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Table Mentoring: A Simple Guide to Coming Alongside
Table Mentoring: A Simple Guide to Coming Alongside will help you get started sharing with another believer what He is continuing to teach you. We all know someone older or younger than ourselves, and God wants us mentoring and being mentored at any age. We teach another what we've learned at the feet of Jesus so that they grow up in Jesus. That’s the goal. Not only for fun—though it often is; not only to make a new friend—which usually happens. Mentoring, at a table or not, needs to be part of every believer’s life. We know God so that we can help another to know God. We come alongside and show the way. And what a gift that is—to the mentor and to the mentee. Blessed to be a blessing. Table Mentoring provides steps to help the beginner and encouragement to bless the seasoned mentor, including a link to 10 downloadable worksheets to help you get started. You will gain confidence and motivation to mentor and become mentored. We aren't to journey this Christian life on our own, and Table Mentoring will help any believer come alongside to receive and give more of what God has to offer.
94 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 3, 2017
5 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 30, 2024
This little gem is a great read, laying a beautiful foundation for mentoring with plenty of practical wisdom and advice throughout!
August 31, 2017
Coming Alongside as a Way of Life
Her kitchen table was an uncontrollable force in Joanne's life, always covered with an assortment of books, mail, loaves of bread, and magazines. It became a joke between us that she was always in the process of clearing it.
Fortunately for me, another uncontrollable force in her life was the power of God. She had an ongoing relationship with Him that continually pushed her outside her comfort zone, and even though the word "mentor" wasn't being thrown around back in the seventies, that's certainly what she was to me. We pulled chairs up to that defiant horizontal surface, pushed the butter dish out of the way, and opened our Bibles together. Her whole-hearted pressing on to know the Lord marked me in ways that I'm still discovering nearly forty years later.
Table Mentoring is a matter of coming alongside another person, and Sue Moore Donaldson has Scriptural backing for her assertion:
"God comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, He brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us." ~I Corinthians 1:3,4
Our natural inclination when it comes to mentoring is to play the unqualified card. "Who, me? I'm too [fill in the blank]. Too young, too old, too inexperienced, too busy, too over-committed, too introverted, too tired, too ignorant . . .
Quietly, Sue pulls her chair up beside mine and shares these two objection -silencing considerations:
God is the primary Mentor, and the first qualification for mentoring another is having first been mentored by God. It is not my own holy perfection or infallible wisdom that is being required. However, "as we experience God's 'alongsideness' in our up's and down's, joys and sorrows, we can more naturally share His overflow with someone who is where we have been." (8)
The second qualification for mentoring another is a willingness to take on the risk of relationship. The vulnerable sharing of our own lives is an open door. Furthermore, the experiences God has custom-designed and the thin slice of knowledge I may possess may be exactly the gift someone else is waiting to receive.
Sue's simple guide to coming alongside moves quickly from theory to practice. She has developed worksheets which can be implemented for structuring a mentor meeting time, for quiet time inspiration, prayer, and beginning Bible study. They can also be printed in 8 ½ by 11 size at her Welcome Heart website.
As I read, I found myself putting together an agenda for an imaginary future mentor meeting that looks something like this:
I. Goal setting. Ask: "What would you like to get out of our time together?"
II. Getting to know you. Ask questions about family, work, current challenges.
III. Strengthening one another's walk with God. This is where fine-tuning becomes important. Will the mentoring relationship look like a Bible study? There is great benefit to be found in simply reading the Bible together and pooling questions and insights. Will you read a book together and discuss it in your meetings? Sue uses a Personal Growth Plan (available here) to discern the needs and concerns of her learner.
Chapter 5 of Table Mentoring quieted my racing heart with some very important details:
Decide ahead of time how long you will meet and how frequently. Sue suggests twice a month for three months. This is very reasonable, and if a sunset is put in place at the beginning, no one will feel as if they are embarking upon a life sentence.
Time limits are a reasonable concern. It may be best to go to someone's home so that you can set the limit. ("Whoops! Looks like I'll need to run!")
Both participants will demonstrate their commitment by putting the meetings on a calendar. My experience is that if I do not write it down, it does not happen.
Sue's writing style is unique, and I continually found myself underlining encouraging statements. In keeping with the table theme, let's call these Sue's Mini-Muffins of Wisdom:
"Not feeling adequate shows that you are more ready than you think."
"I don't have anything worth passing on to another if I'm not regularly working on my personal relationship with God."
"If you know one promise in God's Word, you are ready to mentor that one promise. Ask God for someone to share it with today."
"You and I are blessed to be a blessing."
My reading of Table Mentoring felt like a specific invitation to move forward into this challenge. Therefore, I have begun praying for an open heart and for the right person at the right time. I am also praying to be BECOMING the right person to come alongside a sister who is looking for a welcoming heart, to offer the gift and the accountability of a side-by-side seeking after God.
