Equip & Go Tips
Each tip below follows the same simple format:
📖 One Verse — a scripture to anchor your mentoring
💬 One Conversation Starter — a question to bring to your next meeting
✅ One Challenge — something small to try before you meet again
Theme 1: Listening Well
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger." — James 1:19
💬 One Conversation Starter "When do you feel most heard — and least heard — in your relationships right now?"
✅ One Challenge In your next meeting, set a timer for 5 minutes and let your mentee talk without interrupting or offering advice. Afterward, reflect back what you heard.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "The purposes of a person's heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out." — Proverbs 20:5
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there something you've been thinking about a lot lately but haven't known how to say out loud?"
✅ One Challenge Write down two or three follow-up questions before your next meeting — questions that go one layer deeper than the surface.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." — Romans 12:15
💬 One Conversation Starter "How are you really doing — not the version you tell most people, but the honest version?"
✅ One Challenge Pay attention to what your mentee's body language and tone say this week, not just her words. Notice and gently name what you observe.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion." — Proverbs 18:2
💬 One Conversation Starter "What's something you wish the people in your life understood about what you're going through?"
✅ One Challenge After your meeting, resist the urge to immediately text advice or follow-up thoughts. Give her what was said time to settle.
Theme 2: Asking Good Questions
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "And he asked them, 'But who do you say that I am?'" — Matthew 16:15
💬 One Conversation Starter "If you could ask God one question right now and know He would answer, what would it be?"
✅ One Challenge Write down one question before your next meeting that you've never asked your mentee before — something that could open a new door in your relationship.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding." — Job 38:4
💬 One Conversation Starter "What's a belief you've held for a long time that God has been quietly challenging?"
✅ One Challenge Try replacing one piece of advice this week with a question. Instead of "You should try..." say "What do you think God might be inviting you into here?"
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!" — Psalm 139:23
💬 One Conversation Starter "What area of your life feels most unsettled right now — and what do you think God wants to do there?"
✅ One Challenge At the end of your next meeting, ask: "What's one thing from today's conversation you want to carry with you this week?" Let her name it herself.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?" — Psalm 42:11
💬 One Conversation Starter "When you imagine yourself a year from now, what do you hope has changed — and what are you afraid won't?"
✅ One Challenge Keep a running list of questions that have opened meaningful conversations. Over time, this becomes your personal mentoring toolkit.
Theme 3: Encouragement & Affirmation
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." — 1 Thessalonians 5:11
💬 One Conversation Starter "Who has encouraged you most in your life — and what did they do that made the difference?"
✅ One Challenge Before your next meeting, write down three specific things you've noticed your mentee doing well. Tell her all three — out loud, unhurried.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." — Proverbs 16:24
💬 One Conversation Starter "What's something you wish someone would say to you right now that you haven't heard yet?"
✅ One Challenge Send your mentee a voice memo this week — just 60 seconds of genuine encouragement. Something about her that you see and want her to know.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles." — Acts 9:27
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there a dream, gift, or calling you've set aside — something you used to believe about yourself that's gotten quiet?"
✅ One Challenge Be a Barnabas this week. Speak up for your mentee — in prayer, in conversation, or by introducing her to someone who could encourage her next step.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." — Proverbs 31:26
💬 One Conversation Starter "What do you think God sees when He looks at you — and does that match what you see?"
✅ One Challenge Write your mentee a short letter this week — not a text, a real letter — and tell her what you see God doing in her life.
Theme 4: Prayer Together
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven." — Matthew 18:19
💬 One Conversation Starter "What's one thing you'd like us to pray about together today that you haven't brought to God out loud yet?"
✅ One Challenge End your next meeting by praying for your mentee, out loud, with her present. Let her hear her own name in prayer.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." — Philippians 4:6
💬 One Conversation Starter "What worries show up most often when you're lying awake at night?"
✅ One Challenge Start a shared prayer list — even a simple notes document — that you both add to and review together each time you meet.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought." — Romans 8:26
💬 One Conversation Starter "How do you usually pray — and does it feel like enough? What do you wish your prayer life looked like?"
✅ One Challenge Try praying together at the beginning of your meeting instead of the end this week, and notice whether it changes the conversation that follows.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "Pray without ceasing." — 1 Thessalonians 5:17
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there someone in your life you're finding it hard to pray for right now?"
✅ One Challenge Between now and your next meeting, pray for your mentee at a specific time each day — not a long prayer, just a moment of intentional lifting.
