Mentoring Lessons, Part 1 of 5

This post is an excerpt from a previous post titled Mentoring: The Top Ten Things I Learned From Bill Ferrell. Each day this week i will repost two of the top ten mentoring lessons I learned. Enjoy!

Mentoring doesn’t generally happen within the context of official programmed ministries, but rather through relationships. An example of this is the 10+ years that I spent loitering around the office (and family room) of Pastor Bill Ferrell. At the time neither of us realized it, but as I look back there is no one person more responsible for my Christian maturity, real life experience in the local church, and where I am as a leader, husband, and dad than this man Bill in all his perfectly tanned golf obsessed glory. So without further ado, I give you:

The Top 10 Things I learned From Bill Ferrell: 1-2

1. “No.” There is power in the ability to say “no” in this life. People, agendas, committees, and side projects are constantly at war with my ability to be a good husband, father, and pastor. But I have a trump card to everything that can cloud my mission, interfere with my presence as a husband and dad, and waste my time: I say no. Bill said “no” to more people more times for more good reasons that I can ever remember.

2. “Yes.” Just because someone isn’t perfect, polished, and overqualified, it doesn’t mean they can’t do well. Let people try, give them guidance, and extend a hand when they fall flat on their face or drop all the moving parts. Sometimes we “prepare” people so much for “ministry” that they see it as an academic exercise… that just doesn’t work. In fact, creating a culture where people can fail and learn is the benchmark of growing churches and organizations. When I started teaching in one of Bill’s small groups I wasn’t a seminary grad. When I became a director of that same ministry I wasn’t yet ordained.

Tomorrow: #3 & #4