Introducing The Stages  -  Mentor Development

The 6th and final stage of the 6 Stages of Spiritual Development is Mentor Development. The Process of Discipleship concludes by equipping and calling those who have developed a personal relationship with the Lord with the assistance of a mentor to take on the charge of becoming a mentor themselves. It’s the call of the Great Commission. Once discipled, we are instructed join the effort to go and make disciples of all men. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Unlike the other stages, however, this stage is requires a specific invitation. Not until a mentor recognizes the depth of commitment, ministry-mindedness, and a disciplined lifestyle can a believer join the ranks of the mentors. It is important that men and women of noble character who are above reproach be the ones who take up the call to raise the next generation of believers. (1 Timothy 3:1-13)

Stage Objective:

It is time for the believer to begin to be “Kingdom-minded”. It not just about them. It’s not even just about their local church. We are a part of the Lord’s Kingdom and we need to be ready to invest ourselves for it’s success. Therefore, potential mentor needs to:

1.

Expand the believer’s mindset from being self-focused to becoming Kingdom-focused.

2.

Teach the ways and means of being a mentor and leader in the Kingdom of God.

3.

Commission the new mentor to their new ministry.

Mentor Focus:

In this final stage of spiritual development, mentors are releasing their disciples to their own ministry of mentorship. The mentor is changing from a mentor to a peer-advisor. Contact continues, but it is now to champion, assist, and encourage the new mentor in their own ministry success.

Mentors need to think of their disciple much like a parent does with a son or daughter who has graduated from school and is moving on into independent adulthood. We don’t abandon them, but rather support them as they begin to make their own way in the world. Therefore, mentors need to:

1.

Begin to look for ways to assist their disciple in starting their own discipleship relationship.

2.

Encourage the timid, unsure, new mentor as they venture forth on their own.

Congratulations! Our believer has grown from Introduction to Independence with the Lord through Discipleship. There is now another well-equipped Child of God ready to live victoriously and join the ranks of mentors to take more disciples through the 6 Stages of Spiritual Development.