Theme 5: Identity in Christ
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession." — 1 Peter 2:9
💬 One Conversation Starter "How do you usually answer the question "Who are you?" — and how does that answer change depending on who's asking?"
✅ One Challenge Look up three "I am" identity statements from Scripture this week and share them with your mentee — invite her to pick the one that feels hardest to believe.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." — Ephesians 2:10
💬 One Conversation Starter "What's one thing you do that makes you feel most like yourself — most alive, most like who God made you to be?"
✅ One Challenge Ask your mentee to write down five words she'd use to describe herself, then five words she thinks God would use. Compare the lists together.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." — Galatians 2:20
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there an old version of yourself — an identity or a role — that you're still holding onto even though God seems to be calling you forward?"
✅ One Challenge Share one thing about your own identity journey with your mentee this week. Vulnerability from the mentor opens the door for the mentee.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." — 1 John 3:1
💬 One Conversation Starter "What does it actually feel like — in your daily life — to be loved by God? Does it feel real, or more like something you know in your head?"
✅ One Challenge Spend the first few minutes of your next meeting in silence together, each sitting with this question: What does God think of me right now?
Theme 6: Seasons & Transitions
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." — Ecclesiastes 3:1
💬 One Conversation Starter "What season would you say you're in right now — and does it feel like where God has you, or somewhere you're trying to get out of?"
✅ One Challenge Draw a simple timeline together of the last two years of your mentee's life. Name the seasons. Notice what God was doing in each one.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!" — Isaiah 43:18-19
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there something from a past season that you're still grieving — something you haven't fully given yourself permission to let go of?"
✅ One Challenge Ask your mentee to name one thing she's leaving behind and one thing she's stepping into. Pray over both together.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "And after the fire the sound of a low whisper." — 1 Kings 19:12
💬 One Conversation Starter "Has there been a season in your life that felt like wilderness — and what did you learn about God there that you couldn't have learned any other way?"
✅ One Challenge Share a transition from your own story this week. What did that season cost you, and what did it grow in you?
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "He has made everything beautiful in its time." — Ecclesiastes 3:11
💬 One Conversation Starter "What's one thing about the season you're in that you're learning to be grateful for — even if it's hard?"
✅ One Challenge Find a small, tangible way to mark this season with your mentee — a prayer, a letter, a simple gift. Transitions deserve to be named.
Theme 7: Accountability & Growth
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." — Proverbs 27:17
💬 One Conversation Starter "What's one area of your life where you feel like you've been coasting — where you know there's more God is asking of you?"
✅ One Challenge Together, name one specific growth goal for the next 30 days. Write it down. Agree on how you'll check in on it.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ." — Ephesians 4:15
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there something I could say or ask that would help you grow — even if it might be uncomfortable to hear?"
✅ One Challenge Ask your mentee for permission to offer honest, loving feedback in one area she names. Then follow through — gently and specifically.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace." — Hebrews 12:11
💬 One Conversation Starter "What's a habit or pattern in your life that you keep meaning to address but keep putting off?"
✅ One Challenge Share one area where you're currently working on your own growth. Mentors who are still growing give their mentees permission to still be growing too.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." — Hebrews 10:23
💬 One Conversation Starter "Where have you seen the most growth in yourself over the past six months — even if it's small?"
✅ One Challenge Take five minutes at the start of your next meeting to celebrate progress before you talk about next steps. Growth deserves to be acknowledged.
Theme 8: Grief & Hard Seasons
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." — Psalm 147:3
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there a loss in your life — a relationship, a dream, a role, a season — that you haven't fully grieved yet?"
✅ One Challenge This week, don't try to fix or resolve anything. Just sit with her in it. Your presence is the ministry.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." — Matthew 5:4
💬 One Conversation Starter "What does grief look like for you — do you tend to push through it, avoid it, or something else?"
✅ One Challenge Give your mentee one practical, tangible thing she can do this week to honor her grief — a walk, a journal entry, a conversation, a good cry. Name it together.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God." — Psalm 42:5
💬 One Conversation Starter "On a scale of 1 to 10, how much hope do you feel right now — and what would it take to move it up even one point?"
✅ One Challenge Share a hard season from your own story this week — not to redirect the conversation to yourself, but to let her know she is not alone and that God moves in the dark.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "Jesus wept." — John 11:35
💬 One Conversation Starter "Do you ever feel like you're not supposed to be sad — like faith should mean you're okay? Where did that idea come from?"
