Starting a Biblical Mentoring Ministry
Starting a Biblical Mentoring Ministry
Leading a mentoring ministry is a sacred calling to nurture spiritual growth through meaningful relationships. You’re not just launching a program; you’re shaping a culture of discipleship.
God has placed this ministry on your heart, and it’s my hope that my experience can help you lay a strong foundation — one built on Christ, our Solid Rock.
Below are suggested steps to help you begin. These worked well for our church, but I encourage you to adapt them to fit your unique church DNA, culture, and community.
The steps below do not include ALL verbiage and instructions. You can download the complete steps and The Becoming Her Mentoring Procedures here:
Begin with Prayer
If this desire is on your heart and mind, trust that the Lord will meet you in it.
Pray every step and decision along the way for God’s direction and guidance.
Have a conversation with leadership to discuss this being on your heart.
You want permission, covering and accountability whether you want to mentor on your own or establish a mentoring ministry within the church.
Meet with Church Leadership
Write a Missions Statement
Write a missions statement with supporting scripture for your mentoring ministry
Know Your People
Fellow Mentors, Prayer Covering Team, Advisory Team.
Determine Mentor Criteria & Qualifications
When setting up a biblical mentoring program, it’s important to have clear criteria.
A mentee is trusting you to connect them with someone who shows maturity in their Christian walk.
This is wise in laying the groundwork for your program and establishing processes to help start with a strong group of mentors to build a solid foundation.
Begin by asking the Pastoral staff for referrals.
Create an application & interview each applicant.
How Will You Find Your Mentors
Determine What Your Mentor Meetings & Trainings Will Look Like
How often will you meet?
What are your goals for meeting & training with mentors?
How much time will you need to accomplish your goals for each meeting?
What Will You Use for Teaching Your Mentors
This should be resources that will equip mentors with tools to mentor effectively and also invest in their spiritual growth.
This could be our Training Curriculum, topical teachings, speakers, book studies, or video teachings.
We highly recommend these 2 books as required reading:
Spiritual Mothering: The Titus 2 Model for Women Mentoring Women by Susan Hunt
How to Listen so People will Talk: Build Stronger & Deeper Connections by Becky Harling
How Will You Find Mentees
You will find some organically, some through pastoral references, & through church promotions.
Create Steps for Connecting a Mentor with a Mentee
Mentor application & bio, mentee application, pray over & consider the pair up, mentor reaches out, first time meeting.
Maintain Confidentiality
Confidentiality is key to having people feel safe and have success in mentoring.
Keep it Shut: What to Say, How to Say it, and When to Say Nothing at All by Karen Ehman is a great book to teach on this.
*Confidentiality is so important. You will find additional information on this topic in the Becoming Her Mentoring Procedures, and you will receive full training in the Becoming Her Curriculum.
Consider Your Structure
When & how often will you meet with your advisory team?
Will your advisory team assist with ministry responsibilities?
Will you handle all ministry roles or will you have others to assist with them ?
Roles to consider:
Communicating with potential mentors, calling references, interviewing, matching mentors to mentees, communicating with mentors & mentees, setting up meetings, and all that goes along with them.
Mentoring Ministry Forms
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Mentor Qualifications
Faith-based mentorship is essentially a form of discipleship. As Christians, we are called in Matthew 28 to disciple others.
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Mentor Application
As you build your mentoring ministry you will want to know your mentors. This application helps you know, understand, and match your mentor to a mentee.
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Mentee Application
Mentees can be found organically through church relationships, pastoral references, or announcements, fostering trust and shared faith.
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Connecting Mentor & Mentee
Through prayer and communication, discern mentors and mentees will be the best connection based on personal relationships, life experiences, or stage of life.
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Mentor Follow Up & Evaluation
We encourage mentors to follow up and evaluate how the process is going with their mentee on a regular basis. This form will help them navigate this evaluation.
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Steps to Starting a Mentoring Ministry
In this document you will find all the steps from this page in complete detail.
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Mentor Procedures
To create a consistency within our mentoring program we have chosen to follow a set of procedures. You will find those here.
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Templates
We know that as you create your own ministries you may want to format these documents with your own logo, font, & even verbiage. So here are all the Canva Template links to allow you to do so.
Tidbits for Leadership
Take your time and seek wisdom along the way!
Don’t complicate things. Structure is good but don’t over program.
Think outside of the box. Guidelines and structure are helpful, but the Holy Spirit may be offering you creativity and insight in a situation or certain direction.
For example: We matched a woman that was not a current member of our church with a mentor that was in the area but had starting attending a different church. The mentor knew the heart behind mentoring and had the availability to say yes. The mentee understood that the mentor was a recommendation but not necessarily under the covering of our program, being at another church. The match was a complete success!
Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses, and consider how they influence the way you lead and make decisions.
Keep learning! If you are leading mentor yourself, as you will always gain wisdom and experience from each relationship. Continuously seek out resources as tools, and connect with people in other churches who are discipling and share the same passion.
Have a mentor yourself to guide and support your growth.
Let the process and timing of someone becoming a mentor take its course in God’s timing and development.
Every church has its own DNA and approach to ministry. We conducted research and interviewed people and churches already involved in mentoring and discipling, but ultimately, we created a plan that suited our ministry style. Don’t be afraid to adjust a mentoring connection to what works best for your church.