The Power of Authentic Mentorship w/ Nancy Lindgren

Are you looking to unlock the transformative power of authentic mentorship? Tune in as Ellen, your host at Coffee and Bible Time, sits down with Nancy Lindgren, the inspiring author of "Mentoring Made Real: The Power of Authentic Connection" and founder of More Mentoring. Nancy opens up about her journey from being a young mother desperate for guidance to becoming a beacon of support for others through mentorship. Learn how vulnerability and transparency can elevate mentoring relationships to new heights, and why you don’t need to be an expert to make a meaningful impact.

Curious about how to start a mentoring ministry or deepen your existing connections? Nancy shares practical steps and inspiring anecdotes that highlight the simplicity and profound impact of mentorship, whether it's one-on-one or in small groups. From the biblical inspiration rooted in Ephesians 3:20 to the four foundational pillars of mentoring—Love, Listening, Encouragement, and a mysterious fourth pillar—you'll gain invaluable insights into creating transformative relationships that foster personal and spiritual growth.

Discover the vital role of prayer in mentorship and hear incredible testimonies of lives changed through collective prayer. Nancy provides actionable tools, from open-ended questions to structured conversations, to help you nurture genuine connections.

Dive into this enriching conversation that celebrates the journey of mentorship and its life-changing potential. Whether you're a seasoned mentor or just starting, this episode promises to equip and inspire you.

Nancy's Favorites:
Book: Mentoring Made Real
Website: morementoring.org
Go-To Bible: NLT
Favorite Journaling Supplies: Serenity Journal
Favorite App/Website: Bible Gateway

Transcript

Ellen Krause: 0:04

At the Coffee and Bible Time podcast, o ur goal is to help you delight in God's Word and thrive in Christian living. Each week, we talk to subject matter experts who broaden your biblical understanding, encourage you in hard times, and provide life-building tips to enhance your Christian walk. We are so glad you have joined us. Welcome back to the Coffee and Bible Time podcast. This is Ellen, your host, and today's topic is very near and dear to my heart - mentorship. Making authentic connections through mentoring has a profound impact, not only on people's lives but in the world, because of the tremendous trickle-down effect that it can have. So many people crave relationships like those provided through mentoring, a relationship that allows us to be vulnerable and transparent with someone who's just a little further down the road than us and can share hope, truth and wisdom on our journey. Well, our guest today, N nancy Lindgren, also shares a passion for mentorship, so much so that she wrote a book about it, called Mentoring Made Real the Power of Authentic Connection. And so Nancy and I are going to discuss the benefits of the mentoring relationship and also confront real concerns that you might be having of feeling unqualified or unworthy of taking on a mentoring role. In addition to being an author, Nancy is the founder and CEO of More Mentoring, a renowned organization dedicated to mobilizing mentors With a wealth of experience and a genuine heart for others. Nancy is a trusted coach and consultant for those seeking growth in their mentoring relationships.

Ellen Krause: 2:22

You actually came recommended from was raving about your book and she sent it to me and said you have to read this.

Nancy Lindgren: 2:32

Oh, I love that. I didn't know that that's so encouraging.

Ellen Krause: 2:36

So I was like you know what I need to have her on the podcast to share all your knowledge with our listeners.

Nancy Lindgren: 2:44

I love that.

Ellen Krause: 2:45

Why don't we start out, Nancy, with just telling us your personal story of how mentoring has been a part of your life?

Nancy Lindgren: 2:53

Yeah, well, I think it's been a part of my life for a long time, even before I knew what I was doing, and I just I wanted to be involved in people's lives. And I just remember coming out of a season for me that was really hard as a young mom and having four little kids at my ankles and you know pouring so much of myself out into these kids, and coming out of that season where they got into school and I had more free time. But I looked back on my life and thought I would have loved to have had a mentor in that season and that would have meant so much. I had great friends, I had great neighbors and people who encouraged me, but I didn't have that special mentor. You know that I pictured in my head and I remember just praying to the Lord and I just said, lord, if you want to use me and use my life and other people's lives like I long to have, I'm all yours and here I am, send me. I just had that attitude, with my hands wide open and talk about the Lord answering prayer and saying, ok, you prayed that, here you go and he just started putting people in my life.

