Four Common Questions Mentors Ask

I love talking with mentors who are in the middle of launching groups. You can hear the anticipation and excitement in their voices as they prepare to open their hearts and homes to a collection of younger women.

These conversations allow me to hear updates from our mentors, provide coaching and helpful tips, and cheer them on as they begin their journey. While each conversation brings a unique set of circumstances and plans, there are a few topics and questions that come up repeatedly.

So, I thought I’d share four common questions and their answers. I hope you find them helpful as you put the finishing touches on your mentoring plans…

1. Why do mentees need to apply? And how do I use the application in my Radical Mentoring account?

Inviting mentees to apply is important for a few reasons. 1) It communicates the importance of the mentoring group and the commitment involved. 2) It allows you to get to know your potential mentees a little, read their faith stories, and choose mentees after thought and prayer.

You can invite them to apply any way you like, but we’ve provided an option for you in your Radical Mentoring account to make this process as simple as possible. After you log in, click on the Applications icon on the left-side menu. This will take you to the Applications section, where you can send out your application invites in one of two ways.

You can enter the email addresses of the women you want to invite in the first box and a custom email message in the second box, then hit send, and they’re off! It’s a good idea to send a test to yourself first. Or you can copy/paste the custom link on that page and send it out directly from your email, in a text message, etc.

You will receive an email with each application as they are completed. They will also appear in the Completed Application section of your account, where you can view each one or download all of them in a spreadsheet.

2. Does my group really need to sign the covenant?

The short answer is yes. Signing a covenant may seem old-fashioned or strict, but it helps set and hold everyone to the same standard. It also signals the commitment they are making to each other.

When each mentee signs, they are acknowledged that they are on this mentoring journey together and in it for the long haul, no matter what. This includes showing up physically each month and showing up mentally, prepared to share their hearts and learn together.

3. A book a month is a lot of reading. How do you get mentees on board?

You’re right, reading 9–12 books during a mentoring season stretches most people, myself included. But it’s part of what makes a Radical Mentoring group a true commitment. When you invite someone to apply for a Radical Mentoring group, ensure they know what they are applying to and the level of commitment it entails. By the time the season starts, they’ve applied and signed a covenant, so they should understand the requirements.

That said, there are a few ways to help your mentees win in this area. Choose books that can reasonably be read in a month, think 200 pages, and not too academic. Encourage your mentees to pick a book format that works for them, audiobooks are an excellent option for auditory learners, and digital versions are ideal for the tech-savvy or those always on the go.

If your mentees are struggling, encourage them to set a daily page goal to make reading easier to manage. Lastly, if you sense they really need a break from reading, you can substitute a sermon series or a podcast instead of the book. We don’t recommend doing this regularly, but it’s a great option if you need it.

4. Is Scripture memorization really necessary?

Yes, however, the motivation behind the memorization is more important. Are your mentees memorizing the verses so they can quickly recite them for your group and “get credit” each month? Or have they immersed themselves in the verses so they can recall them when they need them later?

It starts with you as the mentor. If you communicate the importance of memorization and why it matters to hide Scripture in your heart, it will be important to them. But if you gloss over it and just check it off, so will they.

If memorization proves to be a challenge for your group, have your mentees complete an inductive study as an alternative. The inductive method makes observations of observations on a passage and then draws conclusions based on those observations. This pdf will walk you through this approach in detail. This approach can help create insightful discussions around the passages each month as well.

If you sense the mentees are having difficulty grasping the verses, encourage them to read the chapters surrounding that month’s verse or even the whole book! This will give them context and background and help them understand the verses better while they memorize.

Each mentoring season, your process will get better, and you’ll be more confident as a mentor. I’ve seen it repeatedly; when mentors follow the recipe and create the right environment, God shows up, and lives are transformed.