“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Mathew 28:19-20
As we read about Jesus’s last words to his disciples before he is taken back into haven, we clearly see there is an agenda that would involve not just the eleven disciples but every disciple of Jesus to come. The heart of this agenda is fruitfulness and to ignite this will and ability to replicate what was learned in a non-stop cycle of transformation from generation to generation.
Mentorship is the modern word for discipleship. Jesus mentored his disciples, teaching them to live in His reality: The Kingdom of God.
During Jesus’s time on earth nothing that He did was by chance. Everything had a purpose. His mentorship was purposed to cause three things in the lives of his mentees: renewal of their minds, Personal transformation and ultimately change of culture.
Mentoring the next generation is KEN’s second foundational pillar. As kingdom-minded business leaders, we are inspired to pursuit a mentor-mentee relationships with the younger generation. This Mentorship relation does not focus on personal success, although that is desirable, but it’s purposed to lead to personal transformation and cultural change.
Mentoring new generation has been God´s plan since Abraham was called to be the father of faith. As we acknowledge the authority and grace given to us by our Lord and saviors Jesus Christ to accomplish this crucial task, we might just get puzzled to how we even start this process.
A safe way to engage in mentoring a new generation with a purpose is modeling what Jesus did.
In simple terms, first, he prayfully chooses twelve to intentionally pour his heart into their lives. The emphasis here is not the number of mentees, it could be more, or less, but acknowledging people that God is entrusting to you. Second, Jesus staged his mentorship process into four different parts according to his mentee’s growth and maturity level.
The first stage is “I do, you watch”. In this stage, mentees observe and absorb what they see. The second stage is “I do, you help”. In this stage Jesus wanted his mentees to have their own experiences. Not everything will be explained, which is an important part of the growth process. The third stage is “You do, I help”. At this stage mentorship moves up to a friendship level and preparation for leadership. Finally, the last and fourth stage: “You do, I cheer”. Two important this happens in this last stage: Jesus empowers his mentees to a generational process of making new mentees and Jesus delegates authority.
The third element Jesus modeled for us, is how his mentorship style changes as his mentees grow and mature. He begins as Directive Mentor, passing through a Coach Mentor, a Friend Mentor, to finally an Empowering Mentor.
This unique method about Jesus’s mentorship style provides us a powerful tool for the challenge of leading and influencing in the midst of cultural change.