Category: Mentoring

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Mentoring

Hi-Yah: Keep Chopping*

Ninja

Chances are you don’t know who Ninja is. Perhaps when you think of Ninja, you think of the old video game Ninja Gaiden or the Mighty Morphin Power Ranger ninjas. Or perhaps you think of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or the Karate Kid. Working with teenagers, the classic youth group game “Ninja” might come to mind. But Ninja is none of these.

                Chances are your students know who Ninja is. When professional golfer Tiger Woods won a golf tournament this past Sunday for the first time in five years, a mob of people followed Tiger up the fairway. All followers had their arm up in the air and held their phone sky high in hand so they could take a photo of the historic moment. I bring up Tiger’s name because Ninja has a crowd just as big following him. The difference is Ninja’s crowd is mostly online.

                Ninja is a pale, gangly young man with neon pink hair that students are going googoo-gaga over. Ninja is a far cry from Elvis. From a social media perspective, Ninja is bigger than soccer stars Ronaldo or Neymar. Ninja has 11 million, yes  11 million (and climbing), Twitch followers. Havn’t heard of Twitch either?

                Twitch is a livestreaming video platform produced by Amazon. Of course, there are multiple platforms in today’s world. In just two days, Ninja garnered 5.2 million Instagram views. Ninja has 3.2 million Twitter followers at the moment. Ninja has endorsements from Samsung, Red Bull, Uber Eats, and You Tube. It is estimated Ninja makes $500,000 a month. Ninja lives in a gated community outside of Chicago alongside other Chicago Bears football players.

                Ready to know who this masked man is? Ninja’s real name is Tyler Blevins and he is 27 years old. Tyler is married to his manager Jess and together, they own two Yorkshire terriers in their million-dollar home. In reality, Tyler lives in his basement. He sits in front of a couple of screens wearing a t-shirt and plaid pajama pants playing and streaming games all day. Ninja is a professional e-gamer.

The gig is harder than it sounds as Tyler is interactive, talking with others all the while he plays. Tyler spends about thirty minutes with his wife in the morning before streaming for six hours while she takes his business calls. Tyler and Jess take a break around 4 pm and then Tyler streams another six hours beginning at 8 pm. Tyler says his job is both physically and mentally exhausting and that he has only had one vacation in the past eight years. When the rich and famous Ninja does leave the house, he is mobbed and can’t do normal things like go to the mall, the movies, or out to eat. Would you expect anything different from a guy who plays Fortnite with Drake?

I have a two-fold purpose in writing this post. Many of our students really believe they are the next Ninja and that they are going to enjoy this lifestyle. Gaming is not only a dream students have. Gaming is a job they think they can have and make a living off of. We need to temper our student’s expectations a bit and ground students into a better reality. However, I wouldn’t shatter students’ dreams. I would just let students know the cream rises to the top and that it is very unlikely they will be the one. I would compare it to aspirations students entertain when they think they will be the next professional athlete. There is only one Tiger and there is only one Ninja. Even these names carry the notion that the feats these people are pulling off in their chosen fields are inconceivable for the average person.

Secondly, there is a life lesson students can learn from observing Ninja. Ninja is a tireless worker, a grinder. He has plays the popular app Fortnite twelve hours a day and has played 2,738 hours in 11 months (that’s 114 full days). He has streamed 8,203 total hours since 2015 (that’s 342 days). Ninja has been a professional gamer for the last seven years and went to his first gaming tournament eleven years ago.

When Ninja was asked how long he is going to keep playing, Ninja responds, “Until my family is taken care of. Say this ends tomorrow, we don’t have enough for the rest of our lives. I tell Jess, ‘Honey we’re not going to have that much quality time this year, or even next year. But if we do this right and I continue to grind for a couple more years, we can set ourselves up, and our family and our family’s family, for the rest of our lives.”

I love this response. I think God has blessed Ninja’s work ethic and Ninja’s love of family. I like and respect Ninja’s generational outlook on life, especially in relation to providing for his family. God often speaks of blessing the third and fourth generations. We should advocate for our students to hold the same values. We just need to remind them that the pro gaming (or pro golfing) lifestyle is a fantasy for most.