Nancy Lindgren: 3:55

You know, one year it was 13 young moms that just one by one, by one, here they were, and of course, I was a little further down the road than they were, so I could totally relate to where the season they were in. But I also was further along that I had that space where I could say you know what? There's going to be a time where you're not going to be crazy like this and you're going to be out of this season, so enjoy it. And I could just speak that life and truth into them. And so I watched that take place.

Nancy Lindgren: 4:22

And then I just began seeing and hearing how this is changing their lives. Like we focused on prayer Every time. We need to share this with others. And so I took it to my church and in the midst of all that, it was really a moment sitting on my couch in my living room where I felt like God showed up and just so specifically spoke into my heart that he wanted me to start a mentoring ministry to reach more people, to multiply what I was doing, to duplicate it. And so I just said, yes, lord, whatever you want that to look like, I'll do it. And so I began sharing it with my church, where we were going and in Minneapolis, minnesota, and then it just spread and it's spreading now throughout the world, which is so exciting to me and it's truly a God story.

Ellen Krause: 5:20

That is just so incredible. That is just so incredible. You know, Nancy, my first introduction to mentoring was when I was in that stage that you just described as a young mom, and we have had a mom's ministry where there was maybe 125 women, but we were in smaller groups of like 12 to 15 women and we each had a mentor. And I almost become speechless because I can't imagine my life now, thinking back, if I hadn't had those mentors. So I want to just maybe start with for those that are listening and perhaps they don't even really know what mentoring entails. Maybe you want to be a mentor, or maybe you're listening to this and saying I really want to find Minnesota a mentor. Tell us what it all entails.

Nancy Lindgren: 6:11

Yeah Well, I'm all about keeping it so simple and yet so powerful, and so I just believe in you. Know you, first of all? You ask God, you pray, you say Lord, who is it that you want me to pursue? Who do you want me to pursue? Who do you want me to ask? Who do you want me to be in a relationship with? And he'll begin showing you. That's what I did in that first year, god you show me, you bring the people to me and let me take that step then in pursuing them. And so it starts a prayer and really going to the Lord and asking him, and he'll show you.

Nancy Lindgren: 6:41

If you really want to know, if you really want to find a mentor or you want to be a mentor, he will open doors and he will begin to show you. And it may not be who you think. It might be a neighbor, it might be a coworker, it might be a relative, you know. So just have open hands and an open heart to that and then pursue, pursue that person you know, go after them and say I'd love to get to know you better. You don't have to even use the words I want you to be my mentor or I'm here to be your mentor.

Nancy Lindgren: 7:06

You know, I think that can be so formal sometimes and intimidating, and it's like let's just start this naturally. Let's go have coffee. I want to hear your story, you know, so say it that way. And then I just say participate, lean in and get to know each other and even if it gets messy or you know it goes, you're not connecting. Well, just keep keep pursuing, keep going after that relationship and God will do amazing things when you participate and you're willing to step into that relationship.

Ellen Krause: 7:35

That's so true, so true, nancy. Was there a time when let's say that you realized you know, a time when let's say that you realized you know the mentoring situation that I described was in a group of 12 to 15 women. Tell us how your mentoring practice involved. Was there a point when you realized that sort of one-on-one mentoring or small group mentoring of two to three would have greater impact?

