding a M.O.M. Group in a prison, juvenile shelter, coffee and cookies is out of the question, but if your M.O.M. Group or small group or single moms M.O.M. Group is in a church, home or community center, the bring the best ice breaker on the planet… something sweet to eat.
3. Be on time ~ When you set the example of being on time, you not only show respect, but you teach her the importance of valuing other people’s time.
4. Control the conversation ~ You want to listen to her heart but you also want to stay focused. It’s so easy to let something that should be a 5 minute answer to a question become an hour long rant on the latest circumstances your mentor is facing.
5. Be accessible ~ Give your mentee(s) your phone number and permission to call you when they need to talk. Making yourself available will demonstrate that you care enough to be more than a once a week meeting.
6. Be thoughtful ~ Call your mentee(s) once a week; send her a postcard, a birthday card or an anniversary card. Little things show them you care.
7. Be loving ~ People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Sharing a sincere love for your mentee(s) will help validate what they learn when they spend time with you.
8. Be prayerful ~ Look for opportunities during the conversation to identify your mentee(s) needs and pray with her (them) and for her (them) during your time with her and during the week. Pray for wisdom, direction and discernment to be the best mentor you can be.
9. Be willing ~ Identify your mentee(s) needs and look for ways you can go above and beyond your scheduled meeting time to meet her needs. If she doesn’t have a car, perhaps you could offer to take her to the grocery store, bank or doctor’s appointment. Little gestures like that may be a bit inconvenient, but they demonstrate love like no words can.
10. Be friends ~ Remember, your goal is not just to finish a book… it’s to develop a relationship. It may be a relationship for a season or it may be a long term relationship, but the book is a tool… the relationship is the goal. Hopefully, you won’t be finished with your relationship when you’re finished with The Making of a Mom or the next book you’ll study after that.
This is your chance to to make a difference in the life of another mother. These 10 things will help you in any mentoring relationship you enter into.
I know it’s sometimes awkward, and it’s not always easy… but it’s definitely worth it as you sow seeds that will make a maternal and eternal difference in the lives of your mentee(s).
**Adapted from the Leader’s section of THE MAKING OF A MOM – the all-in-one resource that was intentionally written to moms and for ministry leaders. It’s an IN-REACH and OUTREACH tool that will help you make mentoring easy.
The Making of a Mom provides all you need to begin a mentoring ministry to moms in your church, ministry and community. DISCOVER HOW TO BEGIN a M.O.M. Group by clicking this link.
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