*Much of the content of this post comes from ESPN the magazine’s article: “The Legend of Ninja: Biggest Gamer in the World” by Elaine Teng.

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Mentoring

To the 4th Generation

“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” -2 Timothy 2:1–2

Generations are important! They matter. If you don’t believe me, just look down at your smartphone. Each generation of mobile technology gets faster and faster. If you did not know, 4G means the 4th Generation of mobile networking.

In 1940, there was 0G. This was the day of the “mobile radio telephone.” We wouldn’t think it was too mobile today. You could even find these phones installed in briefcases.

In 1980, there was 1G. Analog radio signals were key. International roaming began in 1981.

In 1990, there was 2G. This is when short messaging service (SMS) text messaging came into play.

In 2003, there was 3G. This was the first mobile broadband capable wireless network. In other words, we started emailing one another, browsing the web, and watching online TV. Speed = 384 Kbps.

In 2009, there was 4G. 4G provided us the first true Internet broadband data transmission rates. Just look at your phone bill. 4G LTE simply meant “Long Term Evolution.” Speed = 100 Mbps

And in or by 2020, there will be 5G. This is the next generation of cell phone technology. Speed = 10Gbps.

I want to stop at 4G. No need to get to far ahead of ourselves! In 2 Timothy 2:1–2, George Robinson has pointed out in his book With that there are 4 Generations represented (in italics)!

  1. “what you have heard from me” (Paul=1G)
  2. “what you have heard from me” (Timothy=2G)
  3. “entrust to faithful men” (3G)
  4. “who will be able to teach others also” (4G)

Paul understood the value of generational investment. Paul knew the gospel would spread to our day and time through generational handoffs. I like a church sign I recently read. I liked it even more because its football season and I like watching football. The sign said, “God recovers our fumbles.” As we pass off the gospel to the next generation, we make mistakes. We are human. God knew this or would not have referenced us as sheep. Sheep are dumb. What God is concerned about is that we try our best to pass down the gospel to those who follow us. The gospel message will never change. Methods do. When your method fails, God can recover your fumble. Go back to the drawing table and try again. We are in trying times, but we can’t stop trying.

Just as the phone has evolved, so must we. Knocking on doors might not be as effective as it once was. But utilizing social media may be even more effective. Find people who are faithful, available, and teachable whether they are online or not. And then start sharing the gospel and your life. Share the gospel the way you have been made. For me, its sports talk. As I talk college football, I begin connecting with people in the real and the virtual world. Then I can begin sharing the gospel and my life. It may be a longer process, but the pain is worth the gain when you see that person come to the Lord or sitting next to you at church (when they used to not attend).

How have you been wired to share the gospel? Maybe its music, cooking, writing, playing sports. You’re an artist. Start drawing!

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Mentoring

Being WITH the Next Generation

How do we reach and keep the next generation for Christ? Biblical relational discipleship in the form of discipleship groups is essential. For more on this, read my two new books! Allowing the next generation to follow Christ (and to see what following Christ looks like) with other like-minded students pursuing the Savior cannot be underestimated. Teaching, fellowship, and community were always important to Jesus. But Jesus went beyond formal mentoring when making disciples. In other words, Jesus did not say, “Guys, I’ll meet you at the coffee shop this Friday, talk Scripture and life, and then see you again next Friday.”

Now, there is nothing wrong with meeting the next generation at Starbucks every Friday to study how the Bible meets life. In fact, meeting the next generation at third places such as Starbucks have become standard procedure. ‘Nones’ (the religiously unaffiliated) often opt not to enter through the front doors of a church until they feel comfortable doing so. We could consider ‘nones’ in the coffee shop Bible study as pre-disciples. Jesus didn’t call the pre-disciple fishermen to follow him at church, but rather  when they were mending their nets. Do you think these fishermen with the foul mouth of a sailor would have felt comfortable going to church? Now, I know Scripture doesn’t say these men cussed, but men who were out on the open sea two-thousand years ago are the same as men out on the open sea today. I can only imagine the words Peter would have used.

