Quick Recap
The meeting focused on a men’s ministry event featuring Bill Hendricks, who shared insights on giftedness, mentoring, and discipleship in churches. Bill emphasized the importance of understanding individuals through their stories, encouraging effective mentoring practices, and recognizing the value of one’s unique gifts and purpose. The discussion concluded with Bill highlighting the significance of life-on-life relationships in discipleship and encouraging the group to share their learnings with other churches.
Quick Links
Next steps
- Eric: Share Bill Hendricks’ Giftedness Center resources with the Bay Area Community Church mentoring group
- Bill: Send giftedness storytelling process resources to Eric for distribution
- Eric: Update the church website with information about the mentoring ministry for interested participants
- Randy: Share recording of the session with other mentors who couldn’t attend
- Mentors: Review Chapter 14 of “Men of Influence” book to enhance mentoring capabilities
- Mentees: Send follow-up questions to Bill’s email at the Giftedness Center if not addressed during the session
- Interested Participants: Email Eric or visit bayareacc.org to sign up for the mentoring program
Summary
Event Planning and Legacy Discussion
The meeting began with introductions and small talk, with Eric and Andy Young discussing the event’s format and potential attendance. Richard shared a personal story about how Bill’s father’s ministry positively impacted his life, leading to a meaningful conversation about legacy and impact. The group discussed the upcoming event, which Eric will lead at 7 PM, featuring welcome remarks, introductions, and a question-and-answer session facilitated by Eric.
Men’s Ministry Leadership Q&A Event
The meeting began with Eric Rice introducing the Bay Area Community Church Men’s Ministry event, which aims to connect, disciple, and reproduce mature followers of Jesus through life-on-life mentoring pairs. Randy Stiles provided an introduction to Bill Hendricks, the executive director of Christian leadership at Dallas Theological Seminary, highlighting his background, expertise, and passion for integrating secular and sacred knowledge. The event was described as an informal Q&A session with Bill, where prepared questions would be asked, and attendees could submit questions via chat or raise them verbally. Participants were reminded to be respectful, stay muted, and manage their bandwidth by keeping videos off unless necessary.
Giftedness and Personal Storytelling
Bill shared his expertise on giftedness, explaining that it is a person’s unique contribution to the world, discovered through storytelling rather than psychometric tests. He described his consulting practice at the Giftedness Center, where he helps individuals identify their life purpose and career path. Bill emphasized the importance of understanding people through their stories, as it provides a more comprehensive view of their character and abilities. He also shared his experience judging a chili contest, highlighting the cultural divide over the addition of beans in chili.
Integrating Mentoring in Church Culture
Bill shared his experience with storytelling and its connection to understanding giftedness, emphasizing the importance of listening to detailed stories to uncover patterns and behaviors. He highlighted that most churches lack intentional mentoring programs, but Eric’s church is uniquely doing so, which Bill commended. Bill suggested that effective mentoring should be integrated into the church’s culture rather than treated as a program, drawing from biblical examples like Titus 2 and Proverbs 27:17, which illustrate the value of intergenerational relationships and mutual influence.
Church Discipleship Program Success Stories
Bill shared three examples of successful church discipleship programs. At Perimeter Church in Atlanta, Randy Pope recruits 7 men for a 3-year commitment to study biblical doctrines, discipleship, and church leadership, resulting in the planting of multiple churches. Denton Bible Church in Texas has a structured program for young people mentored over 2-3 years. Michael and Cindy Easley in Nashville transformed their one-on-one discipleship approach by including couples, finding it more effective for relationship and marriage growth. Randy noted a connection to Perimeter Church as Alan, the pastor of his ministry, came from there.
Embracing Purpose in Healing Journey
Bill discussed the importance of helping individuals see both their “bad truth” and “good truth” about themselves. He explained that people often focus on their flaws and brokenness, but also have a God-given purpose and unique gifts that reflect their divine design. Bill emphasized that addressing someone’s giftedness and sense of purpose can be transformational, even while they are working through trauma or addiction. He advised that while therapy is necessary for healing, discussing one’s purpose and gifts can provide hope and direction. Eric asked about the timing of discussing purpose and giftedness, and Bill suggested that while immediate healing needs should be addressed first, it’s important to introduce the concept of purpose as motivation for recovery.
Embracing Unique Gifts and Strengths
Bill shared his personal experience of growing up in the shadow of his father, a long-time professor, and how he eventually came to understand and appreciate his own unique gifts and strengths. He emphasized that while comparing ourselves to others is a natural human tendency, it becomes problematic when it leads to self-accusation or superiority. Bill concluded that healthy comparison involves aspiring to emulate positive qualities in others as part of the mentoring and discipleship process, rather than measuring oneself against others in a competitive way.
Encouraging Gifts and Confidence
Bill discussed the challenges people face when discovering and exercising their God-given gifts, highlighting a common pitfall: a lack of confidence in their abilities. He emphasized the importance of encouragement in mentoring, noting that individuals often undervalue their gifts and may become discouraged by failures, both related and unrelated to their giftedness. Bill shared his personal experience and encouraged mentors to support their mentees by reminding them of God’s grace and the value of their gifts, even in the face of setbacks.
Essence of Effective Mentoring
Bill emphasized the importance of a mentor being someone who genuinely cares about the growth and development of their mentee, highlighting the value of emotional intelligence and a generous spirit. He advised that potential mentors often underestimate their readiness and capabilities, encouraging them to recognize their potential to positively impact others. Bill also referenced Jesus’ teaching about having one teacher, suggesting that everyone has the capacity to mentor others.
Adaptive Mentoring in Evolving Times
Bill discussed the importance of mentoring, emphasizing the value of sharing personal experiences and offering guidance to others. He highlighted the “life-on-life” aspect of mentoring, where a mentor provides support and encouragement through shared experiences. Bill also acknowledged that while the core principles of mentoring remain constant, the methods of communication and connection may evolve with each generation, adapting to cultural changes and technological advancements.
Effective Discipleship Through Mentoring
Bill shared insights from the Willow Creek “Reveal Study” (2003) which found that long-term church members were the most dissatisfied, primarily due to a lack of discipleship and spiritual formation. He emphasized that effective discipleship involves life-on-life relationships where older believers mentor younger ones, focusing on observable behavioral changes rather than just doctrinal knowledge. The discussion concluded with Bill expressing enthusiasm for the group’s work and encouraging them to share their learnings with other churches, as most churches are not currently implementing similar mentoring programs.