The Cost and Value of a Mentor 

If you have been following Verve Lead for even just a few weeks, you will know that I am a strong advocate for the work of mentors, coaches, and professional supervisors. Personally, having a mentor has brought me closer to God and my calling, and I believe that developing a relationship with a mentor is crucial for all ministry leaders. Given its positive impact, let us encourage everyone to participate in the process. There is, however, a hard truth: mentoring costs.

There are three types of mentoring: informal, formal and professional.

Informal mentoring often comes from ad hoc or one-off interactions. Here, the mentor donates their time or perhaps it is covered by the cost of a coffee. I recall the wise words of Ps Phil Pringle, founder of C3 Church Global, who said that if you ask someone for an hour of their time, take a very generous gift. A generous gift gives honour and helps you value the time.

Formal mentoring frequently occurs in the context of an organisation, such as a senior accountant training an intern. 

Additionally, a professional mentor is often engaged externally to the organisation. 

Someone will pay to make it happen. A trustworthy and experienced mentor, coach or professional supervisor is not always in the budget. So what can be done? Well, that is what we are addressing today. 

Financial Reasons

There are many reasons why a person feels that they cannot pay for mentoring, the first of which is simply not allocating expenses towards it. I have seen many people or organisations who can afford the price, but are not prioritising well-being through mentoring. I want to encourage these people and organisations to reflect on the value of sustainable well-being, as well as their life trajectory without external help, and assure them that the cost of mentoring is worth it, given the value gained. 

The benefits of mentoring and supervision can be categorised into both tangible and intangible value. I was recently chatting with a denominational leader who told me that his relationship with God and his wife were not where he wanted them to be. Still, he was not sure he wanted to prioritise mentoring and supervision. I asked him what would happen if he kept going the way he was going… he admitted that he thought he would quietly leave the ministry because he felt like a fake, and that he would probably end up living in a separate city from his wife. 

I then asked, ‘If you could change these relationships, what would be the outcome?’ 

He told me that he’d have a spring in his step again, could be more encouraging to others, bring life into his community, expand his church and that experiencing the presence of God would flow into all of his relationships. 

If you are unsure whether you need a mentor, coach, or professional supervisor, consider the actual benefits of this relationship, both tangible and intangible. Here are some examples of the potential value:

Tangible value:

Helps sustain the ministry, enables growth as a great leader, helps the church flourish, fulfils the mission, empowers people’s development, and helps find potential and purpose. 

Intangible value:

KPRs improve, relationships thrive, family connections are positive and not pressured, illnesses are averted, stress within work teams is alleviated, and demands for a ministry investigation will be avoided. 

The benefits of a mentoring, coaching or supervising relationship are life-changing, as they will help to create a sustainable life, both inside and outside of work. There will be a cost, financially and time-wise, but paying an experienced professional for this valuable service is a worthwhile investment, and professionals deserve to be paid for their work. By setting aside a mere 3% of your budget for well-being and professional development, you could save thousands more in future losses, should you or your team become burned out. 

If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of mentoring, coaching or professional supervision, this ROI Deloitte study shows evidence of the value of prioritising mental health programs: 

1 Timothy 5:18 (NLT)

18 For the Scripture says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” And in another place, “Those who work deserve their pay!”

There are cases, of course, when there simply is no money in the budget. It may have been a downturn in your ministry or your personal finances. However, there are still options:

Look for discounted services. Some mentors, coaches and supervisors may offer a discount for a limited time. Their services could help you get back on your feet, build resilience and recover financially. 

Look for generous people in your life who would be willing to sponsor you for a period of time, in order to support you and the community you serve in return to health.  Where is the good Samaritan in your world? Do you know anyone with resources who can help you find some healing? 

Look for someone in training. Mentors, coaches and supervisors in training need people to practise on. They are under supervision to ensure you receive quality care, and their services are more affordable. 

Look for those who would be willing to accept a trade. What can you offer in return? What can you offer a professional besides money? For example, connections, advocacy, testimony, assistance or services.

Look for a pro bono quota. If you or your ministry truly has no budget whatsoever, you can try to find a practice that offers pro bono services. As a mentor myself, I believe it’s an excellent thing for a practice to have the bandwidth to provide services without charges for clients in unusual circumstances.  

Reflection: 

• What is my trajectory if I keep going in this direction? Where will I be heading?  
• What are the tangible benefits of having a mentor/supervisor?  
• What are the intangible benefits of having a mentor/supervisor?  

What’s next:

• Take the Health of Christian Leader Assessment to get a sense of your trajectory: https://vervelead.com/tools/#hcla
• Establish a resilience and professional development budget (3%)