Nancy Lindgren: 8:06

You know, it's so interesting because Nancy as I was sitting on my couch on that day when I felt like the Lord was giving me the details of the plan, my Bible was open to Ephesians 3.20. And that's all about now. To him, who is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. And so that word more jumped out at me and I just thought the Lord was saying that's the name of the ministry, more mentoring. And so I just wrote down the words M-O-R-E and the first word, you know, m, stood for mentoring. That was pretty obvious. But I looked at the word O and I didn't know what the Lord was saying and I just spent some time praying over that O word. And then in those verses, right after Ephesians 3.20, it's Ephesians 4, like one through 10. And the word one is listed like seven or eight times I can't remember now, but a whole bunch of times it talked about oneness and unity and that word one, and I just felt like the Lord was saying this ministry needs to be focused on the one. It's not a bad thing to do group mentoring, that can be a great thing. But I've also seen it personally where I've held retreats at my house and invited women to come in and we've sat around a big table and the talkers talk and the quiet ones are a little 3 3:. 20 quiet.

Nancy Lindgren: 9:17

But then I invited them to come downstairs and I offered to give them one hour of my time.

Nancy Lindgren: 9:22

There was, I think, six women there, so I gave up six hours on that weekend to say I will mentor you one-on-one, just come and we can sit together.

Nancy Lindgren: 9:31

And it was so amazing because when each woman walked down the steps and sat down on the couch, they immediately began to cry, each one of them and it was just like finally they had this space with one other person that they could really tell me the hard things and things poured out of their lips that would have never been shared sitting around that table upstairs. And I think that's so confirmed in my heart why this ministry is different in that way and it's a unique niche of ours that we are to focus on the one, and I believe it's important for a lot of reasons. I think there's a safety net there in sharing with one other person you know and just being really honest and authentic and you can trust one other person. Sometimes it's harder in a bigger group, but it doesn't mean that a group setting is bad. It's just like I know we're supposed to focus on the one. That's what God has called us to.

Ellen Krause: 11:17

Okay, Well, that really helps me understand that you know, and actually it's interesting that you say that, because in our mentoring situation, although it was a group, the mentors then would say I want to meet with you individually. I do too, you know what, and you're right, it was those one-on-one sessions that I had were the ones that were so impactful, so I really concur with you on that.

Nancy Lindgren: 11:47

Yeah, and I hear you because I was involved in a mom's ministry. I was a mentor mom sitting at a table with a group of women, and so I totally did that too. But then they asked to meet one-on-one outside of that and that's really, I feel like, where my greatest impact was. We could pray together, I could really listen and hear you know and love them and encourage them and speak truth into them personally and I think they feel so seen and heard and known and that makes such a huge difference. They feel so loved and cared for and you know, there's just something really special about the one-on-one.

Ellen Krause: 12:18

Absolutely Well. You described something that you call the four pillars of mentoring.

Nancy Lindgren: 12:25

Tell us how they cultivate transformation in people's lives, yes, okay, well, back to that day sitting on that couch, I just felt like the Lord spoke into my heart. Keep this so simple. Don't have major things you have to do homework on and deep dive studies. There's times for that, certainly. But he gave me these four pillars, and the first one is simply love. Start by loving that person. Love them for who they are, accept them for who they are. They might be different than who you are, and that's okay. They might think differently, they might vote differently, their personality might be different, they might be an extrovert, you're an introvert, whatever. Just love them for who they are, and God can do so much through love. He loves us the way we are, and so let's just extend that kind of love and grace to another person where they feel so seen, heard and known, you know, and so I think it starts with love and that's really seeing someone and understanding and getting to know them. And then I just say listen, you know, so many times as mentors we feel like we have to do all the talking or we have to give advice, or we have to be speaking truth into them, which there's a time for that. But I've just come to realize over all these years.

