Mentoring Defined

Definition: Mentoring is a relational experience in which one person, the mentor, empowers another

person, the mentoree, by a transfer of resources.

Empowerment can include such things as new habits, knowledge, skills, desires, values, connections to resources for growth and development of potential. We  have identified a number of mentoring functions.

Table 1 identifies nine mentoring functions we have categorized.

Mentoring is a relational experience. Five dynamics are involved: attraction, relationship,

Responsiveness, accountability, empowerment. The more each of these dynamics are in place the more impactful is the empowerment. Table 2 gives the essence of each of the dynamics.

All of these dynamics do not always appear in fullness in the different relationships. They are necessary for the intensive mentoring functions (heavy face-to-face time commitments are usually involved): discipling, spiritual guide, coaching. All do not have to be present in the occasional mentoring functions: counselling, teaching, sponsoring. Empowerment can happen even when all the dynamics are not present. However, the stronger the five dynamics, even in occasional mentoring, the more impactful will be the resulting empowerment. In the passive mentoring functions—contemporary modelling, historical modelling, and divine contact—attraction is present, responsiveness is present and empowerment takes place. But relationship and accountability are essentially missing.

Both Jesus and Paul used mentoring. They had individual relationships with trainees. But they also

combined individual mentoring relationships with training of groups.

Mentoring relates directly to two of the seven major lessons observed in comparative study of effective leaders.

Effective leaders view leadership selection and development as a priority function in their ministry.

Effective leaders see relational empowerment as both a means and a goal of ministry.