The Call To Mentoring – A Letter

Bob Fryling’s name is well known to many of our readers from his long career as the publisher of InterVarsity Press and as a national staff leader with that organization. Here is a recent letter he sent to Leighton about the latest call in his life – a ministry of mentoring.

Leighton,

I wanted to give you an update on where I am since our time together ten weeks ago. I shared with you at that time that I was involved with a spiritual formation mentoring program with Fuller Seminary among some pastors in Texas. That has gone very well.

In this relationship I have also been doing the assignments given to the participants. One such assignment is to write (after a period of reflection and meditation) what is called a “Central Integration Question” which is defined as

“At this point in my Christian journey, how do I envision my call to God’s mission in the world?”

What I wrote in a summary statement of intent followed by a narrative statement is the following:

“to encourage and serve Christian leaders in their spiritual formation, their vocational calling and their cultural engagement for the sake of God’s Kingdom by being a non-anxious pastoral presence that faithfully bears God’s image in my life with wisdom, grace and truth.”

As I receive my retirement years I feel called to be less responsible and more responsive to both God and others – to be more in the presence of God so that I may be more of an attentive presence to others with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. I feel called to be part of a divine spiritual river that nurtures life, healing and fruitfulness wherever my life flows. (Ez. 47: 1-12)

You will note and may remember that this Ezekiel 47 passage was so important to me during my retreat time with you. So thank you again for your non-anxious presence in my life at that time.

Blessings to you and Jeannie and of course Buddy!

Gratefully,

Bob