It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and inadequate when you hear from desperate and broken people.  Though they are looking for answers, we mentors have to remind ourselves that we are not counselors and we cannot fix their pain.  We can pray, listen, ask clarifying questions, help them to consider biblical truths, and encourage them through […]

All of us come and go during the summer months and a break from mentoring can be refreshing for both mentor and mentee alike.  However, be sensitive to the needs of your mentee.  If you will be unavailable for an extended time, let your mentee know when you expect to return.  There’s no reason you […]

In response to a question asked by a mentor, it is not only acceptable to follow up with a mentee who stopped writing but it is a good way to let the mentee know you care and that they are still in your prayers and thoughts.  If you don’t get a response back from a […]

Successful mentors ask good questions in order to have a clearer understanding of the situation.  Not all need to be asked at once, but here are some examples: How did you first meet this other person?  Were you ever close to him/her in the past, before you were married?  Do you ever hide this relationship […]

Asking questions is a powerful way to learn more about a mentee’s situation.  Pose too many early in the conversation, though, and it may make it feel more like an interrogation.  By limiting your responses to include one or two questions, trust in the relationship will be built naturally over time.  Instead of building walls […]

Take it slow! Don’t be in a hurry as a mentor.  There are obviously times where quick action is warranted, but generally speaking, conveying a sense of calm persistence as a mentor shows trust in God and in His sovereign plan.  Slowing down also reminds you that you are not in control…and it allows time […]

by Glenn Gritzon Life is filled with improbably moments—placing us in unthinkable places.  Our first thought is to believe we’ve been dealt a pretty poor hand in life.  Cars break down, or we experience “intense fellowship” in our relationships, or our work is less than satisfying, or we are bothered by a nagging pain or […]

by Jen Powell The clock doesn’t need to tell me it’s after midnight.  My droopy eye lids and incomplete thoughts make that very clear, but my heart is heavy.  I have a familiar feeling inside… lingering ache, tears just below the surface, a churning stomach & mind. It is the burden for the betrayed, hurting […]

by Jen Powell  I read the mentee’s email filled with despair.  Compassion overwhelmed me.    Scriptures rattled through my head and my fingers barely keeping up as I raced past the limitations of time zones, church denominations, physical appearances, and age gaps.  I felt an urgency to tell her that she didn’t have to remain captive […]

You’re Not Meeting My Needs & I’m Upset! Training