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One of my great joys in life is to collaborate with another like-minded Christian man or woman in the great cause of Jesus. In fact, amongst my three core values after the gospel as my number one value, my next is collaboration!

Colin Norris is a colleague in the UK who has written a thought-provoking article, based on his research, about why mentorees start to “become like” their mentors, often without trying to copy them, and how that can be harnessed wisely in Christian mentoring.[1]

In June I reflected on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model I had been exposed to at the Resilience and Well-being in Ministry intensive at Ridley College in Melbourne in February.[1] I am still reflecting on the relationship between spiritual resources and occupational well-being and how we tend foster spiritual practices in difficult seasons only to let them slip when the difficult season has passed.

Depending on what sort of mentoring you do, the financial life of your mentee may or may not be a topic of conversation.

For those of us who mentor young adults just starting out in the world, finances often come up naturally—budgeting for the first time, learning how to save, or navigating debt. For those walking alongside people further down the road, it may not surface as often. And yet, for those mentoring people in Christian ministry, finances are frequently a source of stress. Living on a small budget is sometimes a reality, and money worries can become a hidden burden.

Hope is a powerful force. When people possess hope they are more resilient, creative, positive and diligent. With hope, we can keep going through tough times. Without it, we tend to fall into despair and a sense of powerlessness. Because it’s so powerful, people will grasp for hope wherever they can find it. But if that hope turns out to have no foundation, the end result can be devastating. As a mentor, I want to strengthen hope in those I serve. But I know I need to be careful not to encourage false hope. Continue reading “Strengthening Hope”

In February I completed the Resilience and Well-being in Ministry intensive that Grant Bickerton teaches at Ridley College in Melbourne. Grant is a psychologist who serves with Power to Change Australia.^[1] Grant has extended the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model^[2] to include spiritual resources and has researched the relationship between spiritual resources and work engagement.

Continue reading “Resilience and Well-being in Ministry”

Empathy is a human superpower, isn’t it?

I was in a seminar recently in which we were discussing the possible usefulness of Artificial Intelligence in mentoring, and even whether AI could take over the role of a mentor. AI is certainly a powerful tool, and it’s coming, ready or not, into all of our lives. It’s great at summarising large quantities of input, it handles routine IT/administrative tasks extraordinarily quickly (as long as you can tell it precisely what you require done) and can bring to your attention points of view you might not have thought of. You have to watch it though. Generative AI isn’t great at distinguishing between facts and plausible possibilities.

Continue reading “Empathy is a human superpower”

Last November, Em and I led a Members’ Networking zoom on the topic of Neurodiversity and mentoring. This came about through our observation that awareness and diagnosis of neurodivergence, particularly Autism and ADHD, seems to be increasing. More broadly, there seems to be a moment happening in the media with several recent TV shows featuring neurodivergence.  I’ve enjoyed watching shows like Love on the Spectrum and Austin. Aside from this moment in the media, I have a couple of friends recently receive diagnoses of ADHD as adults. I have family members on the autism spectrum and who have dyslexia and dyscalculia. I’ve also had a mentoree who I’ve been walking with over the last few years as she’s travelled the ADHD diagnosis journey.

Now as Em and I were discussing how to approach this topic, she reminded me of the very helpful phrase “Nothing about us without us”. Continue reading “Neurodiversity and Mentoring”

That Which Continues

I’m not going to lie, the sunset view from here is pretty great. Margaret River in the Southwest of WA is an exceptionally beautiful place to be spending the weekend – I’m surrounded by quiet, and green, and really good coffee shops.

Usually, the start of a new year has me full of plans, wonderings and optimism for the days ahead. I love the energy of beginnings. However, as I sit under the cooling canopy of these majestic trees this evening, I notice how the instability of recent world events and their echoes here in Australia have me more distracted than usual. I notice that my patience is thinner for tricky people, and as I breathe in the sea air and exhale, the tension in my shoulders and neck releases … and I realise it’s as if I’ve been bracing myself. The new, sparkly possibilities aren’t fuelling me in the same way this year, and I’m just not one to bury my head in the sand and pretend otherwise. So, what then? From where do I draw life and hope as a mentor at the start of 2025? Continue reading “That Which Continues”