By Lindsey Gelinas
NAB Missionary in Japan
I wish I had a mentor growing up.
Don’t get me wrong: I was surrounded by people in my church who loved me – who knew me and invested in me – but I never had a person come along beside me and show me the way.
I never had a person who caught me when I stumbled and doubted or pushed me forward when I was weary. However, there were many people just out of arms reach who would point the way for me, many who opened doors for me to new opportunities. God faithfully provided me with a constant stream of individuals who pushed me a little farther forward – camp counselors, youth pastors, and youth leaders who all came into and went out of my life. All of these were people who didn’t deeply know me but who gave me a next step, a piece of advice, an opportunity or a challenge.
I fondly remember the first time my youth pastor asked me to share my testimony at youth group. At 14 years old, I was so excited to be told by an adult, “Your story is worth hearing.” I was honored when a teacher asked me to make a new girl feel included. I was thrilled at 16 when a different youth pastor asked me to teach the lesson on a Wednesday night, to be affirmed by an adult saying, “God has given you something to say.” I squealed for joy when my pastor said the youth group would be going on its first-ever international mission trip. That was the trip on which God called me to international missions.
Adults in my life glimpsed potential in me and gave me space to see what God would do with it. They didn’t wait for me to be knowledgeable, articulate, or even mature to start letting me use my gifts. They made opportunities for me to contribute to the Kingdom of God because God’s Kingdom includes the inexperienced and the juvenile.
These moments of mentorship are what led me to my calling and purpose. Each opportunity revealed another aspect of who God created me to be. Every word of encouragement emboldened me to not be an observer of Christian practice but a doer of God’s word. Every chance to serve was a step toward God’s call to serve on the mission field.
I wish I had a mentor growing up, but I am thankful for the ways I was counseled and led as an emerging leader.
Interested in learning how you can support emerging leaders in your context? Reach out to Wayne Stapleton, VP of Emerging Leader Engagement.