//
This book was provided by the author in exchange for my review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Her kitchen table was an uncontrollable force in Joanne's life, always covered with an assortment of books, mail, loaves of bread, and magazines. It became a joke between us that she was always in the process of clearing it.
Fortunately for me, another uncontrollable force in her life was the power of God. She had an ongoing relationship with Him that continually pushed her outside her comfort zone, and even though the word "mentor" wasn't being thrown around back in the seventies, that's certainly what she was to me. We pulled chairs up to that defiant horizontal surface, pushed the butter dish out of the way, and opened our Bibles together. Her whole-hearted pressing on to know the Lord marked me in ways that I'm still discovering nearly forty years later.
Table Mentoring is a matter of coming alongside another person, and Sue Moore Donaldson has Scriptural backing for her assertion:
"God comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, He brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us." ~I Corinthians 1:3,4
Our natural inclination when it comes to mentoring is to play the unqualified card. "Who, me? I'm too [fill in the blank]. Too young, too old, too inexperienced, too busy, too over-committed, too introverted, too tired, too ignorant . . .
Quietly, Sue pulls her chair up beside mine and shares these two objection -silencing considerations:
God is the primary Mentor, and the first qualification for mentoring another is having first been mentored by God. It is not my own holy perfection or infallible wisdom that is being required. However, "as we experience God's 'alongsideness' in our up's and down's, joys and sorrows, we can more naturally share His overflow with someone who is where we have been." (8)
The second qualification for mentoring another is a willingness to take on the risk of relationship. The vulnerable sharing of our own lives is an open door. Furthermore, the experiences God has custom-designed and the thin slice of knowledge I may possess may be exactly the gift someone else is waiting to receive.
Sue's simple guide to coming alongside moves quickly from theory to practice. She has developed worksheets which can be implemented for structuring a mentor meeting time, for quiet time inspiration, prayer, and beginning Bible study. They can also be printed in 8 ½ by 11 size at her Welcome Heart website.
As I read, I found myself putting together an agenda for an imaginary future mentor meeting that looks something like this:
I. Goal setting. Ask: "What would you like to get out of our time together?"
II. Getting to know you. Ask questions about family, work, current challenges.
III. Strengthening one another's walk with God. This is where fine-tuning becomes important. Will the mentoring relationship look like a Bible study? There is great benefit to be found in simply reading the Bible together and pooling questions and insights. Will you read a book together and discuss it in your meetings? Sue uses a Personal Growth Plan (available here) to discern the needs and concerns of her learner.
Chapter 5 of Table Mentoring quieted my racing heart with some very important details:
Decide ahead of time how long you will meet and how frequently. Sue suggests twice a month for three months. This is very reasonable, and if a sunset is put in place at the beginning, no one will feel as if they are embarking upon a life sentence.
Time limits are a reasonable concern. It may be best to go to someone's home so that you can set the limit. ("Whoops! Looks like I'll need to run!")
Both participants will demonstrate their commitment by putting the meetings on a calendar. My experience is that if I do not write it down, it does not happen.
Sue's writing style is unique, and I continually found myself underlining encouraging statements. In keeping with the table theme, let's call these Sue's Mini-Muffins of Wisdom:
"Not feeling adequate shows that you are more ready than you think."
"I don't have anything worth passing on to another if I'm not regularly working on my personal relationship with God."
"If you know one promise in God's Word, you are ready to mentor that one promise. Ask God for someone to share it with today."
"You and I are blessed to be a blessing."
My reading of Table Mentoring felt like a specific invitation to move forward into this challenge. Therefore, I have begun praying for an open heart and for the right person at the right time. I am also praying to be BECOMING the right person to come alongside a sister who is looking for a welcoming heart, to offer the gift and the accountability of a side-by-side seeking after God.
//
This book was provided by the author in exchange for my review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
September 24, 2017
Sharing What I've Learned at the Feet of Jesus
I’m grateful for the opportunity to share with you a few thoughts on this author and my fruitful takeaways from her book. When I first met Sue she showed such hospitality, sharing some of her journey and intently engaged as I shared some of mine. I must say, she showed me during those few days together, what coming alongside was really all about.
I could have read these six chapters all in one sitting, but I wanted to take my time and digest all of the wonderful nuggets packed inside. I recall some of the most notable parts that caused me to stop and think, and consider how I come alongside others in my every day.
Sue challenges us to consider sharing what we’ve learned at the feet of Jesus, knowing someone really needs to hear it...our journey, our experiences. She also shares that “mentoring, at a table or not, needs to be a part of every believer’s life”. What a call to action! And she also tells us that not feeling adequate to mentor and share on those levels, makes us more ready than we think we are. So, I admit, I felt a little nudge right there. We mentor another from our own experience of being mentored by God. He comes alongside us when we experience hard times, enabling us to be there for others during their tough journey (I Corinthians 1: 3, 4). When we view it from this perspective, it’s hard to ignore our calling in this area.
