Mentoring - Bob Reccord : The Key to the Next Generation
by: Bob Reccord
Driving through the green pastures and rolling hills of central Georgia in the early fog-drenched morning Friday, I couldn’t wait to arrive at my destination. A bucolic retreat center that is also a working ranch, would serve as our home away from home for the day.
I was meeting with leaders from well-known programs that build into the lives of kids, student leaders and adults through programs such as camps, marriage retreats, student leadership programs…just to name a few. They were being pulled together by my friend John White. And the topic: mentoring the nest generation. A topic I love and try to actively participate in as much as possible.
As we gathered around a conference table with a view through the windows of hundreds of acres of cattle, deer, wild turkey and goats it was like escaping to another world (especially from the norm of car-clogged Atlanta!!!!). We dove into 2 Timothy 2:1-5. There Paul implores Timothy to pour his life into the lives of others, just as Paul had poured his into Timothy. Then, in context, Paul reminds him that this is not easy work. He likens it to the discipline needed by a soldier, the tenacity and focus of a trained athlete, and the perseverance of a farmer. Above all, mentoring has to be intentional…it doesn’t just happen.
And I was reminded how glad I am that people like Bill Hogue, Roy Fish, Bill Bright, Leighton Ford, D. James Kennedy and Jack Johnson intentionally invested in me.
So, here’s my question. Who are you intentionally investing in according to the instruction of Paul? And if it takes you a while to answer….then why not start now? After all, all you need to mentor is a heart for God, an intentional focus, a person who is hungry…and for you to be only a step ahead of where they are in their journey. Try it….it’s one of the best experiences you’ll have.
More tomorrow.
March 25th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Dr. Reccord,
I’m so glad that I came across your blog! I have met you several times over the years while being a student and interning for Student Leadership University. I just wanted to leave you a comment of encouragement and let you know that God has really used you to impact my life over the past several years and I just wanted to thank you for your dedication to SLU and your investment in my life! I will be interning again for Student Leadership this summer and I look forward to seeing you! I know you are busy but it would be great to hear from you anytime. My e-mail is zach.bean@ttu.edu
I hope you have a great week and that God continues to bless you and your ministry greatly,
Zach Bean
March 26th, 2007 at 9:10 pm
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March 28th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
It’s easier to be mentored than to mentor! I have mentored many men over the past 12 years without knowing I was mentoring. I simply poured my life into anyone who was willing. It is amazing though, how much more effective I am now that I have been in a structured mentoring environment myself. I now have two separate groups of men I mentor on a weekly basis. We require after one year they must mentor someone else, now we have 6 groups. I love God math! Paul hit it right on the head, why do you think more pastors don’t see the need to mentor?
Another blog I would like to hear is “Choosing your 12” The responsibility of choosing wisely.
March 24th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
While I have not spent a lot of one-on-one time with you, I consider you to be a mentor to me. I have read and reread your books–and have many of your messages on CD. Thanks for being an true example of servant leadership.