Okay back to writing–after a long time. We will go for a few blogs talking about a biblical rationale for ministry mentoring.
“He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.” (Psalm 78:5–6, NIV) ************************The theological framework which we set around ministry mentoring begins with an understanding that God is a relational being and that he has created us to be relational beings to whom he relates and who relate to others in community. This is alluded to in the creation narratives of Genesis. God deliberates, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule (have dominion [ESV]) over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground”” (Genesis 1:26, NIV). At another point in the narrative he says, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.” (Genesis 2:18–19, NIV) These two brief references suggest a theological basis for understanding the relational nature of God and human beings. The first reference suggests that there were persons to whom he related during the creative process. The second reference is an introduction to the creation of the woman so that the man would have someone of his own kind to relate to. Both of these passages also introduce the nature of the relationship that God has with humankind in terms of purpose and partnership in creation. Under God’s supervision humankind is to have dominion over the created order and that is illustrated by the task of naming the animals God gives to the man and then steps back “to see what he would name them.” This is very much like what a good mentor would do to encourage development by releasing a mentee to fulfil and project and embracing the outcome. The rest of the scriptures are permeated with examples of a similar dynamic where God continually invites human beings into a partnership with him to fulfil his purposes.