Building Up One Another
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…”1 Thess 5:11
In the wonderful Combined Church Camp two weeks ago, it was impressed upon us the importance of passing on our faith to the “next generations” through “mentoring”. How do we implement this at CPC?
While there needs to be the kind of long term, comprehensive and intensive “mentoring” like Moses with Joshua to raise up high level church leaders, there is also a need, for the purpose of building up the body of Christ “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:12-13) from generation to generation, to “build up one another”.
Making disciples has been our church focus for the past few years, and will continue to be so, because it is the Great Commission, the biblical root of expanding God’s kingdom, and the fundamental of combating nominalism in the church. “Mentoring” at different levels of comprehensiveness and formality is an essential way of achieving the objective of discipleship[1]. In it most basic form, “mentoring” could involve two members meeting regularly to share about life, expressing care and concern, encouraging one another to live faithfully to the Lord and “speaking the truth in love” (Eph 4:15). Such relationships are best formed organically, and their duration may vary between a couple of years to a lifetime.
When we talk about “inter-generational mentoring”, “generation” is not necessarily age-based, but “spiritually maturity/experience based”. One who is more mature and/or experienced in some aspect of Christian living could help and guide another who is less so. The “mentor” and “mentee” could be peers, or from different age-generations. If the term “mentoring” carries too strong a connotation of formal teaching, then we can understand it in terms of “building up one another’. In the vast majority of cases, the “mentor” also grows and is encouraged in the “mentoring relationship”.
Let us be bold and take concrete steps to follow Paul’s instruction to the Thessalonians of building up one another. Let us pray about offering ourselves to “mentor” a spiritually younger person, or to seek the “mentoring” of a more mature person in the congregation.
There are a few basic rules to “mentoring” relationships:
1. It should be between members of the same sex (except for some special circumstances)
2. The aim is to build up each other in the Lord. Ulterior motives must be avoided.
3. The “mentor” should examine himself/herself regarding the biblical soundness of his/her maturity and/or Christian experience with which he/she would like to help others with. Consulting with his/her own “mentor” first would be very helpful.
4. Commitment to the relationship
5. BTS (Breaking the Silence) policies must apply.
“Mentoring” could focus on one or more of the following areas:
1. General spiritual growth and tackling practical issues of Christian living.
2. Skill sets and experience in particular situations, e.g. marriage relationship, parenting, witnessing in the work place etc.
3. Support and championing of a specific cause/ministry, e.g. being a sounding board, sharing ideas and prayer support for the mentee’s plan to vitalise a small group that he/she leads.
4. Support each other through a time of hardship, e.g. relationship break down, financial hardship, difficult work situations etc.
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…”1 Thess 5:11
[1] Definitions of discipleship and mentoring vary a lot, and this is only my personal understanding for the purpose of this message.
互相建立
「所以，你們該彼此勸慰，互相建立……」帖前 5:11
兩周前在美好的教會聯合退修營會中，我們深切認識到通過“指導栽培”將我們的信仰傳承給“下一代”的重要性。我們如何在CPC踐行這教導？
雖然要像摩西培育約書亞那種高層教會領袖的裝備是必要的，但為了薪火相傳，不斷地建立基督的身体，「直等到我們眾人都在真道上同歸於一，認識神的兒子，得以長大成人，滿有基督長成的身量」（弗 4:12-13）我們所有會友也需要去“互相建立”。造就門徒一直是我們教會過去幾年的重點，並將繼續保持如此，因為這是大使命，是根據聖經去擴展神國度的基要方案，也是抵抗教會跌入有名無實的地步之關鍵。在不同的程度及全面度進行“指導栽培”是實現門徒訓練目標的一個重要方式(註1)。在其最基本的形式中，“指導栽培”可以是两個成員定期見面，彼此有生命的分享，表達愛護與關懷，彼此鼓勵活出忠誠於主的生活，並且能用「愛心說誠實話」（弗 4:15）。這樣的關係建立最好是自然而成的，其持續時間可能從一兩年到整生不等。當我们談論“跨代指導栽培”時，“代”不一定是基於年龄， 而是基於“屬靈的成熟/經驗”。在某些基督徒生活方面較成熟和/或較有經驗的人可以幫助和指導那些相對較少的人。“指導者”和“受裝備者”可以是朋輩，也可以是來自不同的年代。如果“指導栽培”這個詞带有過於正規教學的含義，那麼我們可以將其理解為“互相建立”。在絕大多數情况下，“指導者”在“指導栽培關係”中，也會同時成長並受到激勵。
讓我們勇敢地採取具体步骤，遵守保羅對帖撒羅尼迦人的指導，互相建立。讓我們為願意“指導栽培”一位屬靈較年輕的人祈禱，或在會眾中去尋找一位更成熟的人去接受他/她“指導栽培”。
在“指導栽培”關係中有幾個基本守則：
1. 應該是同性别的成員組合（特殊情况下除外）。
2. 目的是在主裡互相建立，必須避免任何其他的動機。
3. “指導者”應當自我審視，以確保自己在幫助他人時，他/她的属靈成熟和/或信徒經驗都符合聖經的教導。首先諮詢自己的“屬靈導師”會非常有幫助。
4. 對關係建立委身。
5. 必須遵守「打破沉默」BTS守則。
“指導栽培”可以集中在以下一個或多個範疇:
1. 一般屬靈成長以及處理基督徒生活中的實際問题。
2. 在特定情境中的技能和經驗，例如婚姻關係、教養孩子、在工作職場的見証等等。
3. 對事工的支持和倡導，例如：充當倾訴對象，分享想法並為受裝備者計劃他/她所領導的小組提供禱告支持。
4. 在困難時期互相支持，例如：關係破裂、經濟困境、工作中的困確情况等。
「所以，你們該彼此勸慰，互相建立……」帖前 5:11
[1] 門徒訓練和指導的定義有很大不同，這只是我個人對本牧聲目的的理解。
