This is the second article in a series on mentoring the postmodern woman. The idea for this series began at the XChange, a women’s ministry leadership event focused on conversations among various generations of women. (Please read part one.) An important topic discussed was the type of mentoring needed in the lives of young women.
We asked, “In what areas of your life do you need mentoring?” We got a variety of responses from our generational leaders:
Seeking Direction. Pray with me about life situations when I need direction; help me make important decisions.
Life Skills. Give me guidance for my home, work, school, relationships, ministry, cooking, household management, finances and stewardship, budgeting, insurance, and will preparation (with Christian guidance, rather than worldly).
Health Crisis. Walk with me through my journey, show me how to rely on God and faithful friends.
Bible Study. Teach me how you learned to study God’s Word. Tell me what your quiet time looks like.
Discipleship and Spiritual Growth. Challenge me to keep growing, and show me in what areas of my spiritual life I need to go deeper. Answer all my questions: How did you learn to grow spiritually? How did you learn to pray effectively?
Relationships. Help me become a faithful friend, a godly wife (especially as a newlywed), and a godly parent. Walk with me through the stage of having children. Or show me how to honor God and others in my dating life as a single woman.
Accountability. Hold me accountable for the many things we are learning together.
Living Missionally. Show me how to discover and pursue God’s purpose for my life daily.
Ministry and Missions. Do ministry with me. Take me on a mission trip. Show me how to serve on a team. Teach me to trust God’s direction as we serve together.
Honoring God. Challenge me to go against today’s worldly culture to obey God’s Word.
Seeing an Example. You will teach me as much by how you live as by what you say. And these two things must match!
Hearing and Seeking God. Show me how to discern His voice in my life (How do you hear God’s voice?) Teach me to go to God first and others second for answers, concerns, and crises.
Diligence. The world seeks instant gratification and immediate results for everything, but help me see the importance of consistency in studying Scripture and waiting on God’s timing.
Encouragement. Sometimes I just need a cheerleader helping me understand that “I can do it” — whatever God is asking me to do; whatever situation God has allowed into my life.
Sounding Board. Sometimes I just need a godly woman to listen, not to solve my problems or even give advice unless I ask for it.
Finishing Well. I need someone who is ahead of me in life to help me see what it means to finish the race well (Heb. 12.1-2).
If women in your church really understand what younger generations of women are seeking and asking for when it comes to mentoring, I believe it would be much easier to connect mentors and mentees. What would you add to this list from what the women in your church and community are seeking and saying? For more help on this subject check out the categories for Generational Ministry, Leading Young Women, and Reaching Women.
Chris Adams is senior lead women’s ministry specialist at LifeWay Christian Resources in Nashville, Tenn. Learn more about Chris here.
Mentoring Resources: Mentor: How Along-the-Way Mentorship Will Change Your Life is a six-part Bible study from Dr. Chuck Lawless that explores the life-transforming process of a mentoring relationship. Also, Transformed Lives: Taking Women’s Ministry to the Next Level and Women Reaching Women: Beginning and Building a Growing Women’s Ministry both include information on mentoring relationships.