Nancy Lindgren: 13:36

I think my greatest times of mentoring has been in my listening ear that I offer to another person. In fact, there was one time a woman sat with me for a whole hour. I asked her one question at the beginning of the hour and she talked for a whole hour and I listened and at the end of that hour she said thank you for all the advice you gave me. So it was kind of funny. But it just again affirmed in my heart like she had to process and she felt so cared for because I sat there and looked her in the eyes and I listened for a whole hour and then she felt like she could walk away with something I don't know what, but she felt like she had something in her hands. Maybe it's just that processing out loud with another person, and so there's something to that listening and it is biblical. You know we're supposed to be slow to speak and quick to listen and so we need to work at that, I think, as mentors and really be okay with that, like we don't have to do all the talking. More good can come out of our listening than anything else. So that's a big one for me and then encourage. all of us need encouragement, and encourage is actually to put courage inside of another person. And so encouragement is really speaking life or speaking truth, speaking God's word, speaking what you see in that person and calling it out in them and just, I don't know, encouraging them in ways that they're not getting in any other way. And I think we all need that. And you know, for me that comes naturally, it's probably more of a spiritual gift, but for some that maybe it takes more practice or work or they don't know how to do that. And so our ministry gives you ideas in our mentoring guides that we have, just so you can think about oh, how do I encourage? Maybe it's just sharing a verse that I read this morning in my quiet time and I can share it with my mentee and that can encourage her, and who knows how God can use that, and so I think that's a really important piece as well.

Nancy Lindgren: 15:29

And then the fourth one is truly the foundation it Yes all, and that's prayer and it's coming together. We pray about everything. You know, we're not just sitting there talking about all of this, and in the last five minutes we're praying, we're making sure this is an intentional time of our time together and we want to just cover everything and take it all to the Lord. He's the greatest mentor we could ever have. He knows what situation we're in. He knows how we can change a heart. He knows how we can change a situation and I've seen him do it over and over again when we've taken it to him. And it's not just a person sharing wisdom, but we're asking God for his wisdom and that's where there's transformation.

Nancy Lindgren: 16:07

That's what I've heard the most that this has changed my life, and it's because of that prayer time together. People are coming to know God. You know they're confessing together, they're thanking him together, they're asking him using God's word and putting their names right in scripture. So it's so powerful and I'll just never get over the importance of it. I just you know, every time. I just started afresh with a new mentee a few weeks ago and again I just thought this is so powerful and it's so good and it changes everything. You know, it's not just a natural human way of doing this. We're inviting the God of the universe into this relationship and he's the one that transforms our lives.

Ellen Krause: 16:49

Do you have a specific story you'd like to share as far as prayer playing such a major role?

Nancy Lindgren: 16:57

Yeah, you know, I think back to the earlier years, probably that first year, even when I was mentoring 13 young moms, because I had a chance to pray a lot with these young mamas and I think it was about five of them, if I remember correctly. I could be off on the number, but it was. It seemed like there was about five of them that wanted to get pregnant in that season and for some reason they couldn't whether it was infertility or just it was a waiting season or whatever. But it was a hard season for all five of these women and I just my heart hurt with them. It's like I'm a mama, I know how painful that is.

Nancy Lindgren: 17:34

And so we poured out our hearts together, sitting at my kitchen table I tell you what, my kitchen table was a throne room in that season and we poured out our hearts and all five of those women got pregnant in that year and I just thought isn't God amazing? I mean, he heard the cries of our heart and, you know, maybe they got pregnant, you know just in another way, but I felt in my heart that God heard our prayers and we united together and poured out our hearts and he heard and he responded, and he answered, and I look at those kids now when I see them and I run into them and it's just like you are such an answer to prayer, you know, and I felt like I had a part in that, you know. So, yeah, that was a powerful season of just seeing God move mightily.

Ellen Krause: 18:19

That's incredible. It reminds me of a story in our mom's group where one of the moms kind of in a funny way would say my son was the poster child for needing prayer and we prayed, we prayed, we prayed and now you know, after all the trials and things he went through, he's now just a fine young man and became a pilot and all these things. And just seeing prayer answered like that is just so heartwarming.

Nancy Lindgren: 18:50

Well, god is so personal, you know. He wants us to come to him, he wants us to ask, he wants to answer, and so let's not hold back on that. Why not just give everything to him and ask him and go boldly to the throne room and be bold in our prayers and be specific in our prayers, because I think he longs to show us his greatness and who he is, and he's such a good God. He wants good things for his kids and, yeah, I think we just need to be more bold in our prayers.

Ellen Krause: 19:19

Yes, yes, Be so bold that you know, only God could have answered.

