Leadership development requires a core group of mentors. This should include the pastor, of course, but must expand to include other staff and key volunteer leaders. The #1 reason seekers come to church is to find mentors who can help them endure the ambiguities and overcome the obstacles in life. Every great mentor is both evocateur and provocateur:
Evocateur                                               Provocateur
Intuit and tell the truth;Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Embody and reveal the real issue;
See what others see … but deeper;      Exaggerate to force attention;
Appeal to the longing to be better;Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Hold up a mirror to reality;
Adapt any method to learn;Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Pace the aggravation and growth;
Focus on identity, not tactics;Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Communicate with nuggets of insight;
Acknowledge and reinforce.                     Doggedly persist.
These great points are adapted from John Schuster’s book Answering Your Call: A Guide for Living Your Deepest Purpose (Berrett-Koehler, 2003).