Discipleship/Mentoring

Discipleship, Mentoring, Training

From the Brotherhood Collect, on page 1 of the Devotional Handbook – “Give us who are called by your Holy Word, grace to follow him without delay, and bring those near to us into his gracious presence, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen”

At the end of our Episcopal Worship Service we pray together what is termed the prayer of Discipleship with these key words – “And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord. To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.”

The Disciple, Mentoring, Training ministry of the Brotherhood of Saint Andrew is to designed through our prayer, study, and service to bring those near to us into his gracious presence, and to help us live out the prayer of Discipleship.

The definition of this Ministry is simple – create an environment for others to know and engage with Jesus – our Discipleship, Mentoring, and Training efforts are designed to enable us to create this environment.  As Jesus took 12 men and asked them to create that environment for others – that is our call as well.  This article will outline some virtues of this Ministry and the key elements that can be applied to create the desired environment for others.

Several Bible examples of Jesus’s leadership style include Discipling, Mentoring, and Training others – always thinking of others first, always creating an environment for others to know Jesus, always communicating in words others understand – parables, always available for others, never giving up on the Disciples, and thinking is rooted in scripture.

Disciples, Mentors, Trainers – what does good look like in this role

• Simply serves because that is what Jesus did
• Performs the role without any expectation of reward – not looking for some check marks on the get to Heaven scorecard, not desiring a bunch of “atta-boys”, it isn’t about me
• Serves out of love for Jesus and others
• Serves others needs before their own
• Thinks of others and cares for them
• Realizes the value of our fellow human beings
• Loving your neighbor
• Thinking is rooted in scripture

Discipleship, mentoring, training can often occur in one on one situations and group settings – what virtues are needed in these sessions to disciple, mentor, train others?

• Caring – One person caring enough about another person to help them build a relationship with God
• Listening – reflecting on what is heard is critical
• Empathy – accept them where they are
• Awareness –situations and self-awareness are key
• Guiding – not command and control
• Seeking – seeking to understand versus seeking to be understood
• Proactive –recognizes opportunities
• Respect – we are all part of the Jesus movement

Effective disciples, mentors, training generally have these types of thoughts and questions on a regular basis – what can I do for others, how can I help, how can I engage others to help, how can I create an environment for others to know Jesus and to grow in a life with Christ?

Where are opportunities for Discipleship, Mentoring, Training? – outreach activities at our Churches, one on one relationships, several areas – In short – these opportunities arise anywhere we are at any time.

In summary, here is the heart of those who Disciple, Mentor, and Train others:

• aspire to be great only in their service to others
• are committed to serving others needs with – humility; sincere concern; forgiving and giving heart; and self-discipline, before serving their own
• relate to others by investing, empowering, caring for, and consulting others
• are willing to sacrifice personally for the well-being of others
• constantly work on their beliefs, thoughts, and discipleship, mentoring, and training skills
• is rooted in scripture, is Christ centered in all aspects of life, assesses themselves versus scripture