What Makes It “Radical” Mentoring?

If you look up “radical” in the dictionary, one of the definitions reads “very different from the usual or traditional.” Different, extreme, and countercultural are among the synonyms.

So, when we get asked the question, “What makes it Radical Mentoring?” a few answers come to mind…

1. One-on-one vs. group: For most people, mentoring brings to mind the image of two people at a coffee shop sitting across from each other, trying to figure out what they are supposed to be talking about. But in Radical Mentoring, the mentor invites a group of mentees to their house and comes prepared with a set topic and agenda, which is…a little radical.
2. High level of commitment: Most church programs are first come, first serve and low accountability. That isn’t inherently bad, but some things require more commitment. In Radical Mentoring, mentees have to apply and then sign a covenant, saying they’ll show up on time, every time, having done all the work. Which is…a little radical.

3. Safe space for vulnerability: Most churches revolve around small groups or Sunday school. Both are great for learning and staying connected. But the lack of vulnerability can slow them down when it comes to going deep and building transparent relationships where guys are “fully known” (I know not all groups are created equal). In Radical Mentoring groups, starting with the mentor, each mentee tells their full faith story up front, allowing the group to go deep quickly, which is…a little radical.
4. Teaching vs. facilitating: We are accustomed to environments where the appointed expert takes an hour or so to inform the audience about his or her expertise in a specific subject matter. Radical Mentoring groups leverage the leader’s life experience to draw out the voices of the other participants, which is…a little radical.

On occasion, we will hear that the name Radical Mentoring doesn’t really fit the culture of a church or a book that we recommend may not work for them. In these moments, I get to share another idea that’s a little radical.

All of our resources are yours: name it what you want, choose the books you want, adjust the length of your season, etc. We have recommendations for all those things, but you know your people better than us, so we hold it open-handed. And seriously, our team is not here to sell you anything, which is…a little radical.

How’s that possible? Our resources are free to you because they’ve been paid for by someone who has gone through them before you. Believe it or not, when someone has been impacted by Radical Mentoring or a church has seen life change happen in a mentoring group, they want other people and churches to experience the same thing. So, they give back to Radical Mentoring, pre-paying for the next leader who comes along and wants to see the people in their church activated. That feels a little radical, doesn’t it?

So, what do you have to lose? The process, which has been tested by hundreds of churches and impacted thousands of mentees, is laid out for you right here. All you have to do is start. We’d love to have you join us on this journey.