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Mentor for Life: Finding Purpose through Intentional Discipleship
Today’s Christian women do not simply want nice fellowships and cookie-cutter answers about how to deal with life. Though churches are filled with good ministry programming—activities, outreach events, and an endless selection of options—many churches neglect their fundamental mission to make disciples.
Christian women want to mentor and to be mentored, though they may not fully understand what that means, the significance of this desire, or how to get there. The church must rise to answer these questions, meet life’s challenges, and develop creative ways of equipping modern women to mentor well. In Mentor for Life, Natasha Sistrunk Robinson lays a solid foundation for mentoring that is based on God’s kingdom vision, challenges women to consider the cost of discipleship, and the high calling they have received in Christ. It shows how to develop mentoring relationships that function communally in existing small groups that are diverse and inclusive. It also presents a mentoring framework of knowing and loving God, understanding our identity in Christ, and loving our neighbor, which encourages theological reflection and cultivates a basic Christian worldview.
Filled with examples from Robinson’s experience in the military and business world, this resource gives readers the wisdom they need to disciple others and as a foundation for kingdom service.
Christian women want to mentor and to be mentored, though they may not fully understand what that means, the significance of this desire, or how to get there. The church must rise to answer these questions, meet life’s challenges, and develop creative ways of equipping modern women to mentor well. In Mentor for Life, Natasha Sistrunk Robinson lays a solid foundation for mentoring that is based on God’s kingdom vision, challenges women to consider the cost of discipleship, and the high calling they have received in Christ. It shows how to develop mentoring relationships that function communally in existing small groups that are diverse and inclusive. It also presents a mentoring framework of knowing and loving God, understanding our identity in Christ, and loving our neighbor, which encourages theological reflection and cultivates a basic Christian worldview.
Filled with examples from Robinson’s experience in the military and business world, this resource gives readers the wisdom they need to disciple others and as a foundation for kingdom service.
259 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2016
21 people are currently reading
194 people want to read
About the author
Natasha Sistrunk Robinson
11 books52 followersNatasha Sistrunk Robinson (MA, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) is a writer, international speaker, leadership consultant, mentoring coach, and the visionary founder of the nonprofit, Leadership LINKS, Inc. She is author of Mentor for Life: Finding Purpose through Intentional Discipleship and the Hope for Us: Knowing God through the Nicene Creed Bible study. A graduate of the US Naval Academy and a former Marine Corps officer, Natasha has nearly twenty years of leadership and mentoring experience in the military, government, church, seminary, and nonprofit sectors. As the chairperson of the board at Leadership LINKS, Inc., Natasha's vision is to holistically develop transformative and redemptive servant leaders who are united in community and committed to invest in long-term generational and cultural change. In addition, she is a columnist at Outreach Magazine, regular contributor at Missio Alliance, and a member of the INK Creative Collective.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 6, 2020
If you are wanting to start a mentoring ministry, this book will likely give you the push your looking for. If your not up to starting a full blown ministry, you probably won't get much out of this one.
April 2, 2016
Author Natasha Robinson lays a solid foundation for biblical mentoring. She moves beyond the theoretical world of discipleship to develop a holistic, practical model for mentoring in the church. She answers the question "How does mentoring take shape in the life of an individual believer?"
Weaving biblical references with real life examples, Robinson underscores the importance of mentoring as a primary focus for discipleship. She points to the difficulties of living in two kingdoms (earth's realm and our heavenly home) yet having allegiance to only one. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we gain the ability to serve as ambassadors for our true King as well as the fortitude to overcome the allures of today's culture and our sinful nature. Yet it is still a challenging journey. We need one another in our earthly travels.
The core message of the book centers on three principles: love God, know who you are in Christ, and love your neighbors. Robinson shows how these concepts are best developed in a mentoring community. She points to Jesus' mentoring within the context of a small group, not one-on-one relationships. The author focuses on "developing a healthy interdependency within a small mentoring community where women all focus on their true need for Christ and encourage one another to draw nearer to him" (p 79).
Robinson demonstrates how to effectively incorporate spiritual disciplines into the mentoring relationship but also cautions against over regimented guidance of the practices. She recognizes that people's spiritual walks vary greatly from one another. In community, however, we can encourage and equip one another.
