The Power of Mentoring

05 Oct 2009

What do you get if you put a gathering of young people, a blank piece of paper, and the Bishop in one place? That combination at the recent Christchurch Youth Forum yielded a very clear message: young people in our diocese want to be mentored. That message was sent and heard loud and clear at the latest Synod – with a motion passed to ensure all young people aged 14 to 25 in our diocese have the opportunity of being mentored.

Mentoring is hardly a new idea. People have talked about this for years as ‘passing the baton,’ as discipleship; some have called it inter-generational mingling. But, whatever you call it, it’s the same basic Christ-driven idea: getting alongside a young person – or, in Jesus’ case, twelve – to elevate them to be great Christians.

But why such a ruckus now? Two priorities of our diocesan strategic plan are Young Leaders and Faithful Stewardship. This recent move towards more intentional mentoring puts flesh on both of these areas; it offers a chance to engage in faithful stewardship of our faith, while helping to raise up and encourage our future leaders. I’m excited, because this motion tells me that our church is not just talk but it’s striving to be the unified Body of Christ.

Understandably, for some the idea of mentoring may be daunting – but don’t fear. The motion passed at Synod made sure the resources and training to enable good mentoring are being developed, as we speak, by the Diocesan Youth Office. Getting on board is easy; all you need is an hour a week or fortnight and enthusiasm for young people.

Synod was enthralled by a 71-year-old gentleman who is already geared up to get mentoring. He sees this as his chance to give back to a cause rather than just “waiting for death.” He wants to associate with a young person and positively influence their life. Truly inspiring.
So, will you do the same? This motion is empty unless real people like you are willing to take an hour once a week or fortnight, to support, pray, study or just listen. You may even discover that mentoring can be a two-way street! To find out more about becoming a mentor, contact a parish vestry member (as they’ve been charged with the responsibility) or the Diocesan Youth Office.

In the words of our Prayer Book, ‘Go now to love and serve the Lord.’ Go now to mentor in the name of Christ!

WORDS: ANDREW SPENCE