You Need a Mentor

You need a mentor. Here's how you get one. Five steps.

1. Inquire. Ask. Multiple people if necessary. This is a trial and error sometimes. Don't give up and don't go at this alone.

2. Intentional. Mentors don't want to waste their time. Being unprepared for sessions, and canceled or postponed monthly calls don't really send a great message.

3. Interview. Here's a red flag. If you sit with a potential mentor and they spend most of the time talking about themselves or how they did things or here are two books please read them and call me in the morning—it's probably not a good fit. Good mentors listen well.

4. Invest. Some Adventists have an issue paying a fair rate (or any at all) for mentorship. Know that you usually get what you pay for and that every penny you spend on a good mentor will come back to you fourfold. The preemptive decisions that save you headaches alone are worth it. Even if a good mentor does not charge you, bless them anyway.

5. I wish we had more mentors. I am not sure what the solution is, but maybe if you feel you could contribute something to a younger colleague, you can let others know. And if someone needs a mentor they can reach out.

Get a mentor.

Roger Hernandez is the Ministerial and Evangelism Director of the Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.