Mentoring: Building Bridges in a Digital World

In the past, members of UESI were truly people-persons. Everyone looked for someone to talk to, to share life with, and to grow together in faith. I remember eagerly looking forward to EU meetings where I could share and pray with my seniors, who willingly advised and motivated me in my spiritual walk and other areas of life.

As a student in the Madras ICEU, I recall travelling across the length and breadth of the erstwhile Madras city for fellowship—mentoring and motivating leaders of other groups so that both the ministry and the person could grow. Students in Mysore would gladly invite me into their simple homes to talk about their struggles, the problems they faced, and the joys of their lives. Over a cup of tea or during night-long conversations, we learned what it meant to mentor and be mentored—

experiences that helped shape who we are today.

However, times have changed. In today’s digital world, people prefer being behind the screen rather than before the seat. It often feels easier to open up to someone unknown online than to someone known offline. Transparency—once a mark of genuine fellowship—seems to have faded away. Many wear masks, hesitant to be vulnerable. The once open homes that echoed with prayer and laughter are now visited only in times of sickness or need.

If mentoring and fellowship are to continue meaningfully today, there needs to be a paradigm shift. With everyone—including the mentor—caught in the busyness of life, we need to go back to the basics of biblical mentoring.

Paul had Timothy. Elijah had Elisha. Jesus walked closely with His 12 disciples. Each of them invested time, prayer, and love in another person’s growth. That same call rests on us today, just as it did in Old Testament times, New Testament times, and in the early days of UESI.

Principles for Mentoring that have been long forgotten:

Mentoring must be intentional. It doesn’t happen by chance. We must be deliberate in visiting, meeting, and walking alongside those God has placed in our lives.

Consistently available. Burn the midnight oil if needed. Make space for meaningful conversations that build trust and openness. It might take longer than we have seen or experienced in the past.

Pray faithfully. Mentoring begins and ends in prayer. It is through intercession that hearts are softened and lives are transformed

Be sacrificial. Be willing to give your time, energy, and resources to break barriers and build bridges.

Mentoring always comes with a cost—the cost of time, comfort, and sometimes even convenience. But every moment invested in someone’s spiritual journey is worth it, for that is how we reflect Christ more clearly together.

In a world that hides behind screens, God still calls us to walk face to face, to encourage one another daily (Heb 3:13), and to spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Heb 10:24).