Sump - Mentor Interview Report
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Liberty University *
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510
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Philosophy
Date
Apr 3, 2024
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docx
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Uploaded by sumples24
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Mentor Interviews Report
Submitted to Dr. Robert Gowins, In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
LEAD510 B03-LUO
Biblical Foundations of Leadership
by
Lester C. Sump II
February 18, 2024
1
Introduction
Mentoring in any field is of the utmost value. It is good for businesses as it fosters a wealth of knowledge and experience that is passed down from one to another, which benefits the mentee. It also provides the mentor with the opportunity to give back something that was given to him. Both mentor and mentee have a specific level of participation in this dynamic. The mentee is expected to enter the relationship with an outlook to learn, keep an open mind to suggestions, and be willing to perform the work required. The mentor should be able to offer guidance, insight and establish a healthy repour based on mutual understanding of the expectations of each individual. Mentors help individuals by helping them realize goals that are achievable, providing feedback that can create growth, and establishing connections that can provide opportunities to reach new heights.
Not everyone is equipped with the skillset needed to be a good mentor, as mentoring is a form of leadership that needs to be harnessed and utilized so that the talent of, and vision for the mentee is capitalized on as much as possible. With that said, there are clear differences between mentorship in the secular world, and mentorship in a Christian sense. Secular mentorship certainly has value; however, it comes from a place of self rather than in serving others. A good mentor often has self-promoting nuances that typically keep the mentor on higher ground than the mentee. In a Christian environment, mentoring takes place with the goal being to serve the mentee and become the steps the mentee needs to climb higher than the mentor. This takes place because of the relationship between a follower of Christ and one who follows him. Blanchard states, “In Christ, we have a practical model of effective leadership for all organizations, for all people, for all situations.”
1
1
Blanchard, K., Hodges, P., Henry, P., Lead Like Jesus: Lessons from the Greatest Leadership Role Model of All Time
, Nashville, TN. W Publishing, 2016, 11.
2
Compare and Contrast
Mentorship within the church takes many different forms. There are life groups for
singles, married couples, men, and women, offering a specific level of community at every stop.
I chose to focus on comparing and contrasting the men’s ministry with youth ministry. Both are
extremely important as one focuses on teaching men the statutes that are clearly defined in
Scripture for men as they grow from adolescence to manhood. The other teaches young men the
importance of pursuing a relationship with God and how to rely on Christ to build their inner
being.
Pastor Jim Phillips has been mentoring men at River City Community Church for almost
a decade. During that time, he has witnessed God grow the hearts of several mentees and
supported some during challenging moments and times of struggle. Pastor Clay Burkholder has
been leading River City’s youth ministry since 2020 and has had a front row seat in watching
young men devote their lives to following Jesus, while helping guide them along the way.
Both pastors value their relationships with each person they mentor, and each has a
different style in how they do so. Pastor Jim typically responds after someone initiates meeting
with him, where Pastor Clay usually notices a young person who shows an interest in learning
more about Christ. Each mentor is purposeful in selecting where and when to meet each potential
mentee. Pastor Jim focuses on a place that both he and the mentee can focus on making the
situation light, somewhere public and fun that they can have a deep conversation if warranted,
but also where they can simply enjoy each other’s company. Pastor Clay also chooses to meet in
a public setting, but for different reasons. He makes it clear to the mentee what he expects if the
relationship is to move forward while also listening to the needs the young person has. He
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3
adheres to a strict parameter of a public setting as to promote a level of safety for the mentee and
himself. Each encompasses a level of strength in that they are both making sure that the mentee
is safe and comfortable in their surroundings, while also laying out guidelines of how the
mentoring session will go.
The format for each, however, is quite different. With the adult men, Pastor Jim likes to
do 80 percent of the listening and 20 percent of the talking, while pastor Clay spends more time
instructing on how the sessions will be structured in taking a more authoritative approach. There
are strengths and weaknesses in both parameters as it is important to listen to the mentee, yet
there is a level of guidance that needs to be displayed to make sure there isn’t an assumption that
there is no work to be done. In my opinion Pastor Clays approach of laying a foundation of a
firm schedule and structure is more suitable for long term growth.
