Developing Your 360° Support: Part 4
“Finding the Right Apprentices”
By Brian Phipps
Apprentices are people you choose to mentor. The best apprentices desire to grow, demonstrate initiative, and make sacrifices to gain wisdom from a good mentor.
Experienced mentors know a powerful truth… the benefits of routinely developing apprentices far outweigh the investments. Every follower of Jesus can live more Fully Alive as they identify, develop, and release apprentices throughout their life.
The Importance of Investing in Apprentices
Moses, one of God’s champion leaders, prioritized the development of apprentices. That priority was significant for the young nation of Israel, as Moses was not able to lead all the way into the promised land. Moses’ apprenticing of Joshua as a leader was a critical investment into young Israel’s success.
Like Moses, we will not be around forever. We were given life to share life. We were given wisdom to share wisdom. It is God’s plan for building His kingdom, and He can use our participation in that plan in profound ways.
The Lifecycle of a Great Apprentice Relationship
We recommend a four phase apprentice lifecycle: Identify, Confirm, Develop, and Release.
Identify
Identifying a potential apprentice is as simple as looking for three factors: curiosity, chemistry, and consistency.
Curiosity – Has this person demonstrated curiosity by asking more questions than they answer? Are they able to ask questions and listen intently to the answers? Are you curious about them? Do you see godly potential in them that you desire to see released? If your answers are “yes," they have passed the curiosity test.
Chemistry – Have you taken the time to intentionally hang out with that person in a casual or recreational setting? If so, did you enjoy the time and have a desire to connect with them again? If so, they have passed the chemistry test.
Consistency – Does this person show up punctually? Are they steadily growing in Christ-like character? Do they seem to regularly serve others more than themselves? Does he or she seemingly maintain good relationships? If so, they have passed consistency test.
Confirm
If you sense God leading you to invest in a potential apprentice, even if they do not have any of the recommended characteristics, schedule a casual time with them to hear more about their story. In particular, ask about their dreams and goals and how they want to invest into their life. As they share, ask the Holy Spirit to move your heart in one of two ways: ask Him to either increase your affinity and curiosity for this individual or to let the affinity fade.
If your affinity and curiosity for the potential apprentice increase throughout your discernment conversation, the next step is an initial goal setting experience. If the affinity and curiosity decrease, that is a good indication that this will not evolve into a mentor/apprentice relationship, but you can still offer an initial goal setting experience if you wish.
Goal Setting with the MyImpact Assessment - This can be done at the end of the discernment conversation or as soon as you sense a confirmation from the Spirit to do so. Note… there is no need to rush and formalize an apprentice relationship at this point. Keep taking these natural and organic steps of relationship building instead.
The MyImpact Assessment measures a person’s current progress in developing character and calling. To set up a Goal Setting Conversation, simply share the link to the assessment with your potential apprentice and ask them to share their results with you. For best results, recommend them to ask someone that knows them well to rate them with the assessment also.
Once you have the results, look for the area with the most room for improvement in both character and calling and determine a growth goal for each. Once the goals are established, set a reasonable date for re-evaluation and use the time in-between to support them in those goals by providing wisdom, resources, and encouragement. If the potential apprentice sets the goals and responds with growth, offer to do it again. And, congratulations… you are now developing an apprentice!
Develop
Developing an apprentice is choosing to intentionally scheduling regular goal setting conversations with the MyImpact Assessment, supporting them in their pursuit of those goals through the re-evaluation time, and being “on call” for them as they need it. The length of this development phase will naturally be influenced by the ongoing value of the relationship for both parties. After three or four goal setting sessions, it will be very healthy to begin asking each other at each re-evaluation point if the process is still mutually beneficial. If both parties are still growing from the relationship, then keep going!
Release
There are two long-term goals for a healthy mentor/apprentice relationship. Both of these goals involve a measure of releasing the apprentice from the apprentice role.
The first long-term goal is for the apprentice to become more of a peer than an apprentice. Even Jesus, the greatest mentor of all time, said to His disciples in John 15, “I no longer call you servants… but friends.” And, just as Jesus modeled, the mentor should be looking for that transition in the relationship to happen and “call it out” when it does. By this time, the apprentice should have a few solid peers and mentors in their 360 Degree Support.
The second long-term goal is for the apprentice to become a mentor to others. Just as a healthy parent wants their children to grow into responsible parents themselves, a healthy mentor wants their apprentices to become beneficial mentors to others. Keep this article handy… you may want to share it with your apprentice someday!
Developing Apprentices is Rewarding!
The most unexpected advantage of investing into apprentices is the unique personal growth you experience in the process. Specifically, apprentices are like mirrors that unintentionally reflect images of your younger self into your consciousness. In my personal experience, these images prompt a wide variety of emotions and action steps.
Sometimes these images are memories of my own significant growth steps, which are very encouraging to relive. These images are especially helpful in discouraging times. They can remind you of God’s faithfulness in the past, which provides hope and confidence in the present.
Sometimes these images help me see gaps in my own formation. When I see the apprentice demonstrate courage and overcome those gaps in their lives, is provides me courage and inspiration to do the same. Without an apprentice, I may have never had the awareness of that gap or the courage to close it.
Perhaps the most significant benefit of investing in apprentices is the growth of a legacy, a spiritual family that influences many nuclear and extended families. Many of the apprentices I have mentored over the years have already developed apprentices that have become mentors. Several of those first and second generation apprentices have become my closest friends and partners in ministry.
Choose Your Next Step
You now know how to find, develop, and release apprentices. It is time to determine where you are in the process and prayerfully decide your next step. We are created to influence others, and apprenticing is one of the most life-changing ways to do it. Blessings as you discern and take your next steps!
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