✅ One Challenge Pray specifically for your mentee's healing this week — not just that she'd feel better, but that she'd feel deeply known by a God who weeps with her.
Theme 9: Calling & Purpose
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." — Jeremiah 29:11
💬 One Conversation Starter "When you imagine the life God designed specifically for you, what does it look like — and how close does your current life feel to that picture?"
✅ One Challenge Ask your mentee to write down three moments in her life when she felt most alive and most herself. Look for the thread that runs through them.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." — Romans 8:28
💬 One Conversation Starter "What's something you've been through that God seems to be using — or that you sense He wants to use — in the lives of others?"
✅ One Challenge Help your mentee identify one gift she has that she tends to minimize or take for granted. Name it clearly and specifically.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night." — Proverbs 31:18
💬 One Conversation Starter "What would you attempt if you weren't afraid of failing — or of what people would think?"
✅ One Challenge Help your mentee identify one small, concrete next step toward something she's been putting off. Not the whole plan — just one step.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "Do not neglect the gift you have." — 1 Timothy 4:14
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there a calling or gifting in your life that's gone quiet — something you once felt strongly about that you've set aside?"
✅ One Challenge Spend your next meeting focused entirely on her gifts and calling. No problems to solve. Just vision, possibility, and encouragement.
Theme 10: Trust & Faith
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." — Proverbs 3:5
💬 One Conversation Starter "What's the hardest thing you're being asked to trust God with right now?"
✅ One Challenge Ask your mentee to write down one thing she's holding tightly that she senses God is asking her to open her hands on. Pray over it together.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." — Hebrews 11:1
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there a promise from God — from Scripture or from something He's spoken to your heart — that you're still waiting on?"
✅ One Challenge Write down that promise with her and put it somewhere visible. Faith needs a place to land while it waits.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me." — Psalm 23:4
💬 One Conversation Starter "When has God surprised you — shown up in a way you didn't expect or didn't deserve?"
✅ One Challenge Tell your mentee one story of God's faithfulness from your own life this week — not a polished testimony, just a real one.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me." — John 14:1
💬 One Conversation Starter "What does doubt feel like for you — and do you feel safe bringing it to God, or does it feel like something to hide?"
✅ One Challenge Read Psalm 22 together — notice how raw and honest it is. Give your mentee permission this week to bring her doubts to God exactly as they are.
Theme 11: Relationships & Community
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together." — Hebrews 10:24-25
💬 One Conversation Starter "What does real community look like to you — and do you have it right now?"
✅ One Challenge Identify together one relationship in your mentee's life that needs attention — not fixing, just intentional investment. Encourage her to take one step toward that person this week.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." — Proverbs 17:17
💬 One Conversation Starter "Who in your life shows up for you when things are hard — and are you letting them?"
✅ One Challenge Challenge your mentee to reach out to one person she's been meaning to reconnect with. A simple text, a coffee, a prayer together.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed." — James 5:16
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there anyone in your life you feel truly known by — someone who sees the real you and loves you anyway?"
✅ One Challenge Talk honestly about the difference between being known and being liked. Encourage your mentee toward one relationship that can hold her real self.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil." — Ecclesiastes 4:9
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there a relationship in your life right now that feels draining — and one that fills you up? What's the difference?"
✅ One Challenge Help your mentee make one decision about a relationship this week — to invest more, to set a boundary, or to simply show up differently.
Theme 12: Rest & Abiding
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." — Matthew 11:28
💬 One Conversation Starter "When did you last feel truly rested — not just physically, but soul-rested? What made that possible?"
✅ One Challenge Give your mentee one very specific permission this week: to rest without guilt. Name it out loud. Sometimes we need someone else to say it first.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me." — John 15:4
💬 One Conversation Starter "What does abiding in God look like in your daily life — and does it feel like connection or obligation right now?"
✅ One Challenge Together, identify one small, sustainable rhythm that could help your mentee stay rooted this season — not a program, just a practice.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "Be still, and know that I am God." — Psalm 46:10
💬 One Conversation Starter "What makes it hard for you to slow down — what are you afraid you'll feel or face if things get quiet?"
✅ One Challenge Begin your next meeting with two minutes of silence. No agenda, no talking. Just stillness. Notice what comes up for each of you.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures." — Psalm 23:1-2
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is your current pace sustainable — honestly? What would have to change for it to be?"
✅ One Challenge Ask your mentee to name one thing she could stop doing this week — not forever, just for now — that would create space for God to meet her.