Accountability and confidentiality go hand in hand as both pastors are tasked with
maintaining strict adherence to the private matters of their mentees, apart from a crime taking
place or if the mentee is thinking of harming themselves or others. Pastor Clay made it clear that
in mentoring a youth, he must alert the parents if any type of sexual situation were to arise,
whereas Pastor Jim is not obligated to speak outside of the session if there is not criminal or
potential criminal activity present. Both men spend time evaluating their mentees, however,
Pastor Jim can spend more time evaluating as he isn’t constrained by the potentially
overwhelming schedule that can accompany young people, and it seems as though older men
have more of a willingness to confide in a mentor more quickly than a young person. I view this
as a strength for Pastor Jim and what could be considered as a roadblock for Pastor Clay.
Each pastor stated that the most difficult aspect of being a mentor is realizing what Jesus
has done in their lives, and sometimes, whether a young person or an adult, those being mentored
4
get to a point where they decide they believe the knowledge they need has already been received,
and other times, decide they don’t need it altogether. This is a weakness and a strength, in my
view, as it must be a daunting task to know that they will be entering into a relationship that will
allow them to explain and display the love of Christ only for said relationship to take a potential
abrupt ending. Their desire to teach others, both young and old how accepting and following
Jesus has changed their lives, and the best way to continue is on understanding and keeping in
practice, the teachings of the ultimate mentor, Jesus.
In contrast, each pastor stated that the most significant and joyous aspect of teaching a
mentee is when they get to witness a young man or adult realize that Christ can do the same
things in their lives that He has done in their mentors. Pastor Clay stated, “When I hear a youth
share what they have received it is a humbling experience that rejuvenates my soul and keeps me
hungry for more of what God is doing in my life and theirs.” Pastor Jim was also extremely
grateful for the blessing he has been given to witness men grasping the grace and love of Christ
and bestowing that to others. He said, “We spend our entire lives thinking about the little
scratches we get during our lives, and God is more focused on the entire picture. When I get to
talk to someone about setting their eyes on what’s above rather than the scratch, it fills me with
immense joy. As Francis Chan says, the goal is to live above the scratch
.”
Each of these men spend valuable time instructing, nurturing, and caring for those who
have expressed a willingness to seek God through the teachings He has bestowed upon each
mentor. They both showed a passion for passing on Biblical Truth and perpetuating a level of
community that would show them as humble, gracious, and willing servants of Christ. These
specific morals and values do not come to those who are not in right relationship with God and
are obviously instilled by Jesus through their walk with Him.
5
Conclusion
It is hard to place three values ahead of all others, as I enjoyed my time speaking with each mentor. They both gave me a lot to think about, and I will incorporate much of what I earned into my own leadership style. One specific value that was presented by each mentor is the
ability given by God to listen to the mentee and evaluate his needs based on what God has given me through prayer and reading the Word. The main point being that anyone can read the Bible, but studying and meditating on it is where it becomes a live in a way that will allow me to pass on the knowledge and wisdom that has been given to me.
The second value that stood out to me was the effort both of these men take in carving out time in their schedules to include all of those who are seeking to receive the wisdom they have been given. There is a saying I have heard frequently in the church that disciples make disciples. In order to make a disciple, I must first become one. This parallels mentorship in that before I can mentor another, I must be willing to be mentored myself.
The third and potentially most important aspect of mentorship I have learned is that there is no substitute for honest biblical truth. It must be stated gracefully and with humility as to not push others away, however, it is the key foundational aspect of biblical mentorship. If a man, young or old believes his mentor is honest and truly subscribes to what he is teaching, the progress towards the realization of how our Creator can and will be an active participant in ou r lives, granting us peace and joy that surpasses all understanding is inevitable.
These key components of mentorship will have a lasting impact on whatever ministerial role God has planned for me, and it was great honor for me to be mentored, if only for a day, by each man.
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6
Bibliography
Blanchard, K., Hodges, P., Henry, P., Lead Like Jesus: Lessons from the Greatest Leadership Role Model of All Time
, Nashville, TN. W Publishing, 2016, 11.