I have found the coaching-mentoring idea a great tool to help people grow in life and faith.
In my local setting coaching-mentoring has become a part of my ministry. I soon realized in leading a church I cannot do it all but need to train others to develop what has started. As I connected people with mentors/coaches it helped create an environment for them to grow in life and faith. There is power in the body of Christ.
Jesus said to teach them to “obey everything I have commanded”. Often we think this is just in large or small group classroom style settings. Jesus definitely had large teaching times, however, he spent more of his time with a few individuals. When we get to the book of Acts we often see the apostles taking people under their wing.
One may protest to me that mentoring and coaching are two different things. They are right, but, there are good principles in both systems that I have found useful in helping people fully enter into Christ-likeness and the life he calls them to.
I see the Coaching/mentoring as a relational experience through which one person journeys with another by sharing God-given resources. It is understood chiefly as coming alongside someone and offering them support, accountability, and a listening ear in any and all aspects of life. Each experience has clearly defined start and finish times. The goal is to help the other person fully enter, engage and experience the life they were created for.
There are many methods to go about the great commission. This is one that I continue to see fruit from and one that I see throughout history in one form or another. Often it is not fast or glamorous. It is often messy and not a special pill of wonders. It is often slow but gives an opportunity for people to put down strong roots.
Jesus said the harvest is ready but the workers are few.
What if you consider investing in just one person over the next year?
As we serve others we enter, engage and experience the life we were created for.
To be a follower of Jesus means we will invest in others. This investment will not be for our benefit but for theirs.
Check out this post for informal coaching-mentoring relationships tips.
Here are two books that may also help: