Mentoring: Inviting a Younger Believer Into Your Life

Marilee Duncan made her way from Northern Michigan to Greenville, South Carolina. As a widow and former pastor’s wife of 50 years, Marilee knew the joy and value of pouring into others. She didn’t want to waste valuable time in her senior adult years and jumped into finding a new church home where she could continue to grow in her faith, find her community, and pour into others.

Fortunately, Marilee didn’t have to look far from her apartment complex to find a church home. She made her way to Rocky Creek and was quickly embraced by everyone who met her. Desiring to join in the mission of Rocky where everyone is challenged to disciple someone, Marilee communicated her desire to start a Bible study in her apartment complex. I shared with Marilee that I knew Anna Heinz, a young twenty-something and a volleyball coach at Southern Wesleyan University in Central who was also a resident of the same apartment complex.

Marliee started a Bible study in her apartment and invited Anna to be part of that group. While you can be discipled and challenged to grow in your faith as part of a Bible study group, there is something much more special about a mentoring relationship with two people. Mentoring happens when the one with more years of experience in living out their faith comes alongside a younger believer to help them remain focused on growing and living out their faith. A special mentoring relationship blossomed with Marilee and Anna.

Joining with them to hear their story, I observed a beautiful example of Marilee living out Titus 2:3, “Older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not slaves to excessive drinking. They are to teach what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, to be self-controlled, pure, workers at home, kind, and in submission to their husbands, so that God’s word will not be slandered.”

I watched as they recounted how they are both benefiting from their discipleship relationship. Even though they have only known each other for a short time, they are now connected for the rest of their lives. There was a tenderness in their smiles toward each other. Marilee counts on Anna to help her around the apartment for things like getting on a ladder if Marilee needs someone to place something on a higher shelf. Anna has benefited by support from Marilee. Marilee showed support at Anna’s volleyball games, but Anna also knows that she receives support through prayer and encouragement with Marilee being a first line of defense as a prayer warrior on Anna’s behalf.

Anna shared that she has now memorized the books of the Bible in order because Marilee told her that would be a key tool to help her in reading the Bible and in teaching the Bible to others. Marilee has also encouraged Anna to memorize Scripture. Anna has a 45-minute to an hour-long commute to work. She now uses that time to memorize the Bible verses that Marilee has encouraged her to learn. In chatting about memorizing the books of the Bible and Scripture passages, Anna shared, “Mrs. Duncan made me memorize the books of the Bible…” She then stopped herself and shared that Marilee didn’t “make” her do it, but she did it because Marliee encouraged her to do it, and Anna didn’t want to disappoint Marilee.

Marilee loves Legos. She is thankful for Anna’s help with Lego projects. Anna loves volleyball. Marilee shows support by attending volleyball games and praying Anna through the tough parts of coaching. These two women are precious together. When Marilee’s alarm on her iPhone went off during the taping of a video about their discipleship relationship, Anna grinned and got out of her seat to assist Marilee. It’s like watching family - a grandmother and a granddaughter whom the Lord has put together.

Marilee’s challenge at the end of the interview was that age really has nothing to do with mentoring in discipleship. Someone who is older in years and more experienced in their faith can disciple someone who is younger in years and less experienced in their faith. At the same time, a younger believer who is younger in years, can spiritually discipleship a person who is younger in their faith and yet older in years.

The challenge to all believers regarding discipleship:

1. Is there someone more experienced in years and in their walk with Jesus whom you can ask to mentor you and to hold you accountable for your walk with Jesus?
2. Is there someone less experienced in years and in their walk with Jesus whom you could ask to meet you weekly or monthly for Bible study or a check-up regarding how they are growing spiritually?

If fear keeps you from asking someone to walk with you in discipleship or for you to ask someone if they would allow you to disciple them, consider it an act of obedience to step into discipleship. Ask the Lord to help you not live in fear regarding an obedient step into discipleship. Your blessings await as you respond in obedience to either disciple someone or to be discipled.

Check out the video where Marilee and Anna share their discipleship story.