I love Easter. It's a really special time for me personally. That may seem like a given, considering that I'm a Christian, but for the first 21 years I spent going to church, Easter didn't really mean that much to me. In all honesty, it seemed like one of the more boring church services of the year because I thought the sermons covered material that I had moved beyond.
But my senior year of college, I screwed up more than I thought was possible and felt more conviction from the Holy Spirit than I ever had in my life. Through that God taught me about His grace and forgiveness, the message of the gospel that I had missed despite my attendance at thousands of church services. And as if the gift of experiencing the Cross wasn't enough, I learned these lessons leading up to the calendar celebration of when Jesus made His sacrifice for me. I like having that personal anniversary that I can celebrate within the community of faith.
The pastor I heard speak last night challenged us to give up something during Holy Week--something that's not necessarily wrong, but might dull our sensitivity to what God is saying. So I'm going to cut back on my television watching (sorry Gilmore Girls). I didn't do so well today because of a headache, but that's my goal for the week. Hopefully putting it on this blog will help me stick to it. I like the idea of intentionally pressing into God during Holy Week. That might not seem revolutionary to those who are used to following the church calendar, but it's something different for this low-church girl.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Books I'm Reading: Connecting
I am seriously excited about this book. There have been few things I've read where I felt every concept either affirmed the desires in my heart, resonated with my past experiences, or challenged me towards action in an area I'm passionate about. The book is Connecting: The Mentoring Relationships You Need to Succeed in Life by Paul D. Stanley and Dr. J. Robert Clinton.
The focus of the book is a breakdown of mentoring relationships: intensive, occasional, and passive (these are not mentors who don't seem to care, but rather, contemporary and historical figures who provide an example to follow instead of one-on-one time with a mentoree). There are eight types of mentors within the three categories. It was very helpful to see that mentoring can look different depending on people's needs and seasons of life. I hate cookie-cutter discipleship because it lacks authenticity and flexibility. God creates unique individuals who have vastly different experiences in life. Having different types of mentors is just one part of a framework that allows for individuality in the discipleship process.
The authors really made me think more about the relationships in my life. As part of my job, I have the privilege of mentoring others in various ways. But I think I need to examine my relationships with those mentoring me, as well as my close friendships. After graduating college and beginning full-time ministry, my proximity to and availability for these relationships shifted. I've had a harder time fitting them into the structure of my life.
The authors really emphasize that mentoring is critical for everyone, but especially those in ministry. I really appreciated that. I don't know if this is intentional or not, but sometimes it seems like there's a message that once you're in ministry, you can handle yourself or at least should be able to get it together. Stanley and Clinton blame this mindset for the number of leadership failures in the church:
"In our studies of leaders, we can clearly conclude with few exceptions that those who experienced anointed ministry and finished well had a significant network of meaningful relationships that inspired, challenged, listened, pursued, developed, and held one another accountable."
Becoming one of those leaders will take a consistent, intentional commitment to finding and maintaining these relationships. So grateful to these authors for the encouragement toward that goal.
(Random note: I also really like their use of the term "mentoree" instead of the more commonly used "mentee." Though spellcheck does not recognize either word, mentoree makes more sense.)
The focus of the book is a breakdown of mentoring relationships: intensive, occasional, and passive (these are not mentors who don't seem to care, but rather, contemporary and historical figures who provide an example to follow instead of one-on-one time with a mentoree). There are eight types of mentors within the three categories. It was very helpful to see that mentoring can look different depending on people's needs and seasons of life. I hate cookie-cutter discipleship because it lacks authenticity and flexibility. God creates unique individuals who have vastly different experiences in life. Having different types of mentors is just one part of a framework that allows for individuality in the discipleship process.
The authors really made me think more about the relationships in my life. As part of my job, I have the privilege of mentoring others in various ways. But I think I need to examine my relationships with those mentoring me, as well as my close friendships. After graduating college and beginning full-time ministry, my proximity to and availability for these relationships shifted. I've had a harder time fitting them into the structure of my life.
The authors really emphasize that mentoring is critical for everyone, but especially those in ministry. I really appreciated that. I don't know if this is intentional or not, but sometimes it seems like there's a message that once you're in ministry, you can handle yourself or at least should be able to get it together. Stanley and Clinton blame this mindset for the number of leadership failures in the church:
"In our studies of leaders, we can clearly conclude with few exceptions that those who experienced anointed ministry and finished well had a significant network of meaningful relationships that inspired, challenged, listened, pursued, developed, and held one another accountable."
Becoming one of those leaders will take a consistent, intentional commitment to finding and maintaining these relationships. So grateful to these authors for the encouragement toward that goal.
(Random note: I also really like their use of the term "mentoree" instead of the more commonly used "mentee." Though spellcheck does not recognize either word, mentoree makes more sense.)
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