“Apprenticing doesn’t work.”
At least that’s what I’ve been told.
When I work with a church to help design their leadership development strategy, we focus on a multifaceted approach to development.
- How they will prepare new leaders
- How they will provide ongoing equipping for existing leaders
- How they will inspire all leaders to grow in ways to accomplish the Kingdom mission.
All three are essential in developing leaders for the church.
I share three approaches for preparing new leaders: Orientation, Turbo group, and apprenticing. Nearly 100% of the churches chose apprenticeship.
However, months later, a staff member will approach me, saying, “This doesn’t work in my area of ministry because we are unique.”
This comment always stumps me for two reasons.
- Apprenticeship is the most tried and true approach to development in history.
- The Apprenticeship approach is most like discipleship than any other method.
The great artist, Leonardo de Vinci, served as an apprentice at an early age. Steven Spielberg mentored filmmaker J.J. Abrams. Warren Buffet apprenticed under the author of The Intelligent Investor, Benjamin Graham. In the Scripture, we see Joshua apprenticed under Moses, Elisha apprenticed under Elijah, Timothy, apprenticed under Paul. And the apprenticeship approach was the preferred method of Jesus in training his twelve disciples.
When someone says, “Apprenticing doesn’t work for me.”, we should ask: Is the problem with the system of apprenticeship or is the problem with their skill of apprenticing?
If the apprenticeship approach isn’t working for you give this a try:
- Google search “how to be an effective mentor” and read as much as you can on the subject
- Ask someone to mentor you so you can experience what it’s like
- Find someone you feel safe with and practice on them.
But just get out there and do it. You have to be bad before you can be good, you have to be good before you can be great. Here’s my 90-day money-back guarantee: Commit to reproducing yourself. Focus for 90 days on learning and practicing mentoring one or two people. When it is over, you will see the benefits, and you will be better at mentoring others. if you need a tool to help you apprentice others check out my Discipling Leaders series https://bit.ly/2X8rmHO
