Jesus as the Mentor

Jesus' life is an example for us to follow. He walked the Path of Sonship back to our Garden State and knows how to show us the way. If we follow him, we will find life at its best, or the life God created us for.

For your mini-adventure this month, we invite you to realize how crucial the role of our mentors (particularly Jesus) is on our Heroic Journey. You'll do this through mentoring EACH OTHER. One of you will be the Mentor, and the other will be the Mentee. You will go through the following process TWICE. One with dad as the Mentor, and one with son as the Mentor. Here is how it works:

1. Mentor, you will choose an activity that 1) you enjoy, 2) you are good at, and 3) your Mentee has either never done before or has minimal experience. Examples: making coffee, playing video games, mowing the lawn, throwing an axe, shooting a basketball, hitting a baseball, riding a bike, Algebra, etc.
2. Mentor, prepare for the activity and call your Mentee "Up to the plate," but wait! There is a catch. You will not teach the Mentee how to do it the first time he tries the activity. Instead, give the Mentee the supplies they need. Tell them the task they will do, set a timer for 15 minutes, and the Mentee needs to figure it out by himself. Mentor, don't show or give the Mentee any pointers; just watch.
3. Once the timer runs out, go through the Mini-Adventure Discussion: Part 1.
4. Fourth, Mentor reset everything. Walk the Mentee through how to do the activity. Show them the process as often as needed until they are ready to try it alone. Mentee, ask any questions you wrote down during the Post Mini-Adventure: Part 1 discussion questions.
5. Mentee, do the activity again. You can ask any questions you like, and the Mentor can help you in any way short of taking over and doing the activity for you.
6. Finally, go through the Mini-Adventure Discussion: Part 2.

Read BEFORE You Begin

Boundaries are not meant to cripple us but to give us freedom in the best places. Your dad has good judgment. He will set some boundaries around this time to help you both have fun and stay safe. Here are a few we think are good to add:

1. Be humble and receive well. Listen to each other and receive what the other has to offer. Don't let pride and arrogance get in the way of learning, growing, and laughing together.
2. Show, don't tell. As you teach each other how to do the activity, be careful not to "take over." If you have a question, try to answer it without taking over. If you can, place each other's hands in the right place and walk through it together; do your best to mentor without taking control.
3. Honor each other's hearts. Be careful not to shut each other down. Don't make fun of each other's failure along the way. No question is out of bounds. Sometimes, a dumb question to us is a valid question to others. Don't poke fun; be present and clear.
4. Learn to laugh at yourself. You're both trying something new; you will likely fail at first, but don't worry, you will grow! Laugh with each other at your epic fails and learn to grow together. Even our failure deserves a few laughs; the joy takes the bite off the frustration.
5. Be aware. If you see the other person getting frustrated, step back together. Why is there frustration? How can you move forward in unity? What needs to change? Does communication need to change, or do you need to relinquish control and pride? Work through it together.
6. Be together! Don't let minor grievances keep you from loving each other well. It's not worth it. This is an adventure! You will trek through the wilderness, but don't let the minor frustrations or anything else get in the way of time together.

Discussion: Part 1

1. Mentee, how did your first attempt go?
2. Mentee, how far did you make it in 15 minutes, or did you give up on the attempt?
3. Mentee, did you enjoy the activity at all? Why or why not?
4. Mentee, what specific parts did you epically fail at? Why?
5. Mentee, what did you not understand? Write down the questions you need answered before your next attempt.
6. Mentor, did you notice anything about your mentee's struggle? Make a note in your journal of what to bring up when you show them how to do it.

Discussion: Part 2

1. Mentee, how did your second attempt go? Was it better than the first? Why or why not?
2. Mentee, how far did you make it this time?
3. Mentee, did you enjoy it more? Why or why not?
4. Mentor, did you show the Mentee how to do it well? Why or why not? Did you ever struggle to communicate with them well? Did you answer all of the Mentee's questions before their second attempt?
5. Mentee, how did the mentoring help you as you stepped into your second attempt? Were you clear about the activity before you jumped back in, or could you have used more Mentoring before you did it a second time?
6. Was there any frustration or miscommunication you had to work through? Why did the frustration or miscommunication occur? Talk about it together.
7. How did you work through it together? Mentor, were you clearer after? Mentee, were you receiving well from your Mentor?
8. Mentee, compare your first and second attempts. What were the major differences? Similarities?
9. Do you see why a mentor is so important when we are trying to understand how to do something?
10. Do you see how living as a son is impossible without a mentor to show us the way?

Further Discussion

1. What other parallels do you see between your story and the mini-adventure this month? Do you see some of the other ideas from the "Truth of the Month" video in the movie? Discuss them together.