Focus Your Friendship

Mention “spiritual mentoring” and most people think of a one-directional relationship in which an experienced person imparts information to one who knows less. Yet most people want mentors who will pass on something deeper than content: wisdom. And they want it in the context of give-and-take “mutual fascination” that recognizes both people as having something to offer. 

In his book, The Lost Art of Lingering: Mutual Mentoring for Life Transformation, Rowland Forman speaks to those seeking such a listen-and-learn model of discipleship. Taking the pressure off mentors to know it all and mentees to hold back, he provides a clear, accessible guide for ordinary people wishing to meet and share their lives in a way that leads to transformation. 

Forman includes primary practices, such as prayer, reflecting, and multiplying, in a workbook that guides, rather than dictates, meaningful conversations.