📖 One Verse — a scripture to anchor your mentoring
💬 One Conversation Starter — a question to bring to your next meeting
✅ One Challenge — something small to try before you meet again
Theme 1: Listening Well
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger." — James 1:19
💬 One Conversation Starter "When do you feel most heard — and least heard — in your relationships right now?"
✅ One Challenge In your next meeting, set a timer for 5 minutes and let your mentee talk without interrupting or offering advice. Afterward, reflect back what you heard.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "The purposes of a person's heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out." — Proverbs 20:5
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there something you've been thinking about a lot lately but haven't known how to say out loud?"
✅ One Challenge Write down two or three follow-up questions before your next meeting — questions that go one layer deeper than the surface.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." — Romans 12:15
💬 One Conversation Starter "How are you really doing — not the version you tell most people, but the honest version?"
✅ One Challenge Pay attention to what your mentee's body language and tone say this week, not just her words. Notice and gently name what you observe.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion." — Proverbs 18:2
💬 One Conversation Starter "What's something you wish the people in your life understood about what you're going through?"
✅ One Challenge After your meeting, resist the urge to immediately text advice or follow-up thoughts. Give her what was said time to settle.
Theme 2: Asking Good Questions
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "And he asked them, 'But who do you say that I am?'" — Matthew 16:15
💬 One Conversation Starter "If you could ask God one question right now and know He would answer, what would it be?"
✅ One Challenge Write down one question before your next meeting that you've never asked your mentee before — something that could open a new door in your relationship.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding." — Job 38:4
💬 One Conversation Starter "What's a belief you've held for a long time that God has been quietly challenging?"
✅ One Challenge Try replacing one piece of advice this week with a question. Instead of "You should try..." say "What do you think God might be inviting you into here?"
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!" — Psalm 139:23
💬 One Conversation Starter "What area of your life feels most unsettled right now — and what do you think God wants to do there?"
✅ One Challenge At the end of your next meeting, ask: "What's one thing from today's conversation you want to carry with you this week?" Let her name it herself.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?" — Psalm 42:11
💬 One Conversation Starter "When you imagine yourself a year from now, what do you hope has changed — and what are you afraid won't?"
✅ One Challenge Keep a running list of questions that have opened meaningful conversations. Over time, this becomes your personal mentoring toolkit.
Theme 3: Encouragement & Affirmation
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." — 1 Thessalonians 5:11
💬 One Conversation Starter "Who has encouraged you most in your life — and what did they do that made the difference?"
✅ One Challenge Before your next meeting, write down three specific things you've noticed your mentee doing well. Tell her all three — out loud, unhurried.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." — Proverbs 16:24
💬 One Conversation Starter "What's something you wish someone would say to you right now that you haven't heard yet?"
✅ One Challenge Send your mentee a voice memo this week — just 60 seconds of genuine encouragement. Something about her that you see and want her to know.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles." — Acts 9:27
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there a dream, gift, or calling you've set aside — something you used to believe about yourself that's gotten quiet?"
✅ One Challenge Be a Barnabas this week. Speak up for your mentee — in prayer, in conversation, or by introducing her to someone who could encourage her next step.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." — Proverbs 31:26
💬 One Conversation Starter "What do you think God sees when He looks at you — and does that match what you see?"
✅ One Challenge Write your mentee a short letter this week — not a text, a real letter — and tell her what you see God doing in her life.
Theme 4: Prayer Together
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven." — Matthew 18:19
💬 One Conversation Starter "What's one thing you'd like us to pray about together today that you haven't brought to God out loud yet?"
✅ One Challenge End your next meeting by praying for your mentee, out loud, with her present. Let her hear her own name in prayer.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." — Philippians 4:6
💬 One Conversation Starter "What worries show up most often when you're lying awake at night?"
✅ One Challenge Start a shared prayer list — even a simple notes document — that you both add to and review together each time you meet.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought." — Romans 8:26
💬 One Conversation Starter "How do you usually pray — and does it feel like enough? What do you wish your prayer life looked like?"
✅ One Challenge Try praying together at the beginning of your meeting instead of the end this week, and notice whether it changes the conversation that follows.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "Pray without ceasing." — 1 Thessalonians 5:17
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there someone in your life you're finding it hard to pray for right now?"
✅ One Challenge Between now and your next meeting, pray for your mentee at a specific time each day — not a long prayer, just a moment of intentional lifting.
Theme 5: Identity in Christ
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession." — 1 Peter 2:9
💬 One Conversation Starter "How do you usually answer the question "Who are you?" — and how does that answer change depending on who's asking?"
