Mentoring is... dads healing their sons...

This clip is from LOST (particularly the scene that starts at 7:47 if you are rushed or have seen it before!) for me is the epitome of what fathering is about, and therefore what mentoring is about.

Imperfect fathering is a gateway for redemptive mentoring.

I love this kind of scene whenever it pops up in movies; it tugs at my heart and reminds me of what God is calling us to... watch it now...

The Mentor: Guru - or Selfless Facilitator??

To What Extent is the Mentor a Guru to their Mentorees?  Is there a place for being a really strong role model - an exemplar - to your Mentoree that produces in them some of the good things from yourself visibly in them?!   Or must we be the silent champions of their future where we do not influence at all but merely try to propel our Mentoree into their God-given future withut any egotistical meddling?!  

There is a conflict here that is worth exploring.  On one hand we have the romantic vision of the mentor - eg Karate Kid and Mr Myagi - or Obi Wan and Luke Skywalker - where the older [man] teaches the younger apprentice

Watch listen learn: wipe on; wipe off

Paul posted this video trailer on facebook today and it made me think..  Are you the kind of Mentor active in looking out for opportunities to teach and train people; like Mr Myagi in the Karate Kid films - or are you even a 'reluctant Mentor like the old reclusive author in Finding Forrester whose wisdom is prised from them by irritating wannabes?!  Maybe you are a career Mentor such as 'M' to James Bond - or more of a family-wisdom kind of Mentor such as Uncle Ben Parker to Spiderman ("With great power comes great responsibility").  If you were a mentor from a movie - which character would it be and why? 

Fatherhood as Mentoring...

 I went for a walk in the Peaks yesterday with my boy.  My boy is 3.  He only has little legs.  I was so proud of him walking all that way.  We started at Burbage car park, walked up to the top of Higgor Tor and then straight down the slope into the forest - out the other side and back to the carpark on the path under the Edge.  It was interesting that at certain points he got upset about stuff I wouldn't think twice about - he found a big puddle and really enjoyed splashing around in his wellies until some water got on his knees (not even down to his feet!) and he got really stroppy.  I told him a bit of mud just shows you've had a great time but he wasn't convinced...

             At another point I noticed that he just thought all of this was normal.  Whether he's at home in the lounge or out in some of the most dramatic and breath-taking scenery in England it's just life.  There was I - literally astounded

You can't walk on water unless you get out the boat!!

In the last week I found myself caught up in a community of Christians passionately praying for the ressurection of a young woman who collapsed without cause at her gym.
It was awe inspiring to see the dramatic changes - unity amongst christians - and even churches a togetherness in purpose and heart - and faith increasing like never before.
The sense of God's presence as we worshipped and interceded was more tangible than ever and individuals were learning so fast lessons from being in such conditions.  We got more of a glimpse of God's heart and what heaven is REALLY like and I believe it has released new expectancy for our city and seeing God's kingdom coming in a more real and powerful way this year.  It has taught us how to pray and the level of community that is necessary for the church to function as it should.


The fact that in the end Catherine did not return is sad, but not disappointing to me.  We

Mission as discipleship...

“The more well-off churches in Sheffield can afford to employ a youthworker, while the real need is not found here but among the poorer, more dysfunctional areas.”

Do you agree or disagree? Or within this ironic and tragic statement could there be a surprising and profound reflection on God's plans for our city?

At times I have been tempted to despair that all the money, hard work, meetings and strategising ploughed into youthwork in this affluent part of Sheffield is really wasted on the rich when the poor should really have benefited. However I have

One of my young people had an eating disorder

One of my young people that I am mentoring has recently been in hospital with an eating disorder.  He chose to go in voluntarily but I guess it was pretty stressful for everyone for it to reach that stage.  He is a gifted worship leader and has singing lessons with a well known Christian artist that happens to live nearby so we went together to visit him.  He had the hardest, most ridiculously boring looking jigsaw you've ever seen - just loads and loads of flowers in pastel colours... anyway, we took him a book - Philippa Hanna's biography and The Irresistable Revolution by Shane Claibourne and a couple of CDs and a The Gentlemen T-Shirt and stuff.  We chatted for a couple of hours and then prayed with him and asked the holy spirit to meet with him powerfully and make it a