Refresh
Shimmer Refresh, a multi-denominational women’s mentoring program, is a wonderful opportunity to draw together with women from different church backgrounds, to look afresh at our life’s journey … together.
The 21st century has brought with it a new urgency for Christian women to intentionally “gather around” other women, and work to facilitate wholeness and healing, purpose and passion, in the lives of the women around them … and we believe that through this program, women’s lives will be transformed.
There are so many hurdles for women to overcome in this society - divorce, depression, anxiety, self-image issues, stress, singleness, loss and grief — to name just a few, and we are left wondering where we can turn to get guidance through all the issues life presents us with.
Jesus holds out a hand of hope for HIS women. Through the promises of scripture we can speak wholeness, healing and purpose, into each others’ lives, to bring restoration that only comes from seeing ourselves through the eyes of God. It is with this vision in mind that we begin the journey of multi-denominational mentoring, and we know that God will bless it as we travel this road together, united as one in the Body of Christ.
Our prayer is that you are deeply blessed through this program, and we can’t wait to see where God will lead you all.
What is mentoring?
In Christian circles mentoring is a hot topic and very relevant to the needs of women right now.
In his book, Mentoring to Develop Disciples and Leaders, John Mallison says, “Mentoring is concerned essentially with assisting a person to recognise and respond to the prompting of God’s Spirit so that the mind and power of Christ may govern all a person is and does in order to arrive at the goal to which God is leading. It is all about enabling another to ‘live and keep in step with the Spirit’ (Galatians 5:25)”. What a great explanation of mentoring and God’s purpose for mentoring.
In Titus 2:3-5 Paul encourages the women to get together and share with each other what life has taught them. “Teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live … Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind and to be subject to their husbands, so that no-one will malign the word of God.”
Mentoring is not teaching (you don’t need to be a great teacher to be a great mentor!). The Titus passage talks about ‘training’ other women (NIV), or ‘guiding’ them (the Message). Training is about demonstration and partnering – doing the journey together and sharing experience and wisdom along the way.
Through this program, women can begin a mentoring partnership with another Christian woman, in a semi-structured environment, for a defined period of time. You can choose either Leader to Leader mentoring, or Titus 2 (older to younger) mentoring.
Our aim is to encourage, empower and train both mentors and mentorees along the way, and to facilitate spiritual and emotional growth in both parties, so that the power and purposes of God can be released in the lives of all who participate.
See our 2009 expression of interest.