Nancy Lindgren: 19:25

Only God. I know that's the fun part. He gets all the glory. You know only God could have answered. Only God, I know that's the fun part. He gets all the glory. You know it's not us.

Ellen Krause: 19:30

Yes, God G yes, for sure, Nancy. There might be people listening out here. They're like, oh, I would love to do that, but you know I fall short in so many ways. Tell us how people can address these fears and encourage them that they can do it.

Nancy Lindgren: 19:48

Yeah Well, it's such a common thing I think we all feel that way Like I'm not worthy, I'm unqualified. That's probably the number one thing I hear is I'm unqualified. And I think the deeper piece of that is I'm unworthy Like who would want me as a mentor. You know, I, my life isn't perfect, I don't have this all figured out. What would I even have to offer? You know, I think all those fears that rise up and even insecurities and I'm not enough, and inadequacies I mean all those words probably that start with I. You know, I look at insecurity, inadequate, insufficient, you know, intimidated, all those I words. But that's a focus on us. You know, let's turn that focus into the great I am who instead of who am I. Let's look at the I am who and who he is in our lives.

Nancy Lindgren: 20:38

Really, our goal as a mentor is to fill up with him and we pour out what he's put in us. That's every day. I'm spending time with Jesus in the morning and I'm just pouring out whatever he's given me in that day. I keep my Bible open. In fact, it's sitting right next to me, right here, and if, throughout the day, someone texts me or calls me or needs a word of encouragement.

Nancy Lindgren: 20:57

I just pour out what God poured into me on this day and I have no idea how he's going to use it, but I've seen him do it over and over again, and so it comes down to simply it's really not about me. It's not about me If we can get over that obstacle of oh, all the pressure is on me or it's on my shoulders to have the right answers. It's really not, you know, it's on God. You just fill up with him, let him be God in you, and there's going to be so much freedom and joy and peace and refreshment as you pour out. It's not like you're emptied after you pour out. You get filled up too, being with your mentee and she pours into you and together you're praying and there's just something so sweet about that and so powerful. It's just this coming together, a uniting, and we're stronger and we're better together.

Ellen Krause: 21:46

We sure are. I'm going to just read this, perhaps to encourage our listeners today, because it was what I read this morning and I think we should share it. This is from Psalm 121. It says I look up to the mountains. Does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let you stumble. The one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers. The Lord himself watches over you. The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.

Nancy Lindgren: 22:42

Oh, Ellen, I have to tell you I read the exact chapter this morning in my quiet time and so, listeners, we didn't plan this, we did not orchestrate this, but I can't even tell you how many times this happens with my mentor and myself when we get together. She shares a verse that I read that very same morning. I mean, it's happened so many times that we just know God is speaking to us and he's so a part of that relationship as we're listening to him and both of us come away so encouraged and it's like he's so personal, Like what are the chances I would have read Psalm 121 this morning and that you would have got your Bible and just said you read that. I mean, that's God right there. So I'd love for your listeners to hear that this happens so often to me. It's like his word is alive, it goes out with power and it's our bread and it's our meat, it's what we eat, it's what we live off of and so we can use it with and know that God can use it in someone's life.

Ellen Krause: 23:41

Oh, absolutely. That sets the power of prayer for you right there, the power of. God's word and it's incredible God always exceeds my expectations.

Nancy Lindgren: 23:53

Me too, me too, how great.

Ellen Krause: 23:56

Well, I wanted to ask you a question, or just let's talk about. I think someone listening to this, maybe, who is a Christian, might be thinking I should focus all my efforts on only mentoring Christians. Tell us about how impactful it can be as well to reach out to people who maybe who don't know the Lord yet.

Nancy Lindgren: 24:21

Yeah, oh, my goodness, there's a world waiting for us to step into their lives. You know, they're lonely, they're longing for something more and so many are turning away from the church today. I mean, I've heard 1 million young people are leaving the church today. But do you know what? The number one thing they long for? It's a mentor, it's someone, it's a person, it's someone they can trust. It's someone that they can go to and share the hard things with. They want to be loved. They want to be seen, heard and known. They don't even know that there's a God out there that sees, hears and knows them. But if there's a mentor that steps in with God living in them and flowing out to them, they're going to be so amazed at this personal God.

