Introduction

Mentoring the new generation of spiritual leaders is a concept long embedded in Christianity, and occurs when mentors try to enlighten their mentees and help them develop as spiritual leaders (McCallum et al, 2006). The materials and the way they are communicated is important in mentorship. Reese et al (2012) concentrated on how Christian approach to mentoring and leadership should take on a new approach, and advocated for a gradual and progressive approach to mentoring the new leaders. Like the constituent content of the mentoring material, how they guide also play a key role in the multidimensional dynamics of investing in leaders (Prescott et al 2002). Therefore, it considered indispensable to ensure that the way mentees are mentored is congruent with viable techniques based on Christianity.

Based on the teachings and research of Bobby Clinton, Reese et al (2012)’s approach to deep mentoring Christian leaders espouses that mentors need to be unprecedentedly knowledgeable about their mentees (i.e. Christian leaders) to ensure the effectiveness of deep mentoring.  Pue (2005) also provides a number of techniques used by Christ to guide and influence others.  Corroborating the views of Reese et al (2012) is Campbell et al (2009), who are also proponents of a multidimensional approach to mentoring and development of Christian leaders. According to Campbell et al’s (2009) approach to mentoring based on Jesus’s model of influencing others encompasses a number of ‘ingredients’. These ‘ingredients’ of next-generation are:

1. mentoring is on purpose, with a mission
2. mentoring is a selfless act
3. mentoring occurs in a group context
4. mentees are handpicked
5. mentorship last for a specific period of time
6. mentoring based on Scripture
7. mentoring involves praying
8. mentoring model was transparent
9. mentoring is practical, yet spiritual
10. mentoring is based on mutual commitment
11. mentoring requires multiplication element

This report aims to garner, review and reflect on a number of mentoring materials in terms of their applicability to the Mount Annan, 2567, New South West area.

Materials

QPZM Local Stats (n.d.) provides that those belonging to Catholic church make up 34.6% of the population, followed by those who belonging to the Anglican communion, at 26.2%.  Even though the materials provided by the Christian Mentoring, John Malison Ministries, ‘Reflections for Mentees- To enrich one’s life and ministry’ (Appendix 3) are applicable to both Catholics and Anglicans, it cannot be considered applicable, as it does not take on a gradual approach to the concept of mentoring the future Christian leaders, as suggested by Egeler (2003). The ‘Reflections for Mentees- To enrich one’s life and ministry’ questionnaire (Appendix 3) contains a number of questions included in the material with a view of helping mentees reflect on their failure and success. Regardless, there is one question asking mentees whether or not they would be amenable to making themselves completely available to God, and noted that doing so might be costly.  The median individual income is around $784 per week Mount Annan, 2567, New South West, insinuating that the majority of people living in Mount Annan, 2567 cannot survive without continuous employment. Therefore, the questionnaire’ role and efficacy in terms of helping Mount Annan population to form and develop spiritual leadership is negated by questions and assertions that they would have to forgo other things in life to continue with commitment.

On the other hand, Hendrick’s (2006) smorgasbord of ideas, stories, and viable recommendations on how to be spiritual mentors to the millennial imparts the richness of the Christian- congruent mentorship models and exercises. Millennials make up 20% of Mount Annan’s population (AustralianBureau of Statistics, 2018). Therefore, Hendrick’s (2006) material on mentoring and valuable tips on how to encourage and empower the future spiritual teens is thoroughly applicable to Mount Annan, 2567.

There is another mentoring material provided by Christian Mentoring.  Christian Mentoring, John Mallison Ministries’ ‘Enriching our marriage’ pamphlet (Appendix 1) has a number of incomplete sentences, which need to completed by spouses. These incomplete sentences encourage mentees to explore their marriage and how inter-dependent they have become. The pamphlet ensures to develop spiritual leaders by stressing the importance of marriage and companionship, two of the central concepts in the Bible. The ‘Enriching our marriage’ pamphlet (Appendix 1) designed for spouses is perfectly applicable to the married couples living in Mount Annan, 2567. Married couples represent 57% of the population over the age of 15, suggesting that residents in the area tend to get married. On the other hand, married couples represent 48% of the whole population over the age 15 in Australia (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2018). As married couples tended to outnumber single persons in Mount Annan, 2567, New South West the ‘Enriching our lives’ pamphlet is applicable to the area.

Dallas Theological Seminary also has a number of materials and resources on mentorship. One of their materials is a Youtube video, in which George Hillman of Dallas Theological Seminary, posits that to overcome generational distrust when it comes to mentoring and developing the new Christian leaders, we need to re-cultivate trust. Therefore, the materials for mentoring and the mentoring program need to be developed with keeping the trust issue in mind (Holsinger, 2009). Bobb (1997) has opined the mentor-mentee relationship as a lifelong one, and how mentoring materials needed to reflect the long-term nature of the relationship. The ‘Reflections for Mentees- To enrich one’s life and ministry’ (Appendix 3) does not impart the long-term nature of the mentor-mentee relationship.

Leighton Ford’s prayer (Appendix 2) provides a number of lines of prayers which need to be recited by mentees at the end the of year.  Leighton Ford’s prayer is developed in a way that imparts that mentor-mentee relationship is a long-term, lasting more years. Based on a number of Biblical principles, it can be assumed that Leighton Ford’s prayer is applicable to the population of Mount Annan, 2567, New South West.

Conclusion

Mentor-mentee relationship is based on the material used by the mentor to impart contents to mentees. There is a smorgasbord of guides and recommendations as to how mentor the next generation of spiritual leaders. There are number of essential ‘ingredients’ of mentoring materials, as they need to be applicable to a particular group of mentees. There have been four mentoring materials collected and analyzed in terms of their applicability to Mount Annan, 2567, New South Wales. The analysis shows that some of these materials are not applicable as they do not consider the demographic information about mentees, as suggested by Hughes (2003).

Reference

1. Biehl, Bobb. Mentoring: Confidence in Finding a Mentor and Becoming One. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1997
2. Qpzm Local Stats: Mount Annan Demographics (NSW) Local Stats, accessed 20 April 2018 <http://mount-annan.localstats.com.au/demographics/nsw/sydney/macarthur-camden/mount-annan>
3. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2018: 2016 Census QuickStats, accessed 19 April 2018 <http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/SSC12745?opendocument>
4. McCallum, Dennis & Jessica Lowery. Organic Disciple making: Mentoring others into Spiritual Maturity and Leadership. Houston: Touch Publications, 2006.
5. Reese, Randy & Loane, Robert. Deep Mentoring. Illinois, IVP, 2012
6. Holsinger, J. M. Christian Leadership in the local church: Mentoring New Christian Disciples, Asbury Theological Seminary. 2009
7. Prescott, Ruth & Peter Marshall (eds). Relating Faith in Public Life: Australian Mentoring Stories. Adelaide: OpenBook Publishers, 2002.
8. Pue, Carson. Mentoring Leaders: Wisdom for Developing Character, Calling, and Competency. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2005.
9. Campbell, Regi, Mentoring Manifesto. Nashville: B&H, e-book, 2012
10. Clinton, J.R. The Making of a Leader. Colorado Springs: NavPress 1988
11. Egeler, Daniel. Mentoring Millennials: Shaping the Next Generation. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2003.
12. Hendricks, Patricia. Hungry Souls, Holy Companions: Mentoring a New Generation of Christians. New York: Morehouse Publishing, 2006.
13. Hughes, Bryn. Discipling, Coaching, Mentoring: Discovering the Hallmarks of Jesus’ Discipling. Eastbourne: Kingsway, 2003.