Mentorship is something that has been on my heart for a while now. (From the back row: What is mentorship?) I am glad you asked. Mentorship is that process where a person with more experience or knowledge either spiritually, skillfully, emotionally, or mentally shares that insight or experience with another person less skilled in the context of a highly involved relationship. A teacher could mentor students through creating a close relationship with them. The importance is more on the relational aspect than on the knowledge being conveyed.
today's teaching would be less like mentorship than the ancient form of teaching where the students walked with the teacher. There are intangibles that can not be spoken to another as well as they can be lived with another. As a person in a mentoring relationship lives life with the other more experienced person, traits began to be rubbed off onto them.
I use this experience talk more than age because some persons are more developed in one area than another. I will use my friend Chip for example. Chip, and Jay, can fix anything from what I hear. I can fix .....well....I could fix.....Fine I have no skills as a handyman. He could mentor me in handyman skills while building a relationship with me. I having a big theology degree could mentor him in biblical things in a relationship.
The relationship is important because it lets another know they are valuable. I am investing in you because you are valuable. Also, it helps us to cut through surface bull crap and get to the heart of the matter. The US society is afraid of depth. I was perusing a book last evening that talked about how religion and politics are taboo because they are the most important. People do not handle depth anymore. Mentorship is designed to cut through to the deep issues of life. Mentorship begins with the question, "Am I valuable?" Those persons in our life that we spend the most time with are valued to us. Pamela is highly valued to me. (Look at the amount of time I spend with her.)
Mentorship also has an amount of intentionality to it. Mentorship does not just happen. It is sought out by either member. It is best if the "leader" seeks it out. But either person can seek it out.
Many thoughts in a little space.
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