Mentoring: one-to-one discipleship

Jesus calls us to be his disciples, and to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).
Mentoring is the encouragement and ‘training’ of Christians to be more like Jesus; more mature Christians mentor those who want to grow in their faith. As the mentee grows and matures, in time they assume the role of mentoring another, passing on their experience and encouragement to the next generation.

The Church family, a Network, a Small Group, and in particular a mentor, are vital in encouraging the mentee in growth and becoming rooted and grounded in their faith. The aim of one-to-one discipleship should be to support, challenge and encourage the mentee in their relationship with Jesus, through the relationship the mentor has with them.

How do one-to-ones work at St George's?
There isn't one specific way to mentor someone effectively. It is very much based on the individual and what their needs are; different people will be at different stages. To help the mentee see how much they've progressed in a year, it is beneficial to agree on some goals, what they want to develop in, to write it down, keep adding to it and to keep referring to it. Working towards targets helps to keep the relationship productive rather than letting it drift.

Roots

St George’s Youth Ministry, Roots, has much to offer with Friday nights and Cell groups. However, if a young person would benefit from extra one-to-one support and encouragement then we offer mentoring too.
Mentoring in Roots is a chance to provide a space for young people looking to grow in their faith to be able to focus on their personal walk with Jesus. Material will be used and goals will be set tailored to the needs and wants of the young person.
At St George’s we take child protection very seriously, therefore parents will be made aware of all meetings between mentors and young people, and permission must be given by parents/guardians before a mentoring relationship can take place.
To request to see our child protection policy, please email lisa.woodlock@stgeorgesleeds.org.uk.

Breathe*
Leaving home and moving to a strange city where you don't know anyone can be really difficult. Loneliness is common and friendships become more important than ever. Add the demands of managing life on a student loan, learning how to cope with the pressures and temptations of student life, and often working out who you are, having someone to talk to would be great wouldn't it?

Your time at university will be life changing, so why not make it a time of massive growth? Get stuck into church; make it a part of your life that stays constant. Why not get a mentor who will journey with you?

Mentoring in the Wider Church

At St George’s we encouraging mentoring for everyone. We believe that everyone would benefit from one-to-one discipleship. We would love for there to be mentoring ‘chains’, where there would be a series of people both being mentored and mentoring another person.

If you are a part of our wider church family and feel that you would benefit from meeting up one-to-one with a Christian more mature in their faith than you, then please get in touch.