Connecting: The Mentoring Relationships You Need to Succeed in Life

by Paul D. Stanley, J. Robert Clinton, T.J.J. Addington

We are all interdependent on each other, which is why connecting with others plays such an indispensable role in healthy development. Having access to the wisdom, experience, vision, and direction of others can put you years ahead of where you’d be on your own.

Mentoring relationships can be key to effective discipleship and evangelism. This book shows you how to do it effectively.

Genres: Leadership, Discipleship, Christian, Nonfiction, School, Christian Living, Relationships

256 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1991

Reviews

[D. Ferguson]

I found this book to be extremely helpful in thinking through the concept of mentoring. Most people have kind of a narrow concept of mentoring. This book broadens the per spective, describing seven different kinds of mentoring that range from the more deliberate and intensive (such as what he refers to as discipler, spiritual guide or coach) to the more passive and less deliberate, such as someone who is simply a good model.

For each type he gives lots of examples, specifies when they are most helpful, and describes both how to be that kind of mentor and how to respond to that kind of mentor.

A few weaknesses of the book are:

* questionable theology in the section on discipleship. He seems to think that not all Christians are disciples – an error of the “anti-lordship” movement.

* Most of the examples in the book have to do with mentoring outside the Church. It would have been more helpful to have more material on spiritual mentoring within the Church.

* The authors seem to be more influenced by psychology than by biblical counseling.

[Matthew Rushing]

3.5. A solid book on the different types of mentorship.

[Raul Filea]

In this amazing book, the two authors set the basis for mentoring in such a way, you want to start mentoring and searching for a mentor right away! It is very easy to read and understand the concepts, with lots of practical examples.

[Stan]

Connecting is an excellent and thorough look at the mentoring relationship. Stanley subdivides the overall mentoring idea into different levels of involvement and various specific functions of mentors. All in all, the author describes about 11 different possibilities for mentoring relationships. In today's world no one mentor can fulfill all these roles, so the author advises people to seek various mentors to fill in needed skills and knowledge. This is an excellent approach to mentoring. To understand more about the author's descriptions give this one a read! Enjoy!

[Ken Grant]

Well written overview of the importance of various kinds of mentoring relationships in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ. Demonstrations with practicality the great variety of ways that mentoring can work and the truth that to continue strong to the end, a follower of Jesus must be involved in many such mentoring relationships. Continued learning and growing is identified as essential in the life of someone who endures to the end.

[Jesse Kane]

Like many Christian books written in the 90's, this one is inculcated with business lingo. If you can get past that, it suggests several different styles of mentorship, along with some stories to illustrate each one. The book's strength is it's habitation in the present day; it is easily applied to a modern church context. I was the most disappointed that the book generally strayed away from biblical narratives and anything to do with Jesus.

[Leonie]

Interessant boek over mentorschap. Een beetje oud en soms wat voorbeelden waarvan je denkt, zonder had ik het ook begrepen. Maar heel uitdagende reflectievragen hoe je andere mensen kunt toelaten in je leven en je persoonlijke groei

[Julianna]

Most of the low rating comes from it feeling quite dated. Some good stuff hiding in there, but had to fish for it and I didn’t have to read this book to learn them.

[Paige Chase]

Helpful book that gave a compelling argument and description for building a mentoring constellation in your life. I would love to read an updated version.

[Brian Virtue]

Conceptually rich and full of wisdom. More on the academic side of things than inspirational but that is what I read it for and I wasn't disappointed. Helpful frameworks.

[Abigail]

Just ok. A bit dated. Speed reading was sufficient.

[Liz]

If you've not read anything about mentoring, this is the book for you. Good introductory framework for what mentoring is, what styles of mentoring exist, and what kind of mentoring is useful for different stages in life. I gave it a 3/5 because it's a little too rudimentary for where I'm at in learning about leadership and mentoring.

This is much less dry and 'engineering-esque' than some of Clinton's other books.

[Meriah J VanderWeide]

Mentoring

Great tool for types of mentoring and how to establish a mentioning relationship. Provides tips and guidelines for reference. Recommend for anyone entering a mentor relationship

[Byron Harrison]

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[Edward]

A very necessary, insightful and practical book.

[Emilie Martin]

Interesting, Christian viewpoint on the need for mentors. I liked the first half of the book about mentoring characteristics, but felt the second half was rather repetitive.

[Wendy Langhans]

Worth the read.

[Rick Huemmer]

Great basic book for mentoring.

[Tim]

A good overview on the topic of mentoring. It describes different styles of mentoring and gives advice for each.

[Jim Machen]

Very good book. Simple yet profound helping a leader train other leaders when they have a passion to do so, but not the knowledge

[Jonathan]

Basically, an argument for the necessity of mentors.

[Saj]

Work reading. Inspiring, easily usable thoughts about mentoring.

[Ruth Hardy]

I'm going to work on rewriting our mentor curriculum this year, so I think this will be helpful.