Spiritual transformation emerges through commitment. We nourish our love for God by choosing to pray, study Scripture, and commit to his ways. "Mentor for Life" develops the discipleship model further by placing high value on discipline of the mind. The author reminds us that Scripture calls us to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, AND mind. Ultimately then, our love for others is a direct result of our love for the Lord. It fuels our ability to sacrifice and care for others.
Robinson successfully sets out a course of actions that fulfills her vision to make disciples who "commit to God's kingdom mission of transforming the world" (p. 137). She gives tools, reading suggestions, and examples to create effective and intentional mentoring communities. Thought-provoking questions close each chapter to help the reader wrestle with the issues outlined in each chapter. "Mentor For Life" is a call to action. As the church leads into this new generation, let's heed the call and become more intentional about our disciplemaking!
Weaving biblical references with real life examples, Robinson underscores the importance of mentoring as a primary focus for discipleship. She points to the difficulties of living in two kingdoms (earth's realm and our heavenly home) yet having allegiance to only one. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we gain the ability to serve as ambassadors for our true King as well as the fortitude to overcome the allures of today's culture and our sinful nature. Yet it is still a challenging journey. We need one another in our earthly travels.
The core message of the book centers on three principles: love God, know who you are in Christ, and love your neighbors. Robinson shows how these concepts are best developed in a mentoring community. She points to Jesus' mentoring within the context of a small group, not one-on-one relationships. The author focuses on "developing a healthy interdependency within a small mentoring community where women all focus on their true need for Christ and encourage one another to draw nearer to him" (p 79).
Robinson demonstrates how to effectively incorporate spiritual disciplines into the mentoring relationship but also cautions against over regimented guidance of the practices. She recognizes that people's spiritual walks vary greatly from one another. In community, however, we can encourage and equip one another.
Spiritual transformation emerges through commitment. We nourish our love for God by choosing to pray, study Scripture, and commit to his ways. "Mentor for Life" develops the discipleship model further by placing high value on discipline of the mind. The author reminds us that Scripture calls us to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, AND mind. Ultimately then, our love for others is a direct result of our love for the Lord. It fuels our ability to sacrifice and care for others.
Robinson successfully sets out a course of actions that fulfills her vision to make disciples who "commit to God's kingdom mission of transforming the world" (p. 137). She gives tools, reading suggestions, and examples to create effective and intentional mentoring communities. Thought-provoking questions close each chapter to help the reader wrestle with the issues outlined in each chapter. "Mentor For Life" is a call to action. As the church leads into this new generation, let's heed the call and become more intentional about our disciplemaking!
February 29, 2016
Grounded in years of ministerial experience, Mentor for Life covers the whys, hows, and what ifs of mentoring. It's practical, inspirational, and accessible. Robinson has created an all-round great resource for churches, pastors, and small groups as well as individuals who want to pursue intentional mentoring. I wish I had this book twenty years ago!
March 5, 2016
Solid, insightful and encouraging. I especially appreciate the model for group mentoring instead of one on one.
June 17, 2023
For Robinson, Mentoring is intentional discipleship, helping mentees know and love God, understand who they are in Christ, and love their neighbors as themselves. Robinson favors the language of mentoring over that of discipleship because it is more familiar to more people. She recommends mentoring small groups, rather than one-on-one relationships, to reduce the risk of developing unhealthy codependency.
Robinson’s audience is ostensibly women mentoring other women, though this is not immediately obvious by the book description or the first few chapters. At around chapter 5, Robinson’s language begins to focus on women, specifically. However, aside from chapter 14 (“Embrace All Women”), there does not seem to be anything essentially gendered about Robinson’s message, which could apply equally well to men, as well as women.
The tone of the text is warm, inviting, and easy to read, with inclusion of personal anecdotes to bring the material to life. Any given paragraph will have something good to say. Unfortunately, the paragraphs are a bit jumbled, and it often isn’t clear why a given paragraph is under a particular heading or why a given section has been placed in the given chapter.
More fundamentally, the message is terribly generic, leaving the reader with far more questions than it answers. For example, Robinson says, “Asking hard questions can engage people and draw them in. Good mentors learn to listen well, ask the right questions, and offer biblical perspective” (150). Definitely. But, what makes for a good question? What does it mean to listen well? And how does a mentor learn this skill? The text has little more to say on any of these crucial points. Taken as a whole, the book provides insufficient concrete guidance to prepare mentors for the task before them.
Robinson’s audience is ostensibly women mentoring other women, though this is not immediately obvious by the book description or the first few chapters. At around chapter 5, Robinson’s language begins to focus on women, specifically. However, aside from chapter 14 (“Embrace All Women”), there does not seem to be anything essentially gendered about Robinson’s message, which could apply equally well to men, as well as women.
The tone of the text is warm, inviting, and easy to read, with inclusion of personal anecdotes to bring the material to life. Any given paragraph will have something good to say. Unfortunately, the paragraphs are a bit jumbled, and it often isn’t clear why a given paragraph is under a particular heading or why a given section has been placed in the given chapter.
More fundamentally, the message is terribly generic, leaving the reader with far more questions than it answers. For example, Robinson says, “Asking hard questions can engage people and draw them in. Good mentors learn to listen well, ask the right questions, and offer biblical perspective” (150). Definitely. But, what makes for a good question? What does it mean to listen well? And how does a mentor learn this skill? The text has little more to say on any of these crucial points. Taken as a whole, the book provides insufficient concrete guidance to prepare mentors for the task before them.
May 8, 2024
In "Mentor for Life: Finding Purpose through Intentional Discipleship" the author, Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, explores the significance of intentional discipleship in discovering one's life purpose, and emphasizes the role of mentorship in shaping individuals and fostering a sense of purpose. Robinson uses her past experience in the military and in the business world, to give readers a compelling guide for those seeking not only personal growth but also a meaningful connection with others on their life journey. The central purpose of the book revolves around the transformative power of mentorship. Robinson skillfully explores how intentional discipleship goes beyond mere guidance; it becomes a catalyst for discovering one's purpose. Through rich narratives and practical insights, she highlights the reciprocal nature of mentoring, emphasizing that both mentor and mentee contribute to a dynamic, mutually beneficial relationship. Robinson's work also underscores the significance of purpose in the mentoring relationship. Through stories and case studies, she illustrates how mentorship becomes a vehicle for individuals to uncover and pursue their life's purpose. This purpose-driven approach not only adds depth to personal growth but also creates a ripple effect, impacting communities and fostering a culture of mentorship.
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Check out my full review here:
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June 4, 2024
I was looking for something comprehensive on women discipling women and I was so glad I chose this book. Even though we aren't currently creating a program as Natasha has done, the information was extensive, well presented, engaging and so helpful. I highlighted so much that the notes got truncated. Natasha hits Scripture well and accurately and I was delighted by her discusions conccerning diversity in choosing mentees. That is so important and we can so often learn from thosse outside our standard comfort area, whether age, maturity, ethnic background, education, etc. Her military training was also used well in her organization of materialss, research depth and timely analogies. She personalized just enough to get the point across. I will be recommending this book to everyone involved in our women's group.
May 25, 2025
This book has been helpful to me in thinking about my own mentoring and how I can make it better. Robinson focuses on mentoring women in small groups within a church setting, but a lot of what she says is applicable in other settings as well. I appreciated how she connected mentoring to discipleship and encouraged every Christian to both mentor and be mentored. The author's experiences in the US Marine Corps also informed her reflections.
August 22, 2017
Loved this book. The author made me look at discipleship in a whole new light and gave me insight into what it takes to become a mentor. Hope to read this with my church bookclub.
April 2, 2024
Distinctly female perspective on mentoring/ discipleship. Much of what is said is common sense, but often we need things put simply in order to grasp the whole.
April 5, 2016
Discipling believers remains the critical mission of the church. The Greek word for church (ἐκκλησία) literally means: the called out ones. We stand in the breach, praying for the generations that we touch (our call), but we also model what a godly lifestyle looks like (the out part). We succeed when our young people see a reason to believe (our call) and our old people do not confuse Christianity with other things (the out part). We fail when the Gospel stagnates in our own lives (our call) and remains un-contextualized for our changing world (the out part). The church cannot be a holy huddle; its mission is defined in terms of both internal and external components. We are blessed to bless others (Gen 12:3).