Imagine yourself before you met Christ. I’m sure you felt the same way, that church people would look down on you because you didn’t measure up. To reach the next generation for Christ, we must begin by placing ourselves in their shoes and remembering where we came from. All too often, those who have followed Christ for many years or who have been indoctrinated into the church begin to adopt a “holier than thou” attitude. But once our hearts have been corrected, we can begin to follow the ways of the Master. How did Jesus go beyond formal mentoring with the Twelve? He informally mentored them! He walked with his disciples, living life and applying truth to their world daily. He took everyday life as a practical means of teaching truth. And He expects his followers (that’s you and me) to do the same with others. Yes, we need a mentor, but we also need to be mentoring others.[1] Think Titus 2 where you see older men mentoring younger men and older women mentoring younger women. The next generation desperately seeks mentors to show them how to live for Jesus in the real world. The next generation doesn’t need another Bible study as much as they need to see older men and women living out Bible truths in front of them.

The greatest impact a leader can make is not in the masses to whom he speaks but in the few he mentors. Jesus poured himself into three men: Peter, James, and John. When you’re living life, there are no fronts. People see you for who you are. What are some normal or natural activities that you could begin to bring the next generation along with you on: Running errands, Taking a walk or drive, Cleaning your office, Going to the grocery store, Washing clothes, Preparing dinner, Working on a project, Doing yard work. Informal mentoring is not another item on the to-do list. It’s bringing others along with you for the ride and talking life and godliness with them as you go. Life-on-life discipleship is the superior model for intentionally making disciples. Just remember the mentoring relationship is not about the mentor, but rather Christ. The results speak for themselves: “When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).

[1] Italicized sentences come from the book With: A Practical Guide for Mentoring and Intentional Disciple Making

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Mentoring

Just skating along?

For those old enough to remember a time before the advent of smart phones, people used to play games on a board, not a screen or app. Some of my favorite childhood board games included Monopoly, Clue, Trivial Pursuit, Battleship, Stratego, Connect Four, and LIFE.

“Times have changed, however. In 2005, Milton Bradley produced a new edition of LIFE, and this particular version carried the subtitle Twists and Turns. The game board no longer consists of a linear movement from young adulthood to retirement with transitional events sequenced in predetermined fashion. Instead, the LIFE game board now consists of four loops, and one must determine time and time again, in no particular order, which one to enter. Earn it!, Learn it!, Live it! and Love it! are the declarative imperatives for these loops that now serve as the parameters for what it means to play the game of LIFE. Rather than nine career cards and nine salary cards in the previous game, from which a player could at best choose among three, this version has twenty-four possible career cards open to every player as well as the possibility of attaining up to seven promotions within a given profession. Interestingly, the game is no longer played with paper money. Rather, each player is now issued a Visa game card that is zipped through a ‘Lifepod’ monitor in the middle of the board, suggesting that LIFE has been restructured by a mass consumer mandate. Each player travels through the various loops of life, not as a family unit in an automobile game piece, but solo, scooting along on a skateboard unencumbered by a spouse or child. Marriage and child rearing are still optional but far less valued as integral to social personhood. The object of the game is, in case it is in doubt, is no longer a retirement spot at the end of the journey. Instead, the valuation of a player’s life is determined relative to other players by sliding one’s Visa card through the Lifepod at the end of the game and revealing how many ‘life points’ have been earned through skillfully navigating life’s loops.”[1]

Life definitely has changed and it seems board games such as LIFE have become relics from a distant age. But for those of us who have played board games, we recognize the value and relational connection that came from playing with family and friends. After the Columbine shooting in 1999, Josh McDowell wrote and dedicated a book entitled The Disconnected Generation: Saving Our Youth From Self Destruction as a gift to parents and families of Columbine. Coming out at the turn of the millennium, this book was really written twenty years before its time. Josh contrasts the generational gap between Baby Boomers and Millennials with these descriptors: Color TV – Internet, Working Fathers – Absent Fathers, At-home Mothers – Day Care, Women Employees – Women Managers, LP’s – CD’s, Rock-‘n’-Roll – Hip-hop, Long hair – Body Piercing, “Free” Sex – “Safe Sex.” Other than CD’s, I don’t see much today that wouldn’t fit in the Gen Z category.