I was also encouraged, as a theme throughout the book and a reminder at the end, to ask God for His priorities, and take (quiet) time to pray. Who should I reach out to? When and where should I connect with them? What should I say and which scriptures should I share? When should I pray, and study, and come alongside someone who needs to see and hear what you have shared with me God?
This book is one that encourages every one of us to step out and share our lives with someone else. Whether it is sharing a cup of coffee in a cafe, muffins hot out of the oven in our home, or the bread of life with someone we just met, we are all called to this. We are blessed to be a blessing.
Thank you Sue, for sharing your heart with us so we can feel a little bit more adequate to share ours with someone else.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to share with you a few thoughts on this author and my fruitful takeaways from her book. When I first met Sue she showed such hospitality, sharing some of her journey and intently engaged as I shared some of mine. I must say, she showed me during those few days together, what coming alongside was really all about.
I could have read these six chapters all in one sitting, but I wanted to take my time and digest all of the wonderful nuggets packed inside. I recall some of the most notable parts that caused me to stop and think, and consider how I come alongside others in my every day.
Sue challenges us to consider sharing what we’ve learned at the feet of Jesus, knowing someone really needs to hear it...our journey, our experiences. She also shares that “mentoring, at a table or not, needs to be a part of every believer’s life”. What a call to action! And she also tells us that not feeling adequate to mentor and share on those levels, makes us more ready than we think we are. So, I admit, I felt a little nudge right there. We mentor another from our own experience of being mentored by God. He comes alongside us when we experience hard times, enabling us to be there for others during their tough journey (I Corinthians 1: 3, 4). When we view it from this perspective, it’s hard to ignore our calling in this area.
I was also encouraged, as a theme throughout the book and a reminder at the end, to ask God for His priorities, and take (quiet) time to pray. Who should I reach out to? When and where should I connect with them? What should I say and which scriptures should I share? When should I pray, and study, and come alongside someone who needs to see and hear what you have shared with me God?
This book is one that encourages every one of us to step out and share our lives with someone else. Whether it is sharing a cup of coffee in a cafe, muffins hot out of the oven in our home, or the bread of life with someone we just met, we are all called to this. We are blessed to be a blessing.
Thank you Sue, for sharing your heart with us so we can feel a little bit more adequate to share ours with someone else.
November 8, 2017
This little book came along at just the right time for me! Sue tackles the subject of mentoring with kind honesty and gentle grace— and a touch of humour! She guides the reader through the basics of being a mentor and a mentee, and provides practical tips an ideas on everything from what to talk about to why anyone even needs to be in a mentoring relationship. Packed with plenty of Bible verses and worksheets for an effective mentoring future, this book is a quick read and delivers exactly what it states: "a simple guide to coming alongside". I now know that mentoring isn't in the least bit scary, and I have a feeling I'll be referring back to this little gem for years to come!
August 31, 2017
Sue Donaldson provides an incredible mentoring resource. Her book, Table Mentoring: A Simple Guide to Coming Alongside, is a short and comprehensive resource on all things mentoring. She covers all the "wh" questions--why, who, when, where, and what to talk about. She offers tips on avoiding the awkward and embracing the lovely. You can read through these short chapters solo, with a friend, or an entire group. Sue provides everything you need to come alongside someone to learn and/or teach.
September 2, 2017
This is a gem of a book that gives the reader practical information about creating a mentoring relationship from both the mentor and mentee perspectives. Sue Donaldson provides deep insight and conviction on this topic and the reader is the beneficiary of her years of experience. The book is deceptively slim. The amount of information packed into such a quick read will bring you back again and again. Highly recommend.
*I received and advance reader copy of this book.*
*I received and advance reader copy of this book.*
September 2, 2017
This book had excellent resources in it, besides being an excellent resource in and of itself. Sue breaks down the mentoring process into bite-sized pieces, taking the "scary" part out of it. She is personable and approachable, and gladly shares her experience and stories with her readers, both of the book and of her blog. Looking for a place to get a handle on this "mentoring" thing? Read this book! I did - I received an advanced readers copy. :)
August 31, 2017
I love that each chapter ends with insightful points to ponder and an encouraging prayer. There is power in coming alongside one another and Sue lovingly guides those searching for Christ-centered mentoring relationships. This book is a great resource for all Christian women.
September 2, 2017
Sue takes her own message seriously! While reading this book it felt like she was coming alongside me, encouraging me to mentor and showing me exactly how to do it. The worksheets and resources she includes are worth the price of the book alone.
September 12, 2017
All of us should have a mentor and be a mentor. Yes. We should have people in our lives that are guiding us along. At the same time, we should come alongside others behind us and show them the way.
This little book with be a great little help to you. Pick it up today
This little book with be a great little help to you. Pick it up today
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews