I wonder what qualities you would be looking for in the new small group leader you were choosing to mentor?
How about some of the following qualities: Impressionable, teachable, humble, enthusiastic, having faith to believe God for the impossible, loving people unconditionally, quick to forgive, and loving Jesus with all their heart. If you found someone like that, many of us would be ready to pour our lives into them and raise them as leaders.
In many small groups, there are people like that who are completely ignored and overlooked as potential small group leaders. How can this be, when we are crying out to God to raise leaders and to equip us for today and the years ahead?
These potential new small group leaders are overlooked because they are children! If we start incubating new leaders from childhood, we will be equipping not only for today but building a strong foundation for the future!
So how do we do this; in much the same way that we raise up adults!
I believe one of the key components of mentoring is how much we are prepared to give to the relationship. Children are so responsive that they are ready to receive our love and attention within the context of a relationship. Within that, they absorb much of what we are. Each time I was home from trips abroad, I spent a little time with a young boy. This was while he was between the ages of 8 and 14. I just chatted with him at his favourite eating place, and brought him back coins from different nations—small things that made a difference to him. One day, he said to me, "Daphne, I want the real thing. Will you take me to Indonesia or India? I want to go where people really need me." He had caught my passion just by my spending time with him. What a privilege to see ...