Life for the next generation can be loopy. Skating around with headphones in, unplugged from the world and real people, life can become isolated and lonely. Students begin to accept any lifestyle and or approve of others, endorse other beliefs or claim no right to judge, personally develop preferences, and think everyone can do what is best or right for them. As in the game of LIFE, money/materials can begin to become what life is oriented around. McDowell writes, “The postmodern culture threatens to undermine our students’ faith and moral character.”

We may not get this new generation to connect to us through playing traditional board games, but we must find ways to connect. Almost twenty years of school shootings since Columbine only reinforces this point. McDowell found six connecting points to help one make this connection and I think they are just as relevant today. He says to give the next generation a sense of authenticity, security, significance, lovability, importance, and responsibility. McDowell labeled these six “A’s” as Affirmation, Acceptance, Appreciation, Affection, Availability, and Accountability.

Things have changed but some things stay the same. The world will be a much better place if we make the time to connect.

[1] Setran, David and Chris Kiesling. Spiritual Formation in Emerging Adulthood, 57.

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Mentoring

Ready Generation Three

A movie I’m sure you will hear your students talking about soon, if not already, is Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One. The movie has a few inappropriate words/scenes, but overall, I loved it. It’s a futuristic type movie whereby the virtual and real-world’s crossover into one. I won’t give away the entire movie, but the ending suggests a balance between worlds while maintaining the idea that nothing beats the real thing.

I think this movie becomes an instant classic. Spielberg is pure genius in that he subtly says something without saying it. In other words, you have to figure it out for yourself. Let me give you a few examples. Spielberg’s classic trilogy, Back To The Future is spaced out to be thirty years apart with the years 1955, 1985, and 2015 all playing prominent roles. Spielberg begins Ready Player One in Columbus, Ohio in the year 2045. In other words, what we have here is 3-4 generations being represented. Remember this! But I also think we may have something more. Is this the start of a new trilogy? I could see Ready Player 2 beginning in the year 2075 and Ready Player 3 setting the scene in 2105.

Another example of Spielberg’s creative brilliance surfaces when he gives the Iron Giant a significant role in the movie. Before this movie, the Iron Giant was not a well-known commodity, except to his fans. That’s not the case anymore. Everyone wants to know more about the Iron Giant. Overnight, the Iron Giant has become a superstar!  I also thought it was ingenious to allow space for Goro, the DeLorean, and Big Foot (my favorite monster truck of all-time) to make appearances in the show. I never had a dull moment. The experience was more like watching a game  play out on the big-screen, rather than just watching a movie. Two for the price of one! I walked away asking myself, if I could be any avatar, what would I be?

Why did I tell you to remember “3-4 generations”? Unlike Spielberg, I won’t leave you guessing on your own to figure it out. It’s because of Deuteronomy 6:9-10 – “You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

You need to understand this scripture. What you choose to do today does affect you, but it doesn’t just affect you. If you have a family, your choices are affecting 3-4 generations down the line. If you don’t have a family, your choices are either positively or negatively affecting somebody’s future, whether that’s a co-worker, boss, friend, etc.

Let me give you an example from the world of health. Doctors recommend that in drinking water, you daily drink (in ounces) half your body weight. So, if you weigh 200 lbs., you should drink 100 oz. of water every day. I met a guy yesterday that drinks seven Mountain Dews a day. This young man looked healthy, but statistics prove that ten years from now, the compounding effect of this man’s daily habit could lead to him becoming a diabetic, etc. I won’t go through all the possible disastrous consequences for this individual. My point is simply to say that this young man’s children are watching what he consumes. This could easily become a generational cycle whereby his family’s families for generations to come do not drink an adequate supply of water. I do believe that due to bad health choices, a believer can prematurely put him or herself in heaven.

