Becoming a Mentor
“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.” Philippians 1:27
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A MENTOR?
At 431 Ministries, mentorship is a commitment to stand side-by-side with someone, in a season of hardship and need. For us, Philippians 2:20 sets the standard for our mentors: women who are “genuinely concerned” for someone else’s welfare. A woman in the Side-by-Side Program should be able to say about their mentor, “I have no one like them.”
The Side-by-Side relationship is a reciprocal friendship where each life is sweetly enriched by the presence of the other. And yet, you will probably experience “the grief of investing in someone.”
The women who enter the program have all come out of a crisis of some kind, but they bring to the table a unique perspective and story that is still tremendously valuable. It is a privilege to be able to remind them of that truth, and that is the primary role of the mentor as the Side-by-Side ladies restart or rebuild their lives. It is a tender season to be allowed into and we ask our mentors to recognize that.
How does it work?
431 Ministries provides each Side-by-Side participant with an individualized care team, hand-picked to best suit the needs of each woman. In addition to a licensed counselor and a staff member who are there to help identify goals and address needs as a whole, the care team has two distinct types of mentors: a personal mentor and a financial mentor.
A participant’s personal mentor provides authentic community through ongoing care and support for the various ups and downs of life. This mentor also provides a framework of discipleship and embodies the side-by-side model of life together. She helps the participant recognize God’s sovereignty in every season of hardship and points to the full restoration that we are offered through Jesus.
The second type of mentor is a financial mentor. This woman or couple tangibly walks the participant through her budget plan and offers hope and a plan for how to manage finances long term to maintain stability and independence. This mentor helps the client recognize that financial conversations can come with a lot of grief and offers compassion and dignity while they figure things out.
It’s key to point out for you that the 431 Staff Member is also there for our mentors — providing support, encouragement and next steps throughout the season of walking side-by-side. We recognize that this “for better or worse” discipleship model can be difficult. It requires commitment and faith to carry it out, but it is so worth it.
As Beth shares below, the Side-by-Side Program isn’t about fixing or saving anyone, it’s about sitting with them and proving that they are known, seen, and loved.
“I learned that despite my doubts, the only qualification I needed was a willing heart…I just had to be a friend who was willing to go to battle in prayer for this woman.”
“When I got paired with a women in the Side-by-Side Program, I remember praying to God that He would guide my words, that He would give me capacity to listen, that I would have wisdom and discernment as I walked beside this woman. I learned that despite my doubts, the only qualification I needed was a willing heart. I couldn’t heal anyone, I couldn’t save anyone, I couldn’t fix anyone... but God could! I just had to be a friend who was willing to go to battle in prayer for this woman. And I did.
Over a nine month span, I gained a dear friend in Christ and I saw her delivered from the lies of the enemy. I saw her confidence soar as she put to use the resources found through 431. And I got the joy of having my own faith stretched and built up, by watching God provide and use what the enemy meant for evil, be turned into something oh so good.
Stepping in beside someone who is walking through a hard season, is what we are called to do. We have to be doers of the word, we have to love and serve our neighbors. I’m so thankful for this opportunity God brought my way and I’m humbled to have been chosen to walk beside my sweet new friend as she found her freedom, her healing and her authority in Christ.”
431 Mentor, Beth Miller