Mentor's Manual

60 For the Nex t Generat i on: The Urban Mi n i s t r y I ns t i tute ’ s Mentor Manua l

B. A deep abiding respect for those whom the Holy Spirit has gifted and called

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. ~ Colossians 3.23-24 1. Recognize that the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable, given to individuals by the Holy Spirit himself, and that God almighty will lead them into the fullness of his power and ministry, for his glory’s sake (1 Pet. 4.9-10; Rom. 11.34; Eph. 4.7-8). Know that God has a purpose and plan for each of your students, that they need not be like you or anyone else, and that the Lord will make known to them the specific ministries and opportunities that each one will fulfill for him. Acknowledging both the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in each student will enable you to be both patient and yet diligent in directing and assisting them as they learn. 2. Understanding the God-called nature of your students’ lives and ministries, you need never then to patronize your students. God the Holy Spirit has called them, and he himself is outfitting them through this training for their own specific work of ministry. Expect the same thing from your students that you would from yourself. Challenge them to critically engage the materials as best as they can, and firmly and consistently push them to master the principles and ideas they encounter in the text. Your acknowledgment of them will make all the difference in their lives to either persevere in the midst of difficulty or balk at continuing on, especially as they encounter difficult, hard-to-understand materials. 3. Honor the readiness of your students and respect their decisions. If they do not want it, no amount of exhorting will change that. Timing is everything in the training of a leader. The contingencies of their lives will change, and you will have to change with them.

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