I once heard a pastor say, “what parents do in moderation, their children will do in excess.” Though this statement may not always ring true (generational cycles can be broken), the general principle is valid. What are the spiritual implications of such a principle? We see the implications around us every day. Take the popular tv show Roseanne, which began airing in 1988 and just this year (30 years later) has premiered yet again. The world has gone “goo-goo” and “ga-ga” over the revival of Roseanne and her family. Over 27 million (this includes delayed viewers) watched the show’s premiere in its first seven days. The show begins with the Dan and Roseanne trading prescription pills, progresses to the couple taking care of their gender-fluid grandchild, and ends with a gift of pot-pourri (as opposed to potpourri). I seriously doubt any of these items were on the show thirty years ago and they probably won’t be on the show thirty years from now (a sad commentary).

So, what is the church to do? I think everything begins and ends with discipleship. As I’ve said before on this blog, our students need mentors who will guide them spiritually and teach them life-skills. Think Paul-Barnabus-Timothy. Students need a spiritual father/mother, an older, seasoned, and schooled man/woman in life to raise them up. Students also need a Barnabus, a peer who will keep them accountable, won’t gossip, and will love them through all the ups and downs. And then students, who are the Timothy’s, can start this discipleship cycle all over again by mentoring those who are younger than them! We’re not just affecting individuals. We’re impacting generations!

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Mentoring

NGM: The Last Christ-Follower

Perhaps you have or have not seen Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Either way, I thought this Star Wars was the best Star Wars out of all the recent Star Wars movies that have been released. Kudos to Disney in taking Lucas Films and taking this film up a notch from the previous trilogy, etc. If you have not seen the movie, I will not ruin the storyline for you by telling everything that happens.

However, I do want to point out a couple of things that stood out to me in the movie that I feel relate to next generation ministry (NGM). The first thing that caught my attention was when the now gray-headed Luke Skywalker wanted to burn the original Jedi scrolls and refused to train Rey. Yoda appears to Luke to not only encourage him to train Rey but also later to place an emphasis on the living scroll (found within the living Jedi’s). Luke experiences some dissonance, but Yoda clears his feelings up by magically burning the tree with the Jedi scrolls found inside. At first, Luke is ok with letting the Jedi’s die out. He is frustrated, having experienced a lot of pain himself, and is ready to give up. But Yoda tells Luke the Jedi religion must be passed down to a new era.

Working with the next generation can be frustrating. You may feel like giving up and not passing down the faith. I recently read this about working with the next generation: “It is not easy. They think differently. They demand attention. They make lots of mistakes. They are immature. They are tough on facilities. They don’t give like we think they should. They sometimes misbehave. They have short attention spans. They are not committed as we think they should be. In reality, they are much like we were when we were young.”

Did you catch that last line? Never forget how you where when you were young.

Next, Princess Leia reminds me of intergenerational ministry. She willingly works with the next generation (Poe, in this case) to patiently guide him in his own journey. Rey is also a bit impulsive, but not as much as Poe. Poe thinks he is ready for leadership when he clearly is not. He leads a mutiny which comes back to bite him in the end. And though this has nothing to do with intergeneration ministry, I can’t help but wonder if Captain Phasma, a senior adult with purple hair, is not the wave of the future when it comes hair-styles.

Whether its Luke working with Rey or Leia working with Poe, the church needs senior adults who are willing to pray for, support, and mentor the next generation. This may come in the form of giving young parents advice or just going to watch a youth’s ballgame. Though the next generation will disappoint you at times (Remember Poe), keep on loving on them. Captain Phasma kept her cool and a good attitude toward Poe. In the end, Leia and Phasma endured Poe’s good qualities.

This all brings me to Kylo Ren, the quintessential postmodern. Kylo is ready for a new day, a day where there is no good or evil, right or wrong, rebels or jedi . . . a day where he rules the day. Kylo wants Rey to join him on his quest.

