Dr. Nathan Baxter

 

There is no substitute for someone believing in you. It is always amazing how a simple compliment can spur us on to do great things. Most of us hang onto any form of encouragement that comes our way. With a little effort we can recall words of life shared with us from decades ago. I am not sure why we have been designed to be in constant need of encouragement but that is just the way it is.

Of the five XP functions, I get most jazzed about the mentoring function. I have spent the last 15 years studying and practicing mentoring. I have been mentored for the last 17 years by a personal mentor 10 years my senior. His encouragement for the last decade and a half has served me well. The results have been incredible and have caused me to make mentoring the primary focus of my job as an XP.

Most XP's have the opportunity to exercise significant authority within the church structure. We are able to make decisions that can affect large groups of people. We also have significant influence with our SP's and can advise him on vision, strategy, and critical decisions.

The bottom line is that we have a great deal of power entrusted to us.

I want to put a plug in for XP's using this privilege to create healthy environments for the leaders of our church. They need to be constantly nourished, guided, and mentored. There really is no one else in the organization that has the one-two punch of authority and responsibility that can create a mentoring culture.

Let me get you thinking.

Ask yourself a simple question. "What specific process do I have in place that nourishes and mentors the leaders of our church?" This should include both paid leaders and volunteer leaders. Your first reaction to the question should indicate whether or not what you are providing is adequate.

Mentoring leaders is not that difficult. Time is your biggest issue. We all know that the administrative duties alone can kill an XP. With a little creativity and hard work time can be carved out to start providing more time for leadership development and health.

Do you know how to provide a mentoring environment for the leaders of your church?

Most XPs I have interviewed do well in the management department but begin to blow smoke when I inquire about mentoring. Here are some ideas for you.

Begin by interviewing an expert on mentoring. This expert is you. Ask yourself, "What areas of my life would I love to receive some coaching and encouragement from my Senior Pastor or other qualified mentor?" and "What areas of my leadership would I love to receive some coaching and encouragement?"

Guest what? Your staff is just like you! They want someone to guide them and encourage them in their personal lives and well as well as in their professional lives.

The following is a couple of things that have worked for me you might give a try. First, force yourself as an XP to spend regular time, one on one, with the leaders that need you the most. There simply is no replacement for face to face conversations. With a little planning you should be able to work everyone in at least once a month if not more. I personally meet with 5 leaders weekly and another 6 leaders every two weeks, just the two of us for an hour.

Second, create a list of questions that help you probe into the issues that really matter. Examples: "How has God been ministering to you since we last met? "What have been your primary frustrations lately and how can I help?" The reason I use this method is because I can quickly shift to a ministry management mindset and begin trying to measure performance objectives. This certainly needs to be done but not at the expense of giving myself for the success of another. The principle is that healthy people do better work. I never fall short in the area of letting leaders know what is expected of them but I have to work overtime communicating and demonstrating to them that I am committed to their success.

A third suggestion for fostering a mentoring culture for your leaders is to talk to God about them. Discuss with God their leadership, their personal lives, and their ministry performance. Ask Him to show you what He is up to in their lives. Many times their performance or lack of performance is masking the real agenda that God is working on in their lives. Mentoring is all about cooperating with God's activity in a precious life.

In summary, people are worth it. Most of us would not be in our positions of influence if we had not received sovereign investments from others who believed in us and helped us find our way.

Let's return the favor!

Learn more about Mentoring