✅ One Challenge Look up three "I am" identity statements from Scripture this week and share them with your mentee — invite her to pick the one that feels hardest to believe.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." — Ephesians 2:10
💬 One Conversation Starter "What's one thing you do that makes you feel most like yourself — most alive, most like who God made you to be?"
✅ One Challenge Ask your mentee to write down five words she'd use to describe herself, then five words she thinks God would use. Compare the lists together.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." — Galatians 2:20
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there an old version of yourself — an identity or a role — that you're still holding onto even though God seems to be calling you forward?"
✅ One Challenge Share one thing about your own identity journey with your mentee this week. Vulnerability from the mentor opens the door for the mentee.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." — 1 John 3:1
💬 One Conversation Starter "What does it actually feel like — in your daily life — to be loved by God? Does it feel real, or more like something you know in your head?"
✅ One Challenge Spend the first few minutes of your next meeting in silence together, each sitting with this question: What does God think of me right now?
Theme 6: Seasons & Transitions
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." — Ecclesiastes 3:1
💬 One Conversation Starter "What season would you say you're in right now — and does it feel like where God has you, or somewhere you're trying to get out of?"
✅ One Challenge Draw a simple timeline together of the last two years of your mentee's life. Name the seasons. Notice what God was doing in each one.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!" — Isaiah 43:18-19
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there something from a past season that you're still grieving — something you haven't fully given yourself permission to let go of?"
✅ One Challenge Ask your mentee to name one thing she's leaving behind and one thing she's stepping into. Pray over both together.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "And after the fire the sound of a low whisper." — 1 Kings 19:12
💬 One Conversation Starter "Has there been a season in your life that felt like wilderness — and what did you learn about God there that you couldn't have learned any other way?"
✅ One Challenge Share a transition from your own story this week. What did that season cost you, and what did it grow in you?
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "He has made everything beautiful in its time." — Ecclesiastes 3:11
💬 One Conversation Starter "What's one thing about the season you're in that you're learning to be grateful for — even if it's hard?"
✅ One Challenge Find a small, tangible way to mark this season with your mentee — a prayer, a letter, a simple gift. Transitions deserve to be named.
Theme 7: Accountability & Growth
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." — Proverbs 27:17
💬 One Conversation Starter "What's one area of your life where you feel like you've been coasting — where you know there's more God is asking of you?"
✅ One Challenge Together, name one specific growth goal for the next 30 days. Write it down. Agree on how you'll check in on it.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ." — Ephesians 4:15
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there something I could say or ask that would help you grow — even if it might be uncomfortable to hear?"
✅ One Challenge Ask your mentee for permission to offer honest, loving feedback in one area she names. Then follow through — gently and specifically.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace." — Hebrews 12:11
💬 One Conversation Starter "What's a habit or pattern in your life that you keep meaning to address but keep putting off?"
✅ One Challenge Share one area where you're currently working on your own growth. Mentors who are still growing give their mentees permission to still be growing too.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." — Hebrews 10:23
💬 One Conversation Starter "Where have you seen the most growth in yourself over the past six months — even if it's small?"
✅ One Challenge Take five minutes at the start of your next meeting to celebrate progress before you talk about next steps. Growth deserves to be acknowledged.
Theme 8: Grief & Hard Seasons
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." — Psalm 147:3
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there a loss in your life — a relationship, a dream, a role, a season — that you haven't fully grieved yet?"
✅ One Challenge This week, don't try to fix or resolve anything. Just sit with her in it. Your presence is the ministry.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." — Matthew 5:4
💬 One Conversation Starter "What does grief look like for you — do you tend to push through it, avoid it, or something else?"
✅ One Challenge Give your mentee one practical, tangible thing she can do this week to honor her grief — a walk, a journal entry, a conversation, a good cry. Name it together.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God." — Psalm 42:5
💬 One Conversation Starter "On a scale of 1 to 10, how much hope do you feel right now — and what would it take to move it up even one point?"
✅ One Challenge Share a hard season from your own story this week — not to redirect the conversation to yourself, but to let her know she is not alone and that God moves in the dark.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "Jesus wept." — John 11:35
💬 One Conversation Starter "Do you ever feel like you're not supposed to be sad — like faith should mean you're okay? Where did that idea come from?"
✅ One Challenge Pray specifically for your mentee's healing this week — not just that she'd feel better, but that she'd feel deeply known by a God who weeps with her.