There are a couple of things that are wrong with Kylo’s proposition. For one, its his quest, not Rey’s. No one can force his or her feelings on another. Secondly, the world Kylo envisions cannot exist. There will always be absolutes this side of heaven. Kylo tries to construct his own meaning as do many postmoderns. Whether postmoderns want to embrace it or not, there is a God and a devil, a heaven and a hell. There is no middle road to choose that will lead to a good destination because God has not provided a middle road to travel down. Jesus is pretty clear that those who are not with him are against him, that there is time to change the road you’re on (we’re all born rebels), and that if you do not, it will not end well for you in eternity. You might think that is unfair, but the truth is you have already chosen one road over another.

Let me explain why I choose the road less traveled with an illustration from another movie, The Wolverine. At the end of The Wolverine, the wolverine is back to his healthy self and goes to rescue the woman he loves. He has to make his way past 700 ninjas in a location that has been heavily guarded for generations. The ninjas ultimately bring the wolverine down after shooting dozens of arrows that stick in his back. Though the wolverine keeps moving forward, he eventually is shot so many times that he falls face forward and doesn’t get up. The scene encapsulated the sacrificial love of God for me on the cross. The wolverine loved this woman so much that he was willing to die for her. Like Jesus, the wolverine would rise up again. I choose the narrow road because of God’s love for me demonstrated through his Son. Jesus not only gave up everything for me (heaven, his own life, etc.), but showed me the grave couldn’t hold him.

Ultimately, this is why we can’t stop sharing the faith or discipling the next generation. Because our Savior never gave up on us! He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

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Mentoring

Dreams do and don’t come true

Life seems to be made up of dreamers and of realists. Many a dreamer has had the thought of becoming a millionaire but instead lived their life in debt. Many a realist has concluded they will never become a millionaire and thus wasted assets that might have led them to be just that. There is a middle ground. There are more options in life than becoming either a dreamer or a realist. Though it is important to dream, it is also important to be realistic about your dream.

About a year ago, I received a letter in my mailbox that made my heart jump in excitement. The newsletter came from friend and evangelist Craig Church. I had never met Craig, but in 2010, I stepped out in faith to bring Craig in to lead a three-day youth revival at my church. Every night, we saw more teens coming to the Lord than the night before! Back to the letter . . . anyone who knows Craig knows he has a daughter named Leah who loves basketball. Leah has been a national free throw champion, world-record three point shooter, and an individual who works tirelessly at her sport.

Before I continue, I need to say Leah’s dream was mine. Few can match my passion and love for the game of basketball. When October rolls around, most people think of Halloween and of orange pumpkins. Not me . . . I think of midnight madness and orange basketballs! The end of October always marks the beginning of basketball season!

So what was it that Craig wrote that made me jump up like I was grabbing a rebound coming off the glass? He wrote that 2017 would be the 10th year of Craig Church Ministries (CCM), his 25th year of marriage, and the year that his daughter Leah would begin playing college basketball for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels!

Anyone who knows basketball knows that UNC has produced some of the greatest basketball players of all-time, including Michael Jeffrey Jordan. Playing in the Dean Smith Center night in and night out would be akin to walking down Hollywood’s star walk of fame. Many of the jerseys hanging from the rafters are household names around the world.

You may wonder what Leah had to say in the letter? She said, “My early love of UNC is initially what made me fall in love with the game of basketball. For this desire and dream to come true and seeing all the hard work pay off is humbling. All the glory goes to Jesus! “Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” (Psalm 37:4) GO TAR HEELS!”

Dreams do come true, but often not without a lot of time (everything can’t be instant), hard work and sacrifice. For every dreamer who sees his or her wish come true, there are countless others who worked just as hard only to see their dream come crashing down on their head. That’s the moment when reality comes knocking at the front door.

Perhaps you have dreamed of having a large next generation ministry or you have students that dream of becoming famous actors, musicians, or athletes. That’s good – there’s nothing wrong with dreaming! Some dreams do come true! But for those next generation leaders who don’t enlist, invest in, and train other leaders, I doubt your ministry will ever become what you dream about. For those students who don’t practice their theatrics, music, or sport, I doubt you will ever be famous. It’s important for us to sit down with the next generation and first hear out their dreams. Maybe they want to be the next You Tube star gone viral. That’s great! But then we need to talk about statistics and reality and the importance of having a back-up plan.

