In the Know, Vol. 39: Why Mentoring Groups Matters
I’ve been learning a lot about women recently. Numerous resources and conversations have given me a fresh perspective on women today. We are tired, emotionally and physically. Some of us are grieving losses, while others are welcoming new seasons. And we’re all trying to survive in a world seeking to divide, judge, and isolate. We need each other more than ever. We long for each other’s support, friendship, and stories. These are the fuel that will keep us going if we let them.
In Find Your People, Jennie Allen shares her story of building community and friendship among the women in her life. She encourages us to create a “network of regular people who are present in our daily lives.” The beauty is that regardless of our age or life stage, these people are already right in front of us. We don’t have to go looking for them. We just have to be willing to do the work.
But too often, we stall out because we’re too intimidated to take the first step toward a potential friendship. The same is true when taking a step toward a mentoring group. For mentees, the thought of meeting with a group of potential strangers and telling your story can be enough to make some decline the invite in record time. For mentors, doubting their ability to lead or questioning whether their story is relevant often keeps groups from forming.
Letting our fears and insecurities determine our steps leaves us feeling isolated and alone, convinced that no one cares or understands us. And just like that, the enemy has us exactly where he wants us. Friends, we can’t let this continue. We must move toward each other. No one else will do it for us.
As I’ve unpacked my recent Known Collective group, I’m more convinced than ever that mentoring has the potential to bring women together, and create relationships where they continue to show up for each other even after the mentoring season is over.
Mentors, your women need you, not only for the relationships that develop in your groups but also because you have a God-inspired story and the voice of life experience. The Holy Spirit will use these things as you bring women together, ushering them into spaces that remind them they are not only seen, known, and heard but that their presence matters to others.
If you have been putting off launching a mentoring group, I would love to help you get started. It’s intimidating at first, but you will soon realize how much God has in store for you and your mentees as you journey together.
GOD SEES HER PODCAST: TASTE AND SEE (WITH MARGARET FEINBERG)
God could have designed humans to eat rocks, but instead He created food and gave men and women thousands of taste buds to enjoy it. On this episode of God Hears Her, Margaret Feinberg joins to talk food, which is really a discussion on the deepest longings of a woman’s heart, and God’s invitation to taste and see that He is good.
THE HAPPY HOUR WITH JAMIE IVEY: FIND YOUR PEOPLE WITH JENNIE ALLEN
Listen to this conversation as Jamie Ivey and Jennie Allen unpack relational conflict, which can feel scary and awkward but can also be safe when both people are committed to the friendship. This message is not just about having 3-5 best friends, but about building a village of friendships where we can truly be there for one another.
FIND YOUR PEOPLE: BUILDING DEEP COMMUNITY IN A LONELY WORLD
While the ache of loneliness is real, it doesn’t have to be your reality. You were created to play, engage, adventure, and explore—with others. In Find Your People, you’ll discover exactly how to dive into the deep end and experience the full wonder of community. This is a great book choice to begin your mentoring season as its step-by-step guide sets the stage for the true and authentic community your mentees need to thrive.
Create safe environments where women can bring life's deepest questions.
Known Collective provides everything you need to implement a mentoring process to help women leave comparison at the door and enter a space where they can be real and engage in conversations that matter.