4 Stages of Biblical Mentoring

Mentoring – what Jesus called disciplemaking – is a lost discipline, yet we’re all called to do it. If you can understand four basic stages of making disciples – pictured as advancing around a circle – you can succeed.

Stage 0: Mentoring a Seeker

This could be someone from school, work, or neighborhood, or even from church. It’s someone who has not had a “defining moment” of personal faith in Christ. The goal of mentoring this person is to build a genuine relationship that adds value to their life. You could start with topics about life, like parenting or work. The point is not to “evangelize” them in some cookie-cutter way, but to earn the place to speak truth in their life. Eventually, as the Holy Spirit works on their heart through your relationship, the conversations you have can lead to the most important conversation, as you take them through Foundations and lead them to Christ.

[Related Series: Foundations]

Stage 1: Mentoring a Young Believer

This stage involves someone who has recently trusted Jesus, or perhaps has never moved forward in their faith after their initial “defining moment.” Be patient with them. Go through some basic topics in the Life and Faith categories. Speak the truth, but be loving and gentle. Don’t blow them away with all your knowledge. The goal in this stage is to help them move forward to translate their newly repentant heart toward a lifestyle of fruitfulness.

Stage 2: Mentoring a Solid Believer

When you find someone who is living a life that honors God, your goal is to challenge and help them to start mentoring others. Help them see that the Great Commission applies to them. Their job is to become a disciplemaker, and your job is to help them get there. In part, that means they will have to redefine Christian maturity in terms of discipling others versus just gaining more Bible knowledge or more church experience. You can use topics that help them become consistent in serving and giving, and ultimately topics that help them become mentors.

[Related Series: Mentor Training]

Stage 3: Mentoring a Mentor

In this stage, you are mentoring a mentor, someone who has gone full circle in their own pursuit of God. Your role is now more of a coach. Support, encourage, and advise them to help them succeed at their mentoring. Your role may go from active mentoring (a weekly or monthly meeting) to passive mentoring (just checking in from time to time). Congratulations! You have become a disciplemaker maker.

Discussion Questions:

Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
What is your initial reaction to this video? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
Can you identify the four stages of discipleship in your own experience? What happened?
Who helped you grow from each stage to the next? What did they do that was most helpful?
How is Stage 0 mentoring like or unlike “evangelizing”?
How would you describe the goal of Stage 1 mentoring?
What might be the biggest challenges of Stage 2 mentoring? Explain.
What is unique about Stage 3 mentoring compared to other stages?
Write a personal action step based on this conversation.