Another friend of mine, Coach Mark Miller had a dream to start a basketball academy in Raleigh, NC. Like Leah, his dream also came true! I still remember going from school-to-school and store-to-store passing out brochures to help my friend get his new business off the ground and running. It is important that we take time to tell the next generation that they can’t get anywhere by themselves. Though they have an iphone (emphasis on the “i”) and a dream, they still need friends, guides, teachers, and coaches who will mentor them face-to-face. In other words, dreams do come true, but often not without the help of others. Remind yourself and your students that you are to do everything for the glory of God (I Cor 10:31).

I hope all your dreams and wishes come true, but if they don’t, know God has something better in store for you (Jer 29:11)!

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Mentoring

What the Next Generation Is Missing and Found Wanting?

 

Miyagi

The past generation has something the next generation is looking for.  The past generation received something from the generation that preceded them that the next generation is still waiting to be handed down.

If the past generation needed help in finding a lost puppy, they were given it.  The next generation is a lost puppy and is getting very little help.

Before I tell you what it is that the next generation desires, I want you (if you’re old enough to remember) to turn back the clock with me.  I love everything 1980’s.  To me, the 80’s represented the greatest in music, movies, games, and television.  So that I do not plumb the depths of everything 80’s, let me just scratch the surface by touching on the 1980’s category of “movies.”

In the 1980 Rocky movies, Mickey (before he dies) trains an upstart boxer, taking his protégé from chump to Champion of the world.   In the original Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi mentors young Luke Skywalker in the ways of the force.  In Back To The Future, a teenager named Marty McFly receives help from a scientist named “Doc” and in Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi, an instructor, teaches Danielson life lessons learned through the value of hard work.

The one common theme reflected from movie life in the 1980’s is the theme of mentoring.  Young people desired for and asked to be mentored and mentors were happy to and found joy in embracing the call to mentor.  My fear today is that there are some from the next generation who are not seeking a mentor and some from the previous generation not wanting to mentor.  The reasons can vary and in some individual cases may even be justified.  But what cannot happen and what must not happen is a total abandonment by a previous generation to the next generation as it relates to mentoring.  Mentors should be warned upfront that Generation Z (2001-2018) is complex, has short attention spans, and would rather use symbols or images, such as emojis to communicate.

That being said, I would like to give some sound advice to mentors from this generation who have not yet given up on the next.  My advice comes from adaptations from and additions to suggestions made by Dr. Tim Elmore and Dr. Alvin Reid.

1. Let Generation Z be who they are, especially as it relates to their technology.  Motivate and encourage them to learn using the devices they love.

2. Impart virtues such as perseverance, passion, dedication, and discipline.

3. Life map with Gen Z and help them set goals in order to give them purpose and realize potential. Gen Z does not know how to plan.

4. Teach them to serve and teach them life-skills and do this at the same time if possible.

5. Help them to see that life is bigger than themselves. Allow them to travel the world and to see the big picture.

6. Increase their interpersonal communication and critical thinking skills by helping them to focus on the person in front of them and or the task at hand.

7. Give students a cause and assist them in finding their call.

8. Be there. The next generation desires weekly feedback.

9. Introduce the next generation to other successful adults you know.  You can do this over dinner.  Allow the other adult to share his or her life story.

10. Don’t tell them what to do.  Tell them why and show them how.  Guide the orphan.  As you go, take them with you (teach them how to wash clothes, how to cook, how to fix cars, etc.).

In the OT, Moses mentored Joshua (Num 27:15-21) and Elijah mentored Elisha (2 Kgs. 2:1-17).  In the NT, Paul mentored Timothy (2 Tim 4:1-8) and both older men and women are told to mentor younger men and women (Titus 2:4-8).  Will you take the time to mentor someone today?