Nancy Lindgren: 25:03

So we have to be stepping into these kinds of relationships, because the world needs Jesus and we have him. We have something to offer. And yet this can be so natural. We can just form a relationship with another person, we can get to know them, we can love, listen, encourage and maybe just say can I pray for you? Because they probably aren't real comfortable in praying yet, so maybe it's like starting it with can I pray for you? How can I pray for you?

Nancy Lindgren: 25:29

I think so many times even that question can bring on the emotion and the tears and you all of a sudden will get that soft, tender side of someone, because someone really cares and wants to pray for them. And then their heart's open and receptive and then, when they begin to see God answer prayers in their life, they want to get to know this God. And so we have to be stepping into these kind of relationships and we actually wrote a mentoring guide called First Steps, and so for those that are maybe really new in their faith or don't even have faith yet and we wrote it with kind of those words in mind that would be real simple and not too churchy sounding and just draw them into their relationship, draw them into just those baby steps of praying. And maybe it's they just read the prayer we have a few sentences of prayer at the end just to get them practicing how to pray, because that's going to be the key is to get them into that relationship with Jesus and begin praying themselves to a very real God. And so it's a beautiful thing to watch.

Nancy Lindgren: 26:28

I think it can transform the world. That's what gets me passionate and excited. I think it can bring revival. We really do yes.

Ellen Krause: 26:35

Imagine like if every person sitting in your church had one of those relationships that they really poured into. I know I mean that would change the world.

Nancy Lindgren: 26:48

It would, it would. Yeah, you've caught it. Let's have everyone else catch it, because I can see it and it gets me excited, and I just feel like our time is short. Our time is short and people are the only things we're bringing to heaven with us, and so why not invest in people and make that our focus in these final years? Who knows how long we have until Jesus returns, but it feels like the days are getting darker and shorter, and so let's step into this and bring as many people with us as we can?

Ellen Krause: 27:16

Yes, absolutely, I know. One of the things that has been such a joy for me in mentoring is that it really has transformed myself. You know, based on the person, based on you know the season of life that I'm in. All of these things Tell us about. You know, if you are mentoring and someone's never tried it just the joy that you can find in your own personal and spiritual renewal.

Nancy Lindgren: 27:46

I think you nailed it with that word joy. It brings so much joy, it's so fulfilling. I can't even tell you how many times I walk away from a one hour session of mentoring someone and I just say this is so fulfilling, it's so satisfying, it's so worth it. It's just one hour, you know, it's not a huge commitment. We're all so busy and we think we don't have time for these kind of relationships. We can make time for one hour to meet with one other person and I just think there's so much peace that comes from it, especially when you're praying together.

Nancy Lindgren: 28:19

There's strength that comes in that we're not alone. You know, there's something about when we're isolated and hidden. Things stay in the dark and we feel like it's so heavy and we can't do any of this on our own and we can't. We need each other. And so that's when things get brought into the light, when you're sharing together, when you're praying together, and there's something about those chains being broken, those.

Nancy Lindgren: 28:42

I don't know the, I don't even know how to express it well enough, but something about just the freedom. I think that's the word I want freedom. It's like you bring it into the light, you share it with another person. There's such joy and freedom in that, and there's fullness of Christ within us that we experience it's experiencing more of him. And who doesn't want that? And there's fullness of Christ within us that we experience it's experiencing more of him. And who doesn't want that and who doesn't need that? And so, yeah, I just think, I think of that verse Proverbs 11, 25,. Whoever refreshes another person will be refreshed themselves. And I have experienced that. I walk away refreshed. I'm not depleted, I'm not emptied out, I am refreshed. And so, yeah, I think this mindset of it's going to be hard work, it's going to be a burden, it's going to be all these negative things. No, it changes us too as a mentor, and it's a gift to us as well.

