Intentional Mentoring - the Key to Leaving a Legacy!

Good morning.

As I’ve been thinking around the whole subject of leaving a legacy to those who are coming behind us in life, my attention was drawn to a new book on mentoring. (Intentional Mentoring by Paul Wilcox, published by Instant Apostle) Mentoring is sharing knowledge, skills and life experience to guide another towards reaching their full potential; it’s a journey of shared discovery. It’s the ability and the desire to develop others so that they can excel, even to the point of doing better than we did in our turn. And it doesn’t happen by accident. Mentoring really does need to be intentional on our part.

Many years ago, my wife left school after her A levels and began work in a laboratory. There she found herself working alongside a very experienced and much older colleague. It soon became clear that this person was not interested in explaining to the newcomer what the various machines and gadgets in the lab actually did. It seemed that she felt that the knowledge she had gained over the years was her only protection against whatever threat the young upstart represented.

In contrast to this kind of attitude, Jesus of Nazareth did the exact opposite. He took a group of a dozen or so young guys and mentored them. First, he showed them what to do, then he worked with them while they tried to do it, and then he stood back and sent them out to do it themselves, regularly gathering them for encouragement and guidance.  Mentoring with a kind heart can be one of the best kinds of legacy we can pass on to the next generation. Think about who you might mentor today, or perhaps who might mentor you.

Have a great day.

Guidelines-Thought for the Day on BBC Radio Guernsey (0640 & 0840 daily)

Good morning.

Just thinking about the kind of legacy we leave behind us; we need to think about what we want to communicate to those who are coming after us. Recently I have been busily writing another book, my fifth, and it will come out early next year, and at my age I have to consider that it may be my last. What do I really want to say if these are my last words, famous or not?

Words are important. We need to tell the stories of the things in life that have really mattered to us. Our children need to hear about our early years setting up family, the joy they brought us at their birth. Let’s pass on what helped us through our struggles, and not leave it too late to say ‘I’m sorry’ or just a simple ‘thank you’.

And you don’t need a lot of words. I read recently that the Lord’s Prayer contains only 66 words; the 10 commandments consist of just 179 words and the American Declaration of Independence is made up of only 1300 words; but EU regulations on the sale of cabbages require 26,911 words!  Important things can be communicated in a few, well-chosen words.

So, let’s tell the stories our children need to hear, and do so briefly but with passion. A few weeks ago we had a visit in Guernsey from the famous Bible storyteller Bob Hartman and he impressed us all with his ability to make the great stories from God’s Word live to a young audience. That’s a legacy they’ll never forget. It’s the greatest story ever told.

Have a good day. 

Digging for the Future!

Pastor Matt Gregor prepares to dig

On Sunday, at Vazon Elim Church in Guernsey, we held a little ground-breaking ceremony for the new youth and children’s suite that will be erected on the site shortly. This exciting project will provide much needed extra space for activities that young people and children will enjoy. Being there, and being part of this significant moment, started me thinking about the kind of legacy that we will leave for the generations to come. It has been said that as we go through life, we are all planting trees under which other people will find shade, so we need to think about the kind of legacy impact that our lives are making.

Hayden Batiste (6) digs!

When I use the word legacy, I’m not referring to property or the savings that we might squirrel away for our heirs. I’m thinking more about the influence, example and character investment that we put aside for all who will come after us, whether our children or not.

Recently our local paper, the Guernsey Press, paid a fulsome tribute to the late Eric Waldron, co-founder of the Salemites Cricket Club out of the Salem Methodist Youth Club. The headline was ‘An Inspirational Gentleman whose Legacy will Endure’. It told how he never judged or turned a player away, was always cheerful, generous and never expected any reward. I think that his reward was probably seeing youngsters that he had coached, trained and developed, going on to become good players and more importantly, better people for the investment of his time and energy. 

I'm glad to be part of a church community that prizes its children and young people, treasures the opportunity to make a difference in their lives, and recognises the importance of legacy. After all, Jesus wanted his followers to make room for little children to come to him, as he had plans for their lives too. 

Now, that's a great legacy!

Ground-breaking Changes

Just returned panting and weary from a few days of grandparent duty in a far off place! Who could guess how much energy two little girls can store up - or how much can be drained from Granny's dwindling supply? Childcare days begin very early and are filled with fun and laughter, combined with the occasional tears. Yet, what a privilege to care for such tender plants as these.

Little children are a vital part of our lives and communities. All around us at this time of year are families taking care of their children through school holidays, sometimes struggling to take time off or engage childcare. This is where grandparents can come in very handy indeed!

Tomorrow, at Vazon Elim Church in Guernsey, we will break ground on a thrilling new project to install a new children and young people's suite on our site. This building will be the third on the land, offering an increase of another 150 square metres of child-friendly capacity. It marks an investment in the children and youth of our community and is a statement of faith and intent. Faith, because we believe that children matter to God and that they need to know His love and grace. Intention, because we are committed to pass on the knowledge of God's mercy and power to coming generations.

Jesus said: 'Let the little children come to Me'. The best legacy we can lay aside for our children and grandchildren is to love God and show His love to them. That's why the cost of this great project is trifling compared to the benefits that will be achieved. As a grandparent, I count it a privilege to be involved.