I thought Mark Batterson‘s blog post on the new “Protege Program” was pretty cool (so cool I found a great “Protege” picture to go along with this blog post).
It’s a one year unpaid internship so that you can become more awesome like Mark and the rest of the cool kids at his National Community Church.
Although I’m not interested in applying (because I can’t… and I need money foo!) two things came up in my little non-protege-ish brain, the first being whether “web” falls under their “media” program? We need a few good Web-Mentors out there to guide the new protege-elite.
The second thought was that “Yes!”, we do in fact need a better mentorship-model in the online space. Is it even possible to have an effective and robust mentorship program through primarily an online medium?
I think so. I think it could work. I think the tools are good enough where you could adequately train a protege in web strategy, tools, practicum, and the like as well as invest in their spiritual lives.
What do you say? I think mentorship is one of the most underused tools of modern evangelical practice, which is sad because Jesus really liked that model, and it apparently really worked.
What happened?
[Image of a Mazda Protege by Kansei]
Ancoti says
You never outgrow the need for a mentor, even if you need to switch as you move through life. Jesus modeled mentoring, so it has to be a good approach. The world adopted mentoring, so it seems to work there as well. Mentoring fails when there is a bad match, not because mentoring doesn't work in that particular situation.
Adam_S says
I agree I would like a mentor. I have actually requested multiple times in the last 20 years people to be my mentor (when I found the right person) and have been turned down every time. This wouldn't be a good match either. But that shouldn't keep me from continuing to look.
chrishill says
If such mentorship program comes to fruition soley based on web strategy, tools, practicum, and the like (especially the like), I would try real hard to be a part of that…..as long as it includes a ride in that sweet "whip" pictured above. zoom zoom zoom.
Justin Wise says
Come on, man… This is GREAT stuff.
We need to be building legacies in the church, not dynasties. There are too many empires and not enough "passing the torch" going on…
How about this for a start: How about you become my Web Mentor and teach me all the sick things that you know? What do you say? Should we start there?
Phillip Gibb says
I would like to be your Protege John.
🙂
Actually the idea of online mentorship is brilliant.
It is something that can occur without being worried about food and a salary – it breaks those boundaries.
Yet progress can still be measured, and the pace adjusted.
And it is already happening – unintentional mentoring it all around us even here.
but being intentional about it will make it so much more effective.
human3rror says
PUAAHHAHAAHAHH.
techmiss says
My first boss out of college was such a natural mentor – it was such a part of her – that mentoring became a part of almost everyone who ever worked for her, myself included. The difference was that it also affected my spiritual life and I more naturally spiritually disciple as well because of her. (discple/mentor – we can argue semantics later). The point is that a convergence here makes perfect sense. It only makes sense that those in web-tech would mentor those in web-tech using web-tech. A guy at my church still meets with a college group he led – and he does it online since they moved all over the country. The needs are geographically diverse. Use the tool. Plant some stakes in various areas. Then let them reach the area they're in.
human3rror says
Techmiss,
right on. i love what you said here… thanks!
JakeSchwein says
I so love the idea I went out and bought http://www.humanerr0r.com 😉 Am I on the right track?