In addition to preparing your own heart for the mentor session, there are some important steps to preparing for the session itself.\u00a0 While these steps need not take long, please be intentional about them so you can capitalize on your time together with the mentee.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There are probably countless ways to facilitate a mentor session.\u00a0 This book teaches you a simple five-phase method.[1]<\/a>\u00a0 The mentor helps the mentee rest in Christ more fully and reflect Christ faithfully in all his\/her vocations by:\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Filling up the mentee with encouragement<\/p>\n Reviewing the mentee\u2019s progress<\/p>\n Helping the mentee determine what to work on<\/p>\n Helping the mentee craft a plan<\/p>\n Sending the mentee out with God\u2019s power<\/p>\n The details of each phase will be explained in following sections. For now, just familiarize yourself with the steps you should take to prepare for the five phases of the mentor session itself.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p><\/a>Photo by Cathryn Lavery<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/div>\n First, review your notes from the previous mentor session and any interactions you have had with the mentee between sessions.\u00a0 Are there any specific areas of stress or struggle that you have observed in the mentee?\u00a0 Have you noted any progress you might want to highlight with him\/her?\u00a0<\/p>\n Be sure you are prepared to share a devotional thought (See Phase 1:\u00a0 Fill Up the Mentee with Encouragement).\u00a0 As much as possible, base it upon your notes.\u00a0 Be sure you have your Bible with you if you need it for the devotional thought.\u00a0<\/p>\n Review the goals and action steps that the mentee agreed to work on between sessions, so you are prepared to ask about his\/her progress.\u00a0 This is important!\u00a0 Usually, the reason a mentee asks a mentor to hold him\/her accountable to goals and action steps is that those issues are challenging for him\/her to address, e.g. praying with his\/her spouse or starting a new workout routine.\u00a0 If a mentee is trying to avoid difficult work (consciously or unconsciously), this will give the mentor an opportunity to challenge him\/her, even using the law when necessary.\u00a0 On the other hand, if a mentee feels ashamed about falling short of his\/her goals and action steps, the mentor has an opportunity restore him\/her with the gospel.\u00a0<\/p>\n Once you have reviewed your notes and prepared for the mentor session itself, give yourself a ten-minute buffer by:\u00a0<\/p>\n Arriving at the meeting location 10 minutes ahead of time; or<\/p>\n Preparing the office or meeting room 10 minutes ahead of time; or<\/p>\n Setting up the online meeting 10 minutes ahead of time.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rushing to arrive or prepare last minute leads to rushed sessions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Review: Prepare for the Mentor Session Itself<\/strong><\/p>\n by:\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Crafting your devotional thought for mentor session.<\/p>\n Reviewing your notes from the previous session\u2019s discussion.\u00a0<\/p>\n Reviewing the mentee\u2019s goals and action steps from Phase 5 of the previous mentor session (Send the Mentee out with God\u2019s Power).<\/p>\n Giving yourself a ten-minute buffer before the session.\u00a0<\/p>\n Preparation for each mentoring session does not require hours of work\u2014if you have already prepared a devotional thought, the other steps may only take 10 or 15 minutes\u2014but it facilitates a great launch to your meeting.\u00a0 Your mentees will appreciate the extra investment in your time with them \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s your turn to prepare for the mentor session by scheduling it, preparing your heart for it, and preparing for the session itself.\u00a0<\/p>\n Step One:\u00a0 Set the Mentor Session Schedule and Location<\/strong><\/p>\n Work with your mentee to setup the regular mentor session schedule and record the experience here to evaluate it later.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t know whom you will be mentoring yet, set up a mock regular mentor session schedule based upon the principles learned above.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Step Two:\u00a0 Prepare Your Heart for the Session<\/strong><\/p>\nActivity:\u00a0 Prepare for the Mentor Session<\/h3>\n