In her book Mentor for Life, Natasha Robinson briefly defines “mentoring as intentional discipleship” (19). The long definition is:
“Mentoring is a trusted partnership where people share wisdom that fosters spiritual growth and leads to transformation as mentors and mentee’s grow in their love of Christ, knowledge of self, and love of others.”(31/137)
In her purpose statement, she writes:
“I want you to catch this vision…What would happened if all believers understood and embraced their identity in Christ, and truly lived as transformed people under the power of the Holy Spirit? What would happen if we all mentored for life? (18)
This book focuses on application. Robinson proposes that readers: evaluate their spiritual condition, consider their commitment, and prioritize discipling (21). Part 1 of the book focuses on the question: why mentor? While part 2 cites six aspects of commitment to mentoring as: being present, cultivating disciples, understanding God’s kingdom mission, welcoming diverse relationships, mentoring as sacrificial love, and committing to safe and trusting mentoring relationships (19-20).
Robinson’s application plays out immediately in each chapter in the form of study questions and suggested tweets. Chapter 1, for example, ends with 5 questions and a suggested tweet: “Mentoring is about intentionally investing in the priorities of God’s kingdom and in the lives of others, #Mentor4Life @asistasjourney” (39). Searching for #Mentor4Life in Twitter, one finds an active discussion and an encouraging report that Mentor for Life has made the top 100 list on Amazon.com—a huge milestone for any author.
In part 1, Robinson makes a highly personal case for mentoring. For example, she mentions that she lost her mother at age 20 as a sophomore at the U.S. Naval Academy (27). Later, she writes:
“After endless Sunday mornings in church, countless prayers, and multiple baptisms (I was both sprinkled and immersed), I still could not answer that awful question, ‘If I died today, would I go to heaven? ...no one in my first eighteen years of life had ever offered to intentially disciple me.” (41)
Much later she shares about her experiences as a track and field athlete (131-136). My suspicion is that Robinson—as a winning athlete and Naval cadet and an obvious leader among her peers—was indeed mentored—just not intentionally and not in the church. My suspicion is that her mom, Sallie, was her most important mentor (193-195).
In my own walk, I was un-intentially mentored by my pastor who found himself unexpectedly substituting as youth director. This new role ultimately meant about two years of pizza and discussions with my best friend and I on Wednesday afternoons. My pastor’s mentoring helped me to survive some tough years in college and to continue hearing God’s voice above the high-volume chatter of our broken culture.
In part 2, Robinson makes an important point about discipling:
“…making disciples is not a spiritual gift. It is not something unique that only certain people are called to do. All Christians are called to this important kingdom work.” (219)
The character of a mentor requires generosity, grace, and love (221). Spiritual gifting is about passion and performance (223).
Natasha Robinson founded a nonprofit corporation, Leadership LINKS, Inc. and blogs at: A Sista’s Journey. She graduated from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (GCTS) in Charlotte NC with a master’s degree in Christian leadership. Before that, she attended the U.S. Naval Academy majoring in English. She is also a member of the RedBud Writers’ Guild and the International Justice Mission. I know Natasha as a colleague in GCTS’s Pierce Fellowship which focuses on spiritual formation and discipling issues.
Natasha Robinson’s book, Mentor for Life, is a book that the church needs to take seriously. Women will relate to her experience in women’s ministry; men will connect to her athletic and military stories and metaphors; small groups may enjoy it as study. Robinson’s writing is lively and accessible.
In her book Mentor for Life, Natasha Robinson briefly defines “mentoring as intentional discipleship” (19). The long definition is:
“Mentoring is a trusted partnership where people share wisdom that fosters spiritual growth and leads to transformation as mentors and mentee’s grow in their love of Christ, knowledge of self, and love of others.”(31/137)
In her purpose statement, she writes:
“I want you to catch this vision…What would happened if all believers understood and embraced their identity in Christ, and truly lived as transformed people under the power of the Holy Spirit? What would happen if we all mentored for life? (18)
This book focuses on application. Robinson proposes that readers: evaluate their spiritual condition, consider their commitment, and prioritize discipling (21). Part 1 of the book focuses on the question: why mentor? While part 2 cites six aspects of commitment to mentoring as: being present, cultivating disciples, understanding God’s kingdom mission, welcoming diverse relationships, mentoring as sacrificial love, and committing to safe and trusting mentoring relationships (19-20).