Ellen Krause: 29:33

Absolutely, nancy. In your teaching that you talk about, in training other people, you focus on really making sure that your relationships get below surface level. Yeah, give our listeners maybe some tips or advice on how they would go about doing that.

Nancy Lindgren: 29:55

Yeah, well, it's interesting because I feel like you know, I feel like I'm in the older generation now and our generation maybe wasn't so open and we kind of had our walls up and we had to make sure we kind of looked like we had it all together. I think the younger generation is doing a much better job than us older ones and that they are really an open book. I have experienced that. They just come in and share openly and honestly and life is hard and this is where I'm at and they don't have those walls up, I feel like anyway. And so even this last mentoring relationship I stepped into within five minutes of spending time with her. I knew more about her and I knew some of her. You know, I knew a little bit about her but she just let me. She let me in and she shared all the hard things and I just think I love that and that's what you know, that book Mentoring Made Real that I felt like God was calling me to write. That's what it's about stepping in and just being real.

Nancy Lindgren: 30:51

None of us have it all together. We're all on a journey. None of us are perfect, you know. Let's just share our lives with each other and you know intimacy is really into me see with each other, and you know intimacy is really into me see. And so to have another person really see into the depths of our hearts, that's a gift and it's beautiful. But we have to be open enough to let people in as well. It's kind of that two way of both people doing that. You know, and I think there's that's what gets us into that deeper openness and honesty 11: and that realness. Let's just share it as it is and we don't have it all figured out yet, but we're sharing life together and we know God's going to help us on our journey.

Ellen Krause: 31:31

Yeah, Nancy. And kind of using those questions, those open-ended questions like share with me what's on your heart today, or just not how you're doing Right.

Nancy Lindgren: 31:45

Well, that's the other thing. You know, I keep talking about these mentoring guides. I've written, but I think you know at the beginning we give conversation starters, so we'll give, like, some really lighthearted ones and maybe some deeper ones, and people have said that has helped so much because then they don't have to come up with the questions. Sometimes that's hard, you know how do I come up with a creative question, but it's right there in this little guide that you're going through together and you're asking each other these questions and that's what helps you go deeper faster, and so I love that people are using these and it's just a way to get to know each other without having it be awkward or having it be something we have to force or come up with on our own.

Ellen Krause: 32:23

Yeah, yeah. Well, that actually leads me to, as we start to wrap things up here, nancy, tell us a little bit more about some of the training programs that you have and resources that can help people in this mentoring process.

Nancy Lindgren: 32:39

Yes. Well, our ministry More Mentoring is really here to equip and empower mentors with tools, training and a community, and so our tools are those mentoring guides, and right now we have seven of them, and three of them are in trans. No four are translated into Spanish. So we're starting to do some translating and we're also working on a children's guide, and so we can't wait for even moms to go through this with their kids, or grandmas and grandkids, or maybe someone at your church needs a little walking alongside. You know, we can't wait for that next generation to experience mentorship. And so we have just some general guides. We have a men's guide, we have a teen's guide, we have those first steps guide for those who maybe aren't believers yet, and so we have a wide variety of mentoring guides, but all of them just have like 12 sessions in each book and you go through it together with conversation starters, encouragement starters and then prayer, just kind of a little guidance on how to pray together, and so it takes all of the fear away and all the awkwardness, the way that you can just do this by walking through this together. There's not homework, there's not a lot of in-depth study. It's so simple and yet it's really, really powerful and so we love. We're going to keep working on adding more to that list, but we've gotten a lot of feedback that people really appreciate those guides.

Nancy Lindgren: 33:59

And then we have training. So we have a mentor training that we're updating. We're going to have a training videotaping at my house on July 2nd, so we're going to be updating these training videos that we have for mentors as well as mobilizers and a mobilizer is someone who wants to mobilize mentors right where they are. That might be your church, it might be a school, it might be a camp, it might be another ministry or organization or a business. It can be anyone out there who really sees the bigger vision of doing this. Like I want this to happen. I want to be multiplied and help people find each other, and so we want to equip those mobilizers. And it can be a less structured way to do it or it can be a more structured.

Nancy Lindgren: 34:40

We kind of have two different tracks and we can help both of those groups do that well. Nancy not a right or wrong in how to do it. Some people really like to be hands-on and help connect people and some just say go, do it and don't want to have their hands on anything, but we want to help both groups there. And then we have an online community where people can come in. They can actually find a mentor there or even become a mentor there. They can learn more about mentoring. We have ongoing training there. You could even like if your church was doing this. You could have your own little group there where you invite your people to come in there and they can find each other on our site.

Nancy Lindgren: 35:15

So we're just trying to grow and expand this community, but we feel like we want it to be a platform where people can find each other and connect really well and you know, you might know someone in . we have to be in the same room to do this. We want to use the technology. Address is info at morementoringorg so you can find me there. I love to get out and speak. I love to do live training. So if anyone's interested in having me come, you can reach out there and we can see if it works on the schedule, and I'd love to meet as many of your listeners as possible. That's the fun for me to get out and meet people.

Ellen Krause: 36:04

Oh, absolutely. I love that so much too as well. Well, nancy, we will make sure that we put all of those links in our show notes. Before we go. I want to ask you some of our favorite Bible study tool questions. The first one is what Bible is your go-to Bible and what translation is it?

Nancy Lindgren: 36:18

Well, today it's the New Living Trans translation, but I have gone through about every translation out there and I have kept every Bible I've gone through and I love reading through the Bible. I'm doing that again this year and so it's so fun to words, but then all of a sudden those words jump out and it's a new, fresh way of thinking or saying it and it makes his word come alive even all the more so. I'm really loving the NLT right now.

Ellen Krause: 36:52

Oh my goodness, I can't believe that we read the same scripture passage and in the same translation, because that's what I'm using right now as well, I love it, but yeah. I definitely agree that it's excellent if you can sort of change it up.

Nancy Lindgren: 37:09

Yeah, yeah, okay.

Ellen Krause: 37:13

How about do you have any favorite journaling supplies or anything that you like to use to enhance your Bible study experience?

Nancy Lindgren: 37:19

Yeah, you know that's a great question and I actually was on a podcast earlier this year with Jamie Elizabeth called she Speaks, and she has written a journal and she gave me one and so I've been using that. It's called Serenity and it's so great because at the very top is a verse that you put your name right into and pray scripture over you, because I shared with her. That's what we do in this ministry and that's what keeps it so powerful. We're using God's word and it goes out and it doesn't return empty and void, you know. And so it goes out with power and so I love it starts right there with scripture, and then every day I'm just saying what I'm trusting God, with, what I'm surrendering to God, what I'm thanking him for. I mean just some very simple things, consistent, but I'm just journaling and writing those down and it's just been a beautiful way to keep track of how God's been working in my life this year.

Ellen Krause: 38:10

That's so great. All right, we'll put a link to that too. Lastly, what is your favorite app or website for Bible study?

Nancy Lindgren: 38:17

tools. Yeah, I think my go-to is Bible Gateway. It's just right there. I get on there and I'm looking up verses all the time. I'm looking up different translations and, yeah, it's just one of my favorites, all right.

Ellen Krause: 38:28

That's a good go-to, nancy. Thank you so much for joining us today. I'm just. It's been such a called Sh S S S S S S to talk to you. I know mentoring is an adventure that can change lives, our lives, their lives, and I'm just so grateful for your leadership that you've had in this part of the industry.

Nancy Lindgren: 38:50

You are welcome. Thank you so much for having me on. This was really fun to talk with you today, Ellen.

Ellen Krause: 38:56

and for our listeners, if you would like more in-depth look at the topic of mentorship, be sure to get a copy of Nancy's book Mentoring Made Real. We will have the link in our show notes. You can also visit her at morementoringorg. Well, we love you all. We thank you and appreciate you listening. Please leave us a review so that we can continue to move our podcast forward. And have a blessed day.