Leslie Brown is the coordinator for our Beltway Women Mentoring Program. This is her third year to lead this program. She is also very active on the Beltway Women Vision Team, and the Core Team at Beltway North campus. We love Leslie's heart for other women, especially women who desire to learn more about Jesus.
Over the past 20 years, God has blessed me with several young women whom I now consider spiritual daughters. Each mentoring relationship has looked different, and yet what was common in each was the desire to know and love Jesus more. My relationship grew with Him as a result of these special young women. If I could have coffee with you, you would see my face light up and hear the joy in my voice as I share stories about each of my spiritual daughters. Each so precious to me and I am so proud of how they are making a difference in Kingdom work.
Mentoring is about building godly relationship where each of you receive a blessing and grow. This fall we will kick off the third year for Beltway Women Mentoring. Each year I have observed women cautiously meeting for the very first time at the launch night, but soon those same women are standing in the parking lot after mentoring night is over with so much to talk about. It's like the two hours we just had for the evening were not enough! As I walk past these women on my way to my car, I have heard laughter, I have seen tears, but always hugs and words of encouragement.
In these past two years, women have faced fears and pain that they have been carrying for too long and with the help of their mentor, found healing and a greater understanding of who they are in Christ. Others have needed godly wisdom about their marriages and raising children. Then there are mentoring groups who have studied the Bible together and share the exciting ways God is speaking to them. Each mentoring relationship is as different as snowflakes, but what is important in each of them is a willingness from both the mentor and mentee to share from their heart and allow another woman into their life.
The blessings of a mentoring relationship is always a two way street. It is not just the mentor meeting needs of their mentee; both women must love and encourage each other and commit to pray for one another. It is never God's plan for us to live in isolation. He wants us in relationship with Him and others. Mentoring is simply coming along side another woman and allowing God to use us to bless each other.
Brenda is one of our Beltway Women mentors. She and her husband are very active in our marriage ministries, especially re|engage. They have a heart for missions, church planting, and discipleship.
It's been an amazing year! Far beyond what we imagined in September. My mentee is a relatively new follower of Jesus and when I asked her what she wanted to accomplish in our time together, she held her Bible out in front of me and said, "I want to know this." As you can imagine, I was shocked, intimidated, terrified, humbled, and excited all at once. What a request!
I probed a bit by asking if she had a thought about where she might like to begin and she said, "at the beginning." So in September we started with Genesis 1:1. Our plan was to read and talk as we went. The first week I suggested we read the first three chapters of Genesis and she read 12 chapters. So the next week I suggested the next six chapters and she read 22. She has pushed me to read faster.
We have traveled together historically and chronologically through Scripture. Holy Spirit has traveled with us as we sadly left the Garden of Eden, entered with Noah and his family on the Ark, followed Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as they into Canaan. Then we were off to Egypt for 430 years, then stood on the banks of the Red Sea as it parted and on through the wilderness we went. We conquered the Promised Land with Joshua, rejoiced with Ruth in her marriage to Boaz and praised the Lord as her great grandson, David, was anointed King of Israel. We have grieved as the nation of Israel divided into two kingdoms and at this point we are listening to the prophets as they plead with God's children to repent and return to Him. Each week there are tears as we see ourselves in every page and realize the patient, long-suffering compassion of our Heavenly Father with His Children, Israel, as well as with us.
This has been a year of God tendering our hearts to the incredible beauty of His Word and how we have found Him there on every page in every place. We will continue to read every week hoping that by the end of 2018 we will see His glorious return in Revelation. Maybe He will truly return before we get there.
"Pressing on . . . " (Philippians 3:12-14)
The 2018-2019 Beltway Women Mentoring Program will begin September of 2018. You can find out more information about our program online at beltway.org/women/mentoring.
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| Leslie Brown pictured with her husband Mark and their grandchildren |
Over the past 20 years, God has blessed me with several young women whom I now consider spiritual daughters. Each mentoring relationship has looked different, and yet what was common in each was the desire to know and love Jesus more. My relationship grew with Him as a result of these special young women. If I could have coffee with you, you would see my face light up and hear the joy in my voice as I share stories about each of my spiritual daughters. Each so precious to me and I am so proud of how they are making a difference in Kingdom work.
Mentoring is about building godly relationship where each of you receive a blessing and grow. This fall we will kick off the third year for Beltway Women Mentoring. Each year I have observed women cautiously meeting for the very first time at the launch night, but soon those same women are standing in the parking lot after mentoring night is over with so much to talk about. It's like the two hours we just had for the evening were not enough! As I walk past these women on my way to my car, I have heard laughter, I have seen tears, but always hugs and words of encouragement.
In these past two years, women have faced fears and pain that they have been carrying for too long and with the help of their mentor, found healing and a greater understanding of who they are in Christ. Others have needed godly wisdom about their marriages and raising children. Then there are mentoring groups who have studied the Bible together and share the exciting ways God is speaking to them. Each mentoring relationship is as different as snowflakes, but what is important in each of them is a willingness from both the mentor and mentee to share from their heart and allow another woman into their life.
The blessings of a mentoring relationship is always a two way street. It is not just the mentor meeting needs of their mentee; both women must love and encourage each other and commit to pray for one another. It is never God's plan for us to live in isolation. He wants us in relationship with Him and others. Mentoring is simply coming along side another woman and allowing God to use us to bless each other.
 |
| Brenda Greer pictured with her husband Dennis and their granchildren |
It's been an amazing year! Far beyond what we imagined in September. My mentee is a relatively new follower of Jesus and when I asked her what she wanted to accomplish in our time together, she held her Bible out in front of me and said, "I want to know this." As you can imagine, I was shocked, intimidated, terrified, humbled, and excited all at once. What a request!
I probed a bit by asking if she had a thought about where she might like to begin and she said, "at the beginning." So in September we started with Genesis 1:1. Our plan was to read and talk as we went. The first week I suggested we read the first three chapters of Genesis and she read 12 chapters. So the next week I suggested the next six chapters and she read 22. She has pushed me to read faster.
We have traveled together historically and chronologically through Scripture. Holy Spirit has traveled with us as we sadly left the Garden of Eden, entered with Noah and his family on the Ark, followed Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as they into Canaan. Then we were off to Egypt for 430 years, then stood on the banks of the Red Sea as it parted and on through the wilderness we went. We conquered the Promised Land with Joshua, rejoiced with Ruth in her marriage to Boaz and praised the Lord as her great grandson, David, was anointed King of Israel. We have grieved as the nation of Israel divided into two kingdoms and at this point we are listening to the prophets as they plead with God's children to repent and return to Him. Each week there are tears as we see ourselves in every page and realize the patient, long-suffering compassion of our Heavenly Father with His Children, Israel, as well as with us.
This has been a year of God tendering our hearts to the incredible beauty of His Word and how we have found Him there on every page in every place. We will continue to read every week hoping that by the end of 2018 we will see His glorious return in Revelation. Maybe He will truly return before we get there.
"Pressing on . . . " (Philippians 3:12-14)
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