It’s no secret that the word “mentor” is a loaded term and can mean something wildly different for people. Some may think of a mentor as someone who meets with them weekly to speak about their professional lives, others may imagine someone on more of an on-call basis who gets together a few times a year. What are healthy expectations in a mentoring relationship? What does it mean to mentor someone in a Godly way? How can you help others in their own spiritual journey?

In his latest book, MENTOR LIKE JESUS, Regi Campbell explores these and other questions as he unpacks his own experiences and the difference it can make in someone’s life --- including your own. Campbell describes how he emailed 27 guys and offered to spend a year (three hours a month) with them with the intention of teaching what he had learned about God, faith, marriage, raising children, business and relationships. Twelve responded, and Campbell selected the eight whose lives he could make the most difference in. Over the last seven years, he has mentored 56 men --- all of whom have committed to mentoring at least one group of eight after the age of 40. The approach may seem inefficient to some, but Campbell gently reminds readers that it’s the exact formula that Jesus used --- investing in a few deeply in order to impact many widely. He offers 11 principles of next-generation mentoring.

Throughout the book, one of Campbell’s mentorees, Richard Chancy, chimes in with his own insights on being mentored. At times the experience was stretching and difficult.

“Sometimes the best thing a mentor can do is simply to hold a mirror up in front of you. Regi was willing to talk about what he saw in me even at the risk of offending me. The funny thing about blind spots is that I am the only one blind to my blind spots. But when someone else sees you more clearly than you can see yourself and has the courage to speak to you in love, the blind can begin to see again. That’s what Regi helped me do.”

Readers will benefit from Campbell’s practical approach to mentoring. He isn’t afraid to get into specifics, and every step of the way he encourages mentors to be grounded in God’s Word. He offers a list of scriptures that he shares with his mentorees with subjects attached to each one to help them recognize their priorities, their purpose, and the wisdom that is available to them for decision-making. He also stresses the importance of prayer and listening for both mentor and mentoree.

Overall, MENTOR LIKE JESUS offers a practical, modern-day look at what it means to engage in an intentional relationship for the purpose of spiritual growth. While clearly written for men mentoring men, many of the principles translates to women mentoring women. Recommended to any churches that may be interested in launching mentoring programs or anyone who may want to invest personally in the next generation.