Robinson’s application plays out immediately in each chapter in the form of study questions and suggested tweets. Chapter 1, for example, ends with 5 questions and a suggested tweet: “Mentoring is about intentionally investing in the priorities of God’s kingdom and in the lives of others, #Mentor4Life @asistasjourney” (39). Searching for #Mentor4Life in Twitter, one finds an active discussion and an encouraging report that Mentor for Life has made the top 100 list on Amazon.com—a huge milestone for any author.
In part 1, Robinson makes a highly personal case for mentoring. For example, she mentions that she lost her mother at age 20 as a sophomore at the U.S. Naval Academy (27). Later, she writes:
“After endless Sunday mornings in church, countless prayers, and multiple baptisms (I was both sprinkled and immersed), I still could not answer that awful question, ‘If I died today, would I go to heaven? ...no one in my first eighteen years of life had ever offered to intentially disciple me.” (41)
Much later she shares about her experiences as a track and field athlete (131-136). My suspicion is that Robinson—as a winning athlete and Naval cadet and an obvious leader among her peers—was indeed mentored—just not intentionally and not in the church. My suspicion is that her mom, Sallie, was her most important mentor (193-195).
In my own walk, I was un-intentially mentored by my pastor who found himself unexpectedly substituting as youth director. This new role ultimately meant about two years of pizza and discussions with my best friend and I on Wednesday afternoons. My pastor’s mentoring helped me to survive some tough years in college and to continue hearing God’s voice above the high-volume chatter of our broken culture.
In part 2, Robinson makes an important point about discipling:
“…making disciples is not a spiritual gift. It is not something unique that only certain people are called to do. All Christians are called to this important kingdom work.” (219)
The character of a mentor requires generosity, grace, and love (221). Spiritual gifting is about passion and performance (223).
Natasha Robinson founded a nonprofit corporation, Leadership LINKS, Inc. and blogs at: A Sista’s Journey. She graduated from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (GCTS) in Charlotte NC with a master’s degree in Christian leadership. Before that, she attended the U.S. Naval Academy majoring in English. She is also a member of the RedBud Writers’ Guild and the International Justice Mission. I know Natasha as a colleague in GCTS’s Pierce Fellowship which focuses on spiritual formation and discipling issues.
Natasha Robinson’s book, Mentor for Life, is a book that the church needs to take seriously. Women will relate to her experience in women’s ministry; men will connect to her athletic and military stories and metaphors; small groups may enjoy it as study. Robinson’s writing is lively and accessible.
March 8, 2017
Great practical tips on how to mentor or be mentored well. I appreciated her use of personal stories and testimonies as it makes the realities of discipleship authentic.
May 17, 2020
From its multitude of resources, statistics, training ideas and discussion questions for your group, "Mentor For Life" by Natasha Sistrunk Robinson is the most comprehensive book I have seen on mentoring!
Robinson’s style is personal and empowering, as she lays out an extremely doable mentoring plan meant for a small group setting (4 – 6 people) not the one-on-one model.
Robinson does not shy away from sharing (dare I say, preaching) the theological mandate for disciple making. She asks individual Christian and local church leadership, “What would happen if Christians embraced mentoring as a means of holistic discipleship, through which we captivate the minds of individuals so they learn how to think theologically and live out the truth of the whole gospel we claim to believe?”
Grab a copy and read it with some friends and see what life would be like if we decided to “mentor for life.”
Robinson’s style is personal and empowering, as she lays out an extremely doable mentoring plan meant for a small group setting (4 – 6 people) not the one-on-one model.
Robinson does not shy away from sharing (dare I say, preaching) the theological mandate for disciple making. She asks individual Christian and local church leadership, “What would happen if Christians embraced mentoring as a means of holistic discipleship, through which we captivate the minds of individuals so they learn how to think theologically and live out the truth of the whole gospel we claim to believe?”
Grab a copy and read it with some friends and see what life would be like if we decided to “mentor for life.”
March 7, 2016
An excellent resource for pastors, small group leaders, and other people who guide a group of people through life. A reminder that community that is honest and real and committed is crucial to the life of Christ.
August 29, 2016
This book is the most inspiring book I read this summer.
February 8, 2019
Great information from someone who has been there and done that--practical, smart, actually helpful. No matter who or where or why you are leading someone else, I'm sure you would find this helpful.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews