Book discussion groups are popular in Christian graduate and faculty groups. While they don't replace studying The Book, many are already studying the Bible with another group, perhaps in their church. Book discussion groups afford the opportunity to explore a book in which there is shared interest. Sometimes that could focus on spiritual disciplines and growth, Christian belief, or Christian history. It might focus on a contemporary issue like racism or the environment or living sustainably. Or you might just read an … [Read more...] about Hosting Effective Book Groups
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Mentoring: What is It and How do we Get There?
Mentoring Part V: Concluding Thoughts This series has focused on mentoring, what it is and how we go about finding this kind of relationship. The focus has remained on how we can prepare ourselves to establish a good relationship with positive outcomes for both mentor and mentee. Our Christian faith reminds us that Jesus is our ultimate mentor. However, we really benefit from the guidance we receive from those in our physical world who may have more experience than we do in certain areas. This includes our academic, … [Read more...] about Mentoring: What is It and How do we Get There?
Mentoring: What is It and How do we Get There?
Mentoring Part IV: What if it doesn't work out? So far in this series our focus has been on identifying what mentoring is and how to go about getting started. Part III explored some things that the mentee might do to prepare for the relationship and some of the personal formation that may be needed. These are important points to consider as we often look for mentors to suit our needs without considering how we can respect our mentor and the time they have graciously agreed to spend with us. I used the relationship … [Read more...] about Mentoring: What is It and How do we Get There?
Mentoring: What is It and How do we Get There?
Mentoring Part III: How to Prepare as a Good Mentee The idea of mentoring has been in place since biblical times, and we have explored the relationship between Moses and Joshua as they prepared to transfer leadership of the nation of Israel. We can safely assume that Joshua spent some significant time with Moses observing and learning from him as he faced the many challenges of leading a fledgling nation. The mentoring relationship was not entirely dependent on the older, more experienced person. There were areas … [Read more...] about Mentoring: What is It and How do we Get There?