Mentoring and Discipleship

A good friend from church, and a gentleman who was the Elder in charge of youth ministries when I was the senior high teacher, asked me if I considered teaching again. While he said he understood that I felt a need to take a break from youth ministries, he also felt that I had a gift of teaching that shouldn’t be wasted. Now I’ll be the first to admit, I love to teach. I love to get people into a lively conversation and help facilitate and hopefully lead everyone to the same conclusion, or at least one on which they will reflect upon further. I’ll also admit that I don’t think I’m any great shakes when it comes to teaching. Words don’t come to me easily. I would never make a great debater, I just don’t think that quickly on my feet. I have a hard time listening to someone during a class without trying to think about what me next response is going to be. In other words the idea that someone thinks I’m good at teaching leaves me completely humbled. I honestly believe that if someone gets anything out of my teaching it’s because God is guiding me.

With that said, I have desired to teach again, not so much because I want to teach but because I have a subject in mind that I want to discuss. Like Tim Challies I have a strong desire to be mentored. But I can’t even imagine going around to the older gentlemen in church and asking if one would be willing to mentor me. When I think about doing this I get an image in my head of Oliver Twist standing before Mr. Bumble with his bowl out asking for more. MORE!? So what better way to bring this concept home to the men at my church than to have a class on the subject of Mentoring and Discipleship? At least IMHO I think it’s a good way to get the ball rolling. Of course that means that I might/should be mentoring a young man. ME?!, mentor someone?! Why would anyone want me as a mentor?! With those thoughts running through my mind I have to wonder if most mentors don’t feel the same way.

Anyhow, I want to teach a class. I want to encourage the men at my church to mentor one another, become prayer partners, be encourager’s, accountability partners, iron to sharpen iron and a strong shoulder to lean on in times of trouble. Sounds good doesn’t it? But, where to begin? This is where this becomes a post that I hope others will respond to. I need a good outline for a class. Resources that you may feel are appropriate. I’m not that interested in buying a package (Promise Keepers, The Core) unless it comes highly endorsed. I don’t want a bunch of Christian pop psychology. I need to come up with a class that is 9 weeks long (that’s the length of sessions at our church). If anyone can suggest some books to read I’d greatly apprectiate it. If you’ve ever done something like this at your church, what worked, what would you have done differently, have you been able to make it a part of your church’s life?

Peace,
Rong