2 Timothy 2:2 “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”
Mentor Training 2019:
For three Saturday mornings recently, I was blessed to take these four reliable and qualified men through Legacy Shepherding Ministries’ mentor training course. In the trainings, I have the opportunity to share some of the things I’ve learned over the years of spiritually mentoring people. In the sessions, we go over a concept and then practice doing it with each other. (I like practical learning. Let’s not talk about stuff, let’s do it! And no role playing. Let’s do it for real!) Each session becomes both fun and meaningful as participants dive into each other’s stories and provide spiritual mentoring for each other. One guy gave a possible new tag-line for the mentor trainings: “Better than Netflix!”, because, as he said, people’s true stories in person are more engrossing and compelling than fiction on a screen. As usual during these sessions, I loved watching these guys have Aha moments as they connected some dots on how this all fits together and how it may impact and be applied to every relationship they have, especially with those they mentor. It was fun for me to watch their excitement grow. I can’t wait to see what they do with it…and to watch them multiply.
Matt 28:19-20a: “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 commanded you…”
What did Jesus command? He simplified it to these two:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength,” and “Love others as yourself.” (Mark 12:30-31)
Exponential Conference:
Renewal Church, located in West Chicago, where God has opened doors for me to spiritually mentor numerous amazing leaders, invited me to join them for a conference that focuses on spiritual multiplication.
One interesting statistic (from a Lifeway Study) that was shared at the conference:
Only 4% of churches in the U.S. have a disciple making culture.
Hmmm. Shouldn’t making disciples be one of the main goals of a church?
One of the hopes of this ministry is to invest in potential disciple makers, who will be qualified to make and equip disciples to the fourth generation (the ultimate definition of spiritual multiplication), so that more people will love the Lord and love others in ways that bring redemption to our world. The quality of these disciples is very important. When leaders fall and/or wound people in their care, it’s usually because of unaddressed emotional and character issues in their lives. My hope is that Legacy Shepherding leaders are continually becoming more loving, emotionally healthy disciples, leaders of good character – whose character matches and can support the level of their leadership role – who lovingly engage the world with Jesus’ sacrificial, respectful, humble servant attitude. I believe God has been forming many such leaders through this ministry, and we definitely need more love-inspiring leaders in this current culture.
Four Frequently Asked Questions:
How many people are you meeting with? (This is by far the #1 most frequently asked question.) I am usually meeting with between 25-30 people, usually 3 to 4 people a day, for an hour and a half each. In between meetings, I am prepping for meetings, searching for resources that apply to mentoree’s issues, praying for people, answering texts and emails, dealing with crises that arise in mentoree’s lives and ministry roles (which can be complex), preparing for trainings and talks, doing administration and accounting work, writing year-end fundraising letters, holding quarterly Board meetings, etc. It’s like being a small business entrepreneur; you do everything that needs to be done. Over the years the non-profit has been in business, we have directly, significantly impacted over 100 people through spiritual mentoring, who in turn have been influential leaders of thousands of people. If we impact a leader, we impact everyone they lead. (Note: Not everyone we’ve invested in has success story to tell…YET! It’s also unknown what everyone is doing currently. It’s known for certain that over 100 are making a significant difference because of this investment.)
How long do you usually meet with people? Usually around 2-3 years, every other week. I have a few people who have gone longer than that, not because they need it more than others or are slow learners, but because we haven’t felt God releasing us yet. I think in part because they are in roles and seasons that are strategic to the Kingdom.
With all the output you do, who do you meet with for yourself? Do you have a mentor? (A great self-care question.)
I have what I would call peer-mentors. My Board members are guys who invest in me. One of my Board members is Bruce Norquist. Bruce and I have gotten together almost every other week for the past 17 years. At some point, we started to split our time. Half the time is for him to be listened to, asked questions, challenged, and encouraged; the other half of the time is for me to receive the same. It’s been a great outlet. I also have other inner circle friends who do a good job of unofficially mentoring me in some ways. I’d love to have an official mentor, in addition to what I have. Unfortunately, they are hard to find. That’s another reason why we need ministries like this one raising up more people to the task.
What do you do for fun? (See About Randy for some answers to this question.) Recently, I’ve been learning how to dance the West Coast Swing! I’m taking an eight week beginner’s class. It’s been fun so far. Clear the floor, dance world! I’m a swingin’!
As I write this, I’m also preparing for a one-time book club. My sister is part of a book club. She hosted the book club at her house recently. Her seven-year-old grandson (my great nephew) saw her preparing treats and goodies for it and got all excited. When she told him it was for her book club, where they read a book and discuss it, he went into the other room and pulled out a book he has read, like he was planning to join the group that evening. She explained to him everyone reads the same book and discusses it. When he realized he couldn’t join, he wanted to do his own book club. I think mostly for the chocolate. My nephew contacted me to see if I wanted to join the book club. I said sure. So, as I write this, we are all reading Charlotte’s Web and will have a book club meeting soon. My seven-year-old great nephew told me, “Bring food, bring chocolate!” I think we may also be having some bacon at the book club. Poor Wilbur. Charlotte didn’t sway our family one crispy bit.
Thanks and a Request:
This is the last support raising letter of the year. This year, through your contributions and prayers, we impacted 32 influential young leaders.
If you haven’t already, would you be willing to partner with me by making a contribution for this year or by making an on-going commitment to support this ministry? Information is enclosed. Contributions are tax deductible and life changing. Thanks so much!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
In His Love,
Randy
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