Theme 9: Calling & Purpose
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." — Jeremiah 29:11
💬 One Conversation Starter "When you imagine the life God designed specifically for you, what does it look like — and how close does your current life feel to that picture?"
✅ One Challenge Ask your mentee to write down three moments in her life when she felt most alive and most herself. Look for the thread that runs through them.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." — Romans 8:28
💬 One Conversation Starter "What's something you've been through that God seems to be using — or that you sense He wants to use — in the lives of others?"
✅ One Challenge Help your mentee identify one gift she has that she tends to minimize or take for granted. Name it clearly and specifically.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night." — Proverbs 31:18
💬 One Conversation Starter "What would you attempt if you weren't afraid of failing — or of what people would think?"
✅ One Challenge Help your mentee identify one small, concrete next step toward something she's been putting off. Not the whole plan — just one step.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "Do not neglect the gift you have." — 1 Timothy 4:14
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there a calling or gifting in your life that's gone quiet — something you once felt strongly about that you've set aside?"
✅ One Challenge Spend your next meeting focused entirely on her gifts and calling. No problems to solve. Just vision, possibility, and encouragement.
Theme 10: Trust & Faith
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." — Proverbs 3:5
💬 One Conversation Starter "What's the hardest thing you're being asked to trust God with right now?"
✅ One Challenge Ask your mentee to write down one thing she's holding tightly that she senses God is asking her to open her hands on. Pray over it together.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." — Hebrews 11:1
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there a promise from God — from Scripture or from something He's spoken to your heart — that you're still waiting on?"
✅ One Challenge Write down that promise with her and put it somewhere visible. Faith needs a place to land while it waits.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me." — Psalm 23:4
💬 One Conversation Starter "When has God surprised you — shown up in a way you didn't expect or didn't deserve?"
✅ One Challenge Tell your mentee one story of God's faithfulness from your own life this week — not a polished testimony, just a real one.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me." — John 14:1
💬 One Conversation Starter "What does doubt feel like for you — and do you feel safe bringing it to God, or does it feel like something to hide?"
✅ One Challenge Read Psalm 22 together — notice how raw and honest it is. Give your mentee permission this week to bring her doubts to God exactly as they are.
Theme 11: Relationships & Community
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together." — Hebrews 10:24-25
💬 One Conversation Starter "What does real community look like to you — and do you have it right now?"
✅ One Challenge Identify together one relationship in your mentee's life that needs attention — not fixing, just intentional investment. Encourage her to take one step toward that person this week.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." — Proverbs 17:17
💬 One Conversation Starter "Who in your life shows up for you when things are hard — and are you letting them?"
✅ One Challenge Challenge your mentee to reach out to one person she's been meaning to reconnect with. A simple text, a coffee, a prayer together.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed." — James 5:16
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there anyone in your life you feel truly known by — someone who sees the real you and loves you anyway?"
✅ One Challenge Talk honestly about the difference between being known and being liked. Encourage your mentee toward one relationship that can hold her real self.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil." — Ecclesiastes 4:9
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is there a relationship in your life right now that feels draining — and one that fills you up? What's the difference?"
✅ One Challenge Help your mentee make one decision about a relationship this week — to invest more, to set a boundary, or to simply show up differently.
Theme 12: Rest & Abiding
Tip 1
📖 One Verse "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." — Matthew 11:28
💬 One Conversation Starter "When did you last feel truly rested — not just physically, but soul-rested? What made that possible?"
✅ One Challenge Give your mentee one very specific permission this week: to rest without guilt. Name it out loud. Sometimes we need someone else to say it first.
Tip 2
📖 One Verse "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me." — John 15:4
💬 One Conversation Starter "What does abiding in God look like in your daily life — and does it feel like connection or obligation right now?"
✅ One Challenge Together, identify one small, sustainable rhythm that could help your mentee stay rooted this season — not a program, just a practice.
Tip 3
📖 One Verse "Be still, and know that I am God." — Psalm 46:10
💬 One Conversation Starter "What makes it hard for you to slow down — what are you afraid you'll feel or face if things get quiet?"
✅ One Challenge Begin your next meeting with two minutes of silence. No agenda, no talking. Just stillness. Notice what comes up for each of you.
Tip 4
📖 One Verse "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures." — Psalm 23:1-2
💬 One Conversation Starter "Is your current pace sustainable — honestly? What would have to change for it to be?"
✅ One Challenge Ask your mentee to name one thing she could stop doing this week — not forever, just for now — that would create space for God to meet her.