The Mentoring Manifesto, Vol. 70: Highlighting the Bible In Your Mentoring Group

The numbers don’t lie, biblical illiteracy is high. According to the American Bible Society’s 2022 State of the Bible report…

• “Nearly 26 million Americans reduced or stopped their interaction with Scripture in the past year.”
• “Beginning in 2020 and accelerating since then, Bible Users have indicated a decreased level of Spiritual Impact from the Bible.”

Two potential mentors recently asked me why Radical Mentoring groups seem to prioritize reading books over reading the Bible. On the surface, this question could sound legalistic or judgmental, but in both cases, the potential mentors asked out of genuine curiosity.

Here are two things I want to highlight about the books Radical Mentoring groups read…

• Book choice matters: Practical in nature and grounded in Scripture, the books we choose point people back to the Bible, encouraging them to explore their faith deeper, including reading the Bible.
• Books may be the first step: Most people don’t read, and our experience tells us that having mentees read a book filled with Scripture-based principles may be more straightforward than handing them the Bible.

And a few things mentors can do to make the Bible a focus of their mentoring groups…

• Model your love for the Bible: As the mentor, you are an influencer and role model. The best way to direct mentees back to the Bible is by pointing them to the Bible.
• Don’t skimp on the Scripture Memory: If Scripture memory is important to the mentor, it will be important to the group. If the mentor doesn’t see the relevance of it, then it will be either ignored or thrown in at the last minute.
• Don’t leave your Bible at home: Bring your Bible to meetings and ask your mentees to bring theirs too. If they don’t have a Bible, buy them one. As theologian Charles Spurgeon says, “a Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.”

Mentors, remember that you had someone show you how to study the Bible and apply it to your life. Now, you are in a powerful position to do the same for someone else. The resources below will help you and your mentees dig into and explore the Bible together.

READING PLAN EXAMPLE: GRACE IS GREATER

To add more Bible to your mentoring group, assign a reading plan between monthly meetings. It can be optional or required, just set clear expectations. Use YouVersion to create a group and pick a plan relevant to that month’s topic, like this one on Grace from Kyle Idelman.

View this plan reading here.

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF SCRIPTURE MEMORY IN YOUR MENTORING GROUP

This article outlines four things to consider to ensure Scripture memory is a vital part of your mentoring group. It also reminds us that when mentors stick to the process and hold mentees accountable, they will consistently rise to meet the challenge.

Read the whole article here.

ANCIENT VS. MODERN WAYS OF READING THE BIBLE

In this episode of the BibleProject podcast, hosts Tim and Jon discuss the differences in ancient and modern ways of reading Scripture, including why the Hebrew people read scripture together as a group. They also talk about how challenging it can be to read the Bible by yourself.

Listen to the episode here.

PERSPECTIVE: HAS THE BIBLE BEEN CORRUPTED?

Critics argue against the infallibility of the Bible, but what does actual historical evidence say? In this sermon, pastor Ben Stuart shows us how we know the Bible has not been corrupted and reminds us it was for our salvation that the Scriptures were preserved.

Watch the video here.