Mentors and Coworkers

Recently, I had two interesting encounters.

One: A young man asked me to mentor him. When I had a conversation with him (online), I found out that he only read one book of mine written way back in 2008. Nor had he listened to any of my 3 podcasts.

So he was blissfully ignorant as to what he was asking.

I applaud his awareness and desire to be mentored. This is rare today, unfortunately. (I’ve written about this problem in Passing the Torch.)

Tip: Before asking someone to mentor you, it’s essential that you first be mentored by them at a distance. That would include reading all their books (or most of them), listening to most of their audio output, getting any courses they have available, attending their live events, etc.

Once you’ve done this work, which means you’ve gotten intensely familiar with them and their ministry, only then is it appropriate to ask them to mentor you.

Two: Another young man asked if I’d be willing to cowork with him. Note that I’ve never met this person nor have I ever heard of him. And he too only read one book of mine written many years ago.

I’ve laid out my criteria for coworking in this article. (The article was written to be shared directly with those who fit the criteria listed at the end.)

Tip: Before asking if you can cowork with someone, consider these questions: Are you their true peer? Are you familiar with their full body of work? Have you made an effort to meet them in person? What do you bring to the relationship; what can you offer them spiritually and ministry-wise?