Discipleship through Mentoring w/ Dishon Mills

In this episode, host Anthony Mullins interviews Dishon Mills. Dishon is the newly appointed Gen Min Coordinator. He is also a GCI Pastor, who along with his wife Afrika, is embarking on planting a church in Charlotte, NC later this year. Together Anthony and Dishon discuss discipleship through mentoring, specifically through the Orchard Program.

“I believe the Holy Spirit is wild. I believe the Holy Spirit is described as a wind that blows wherever he will blow. And I believe that he has given each person gifts that he has cultivated, and they take the church in a new direction. Every person is key and important, because they have the ability to do something, and present Christ in a way that is going to reach people that we could not reach otherwise. And that we could see Jesus in a way that we could not see him otherwise. So, I really like the Team Based-Pastor Led model, because I believe it helps our congregations be wild in the same way the Holy Spirit is wild.  Where every person feels like they belong, that they are connected, that they are being poured into, that they have an opportunity to participate in the work that Jesus is doing. “
– Dishon Mills, GCI Pastor

Main Points:

• What excites you about discipling emerging generations? (4:19)
• How does The Orchard fit within the Faith Avenue? (6:52)
• Who would be a good candidate for a pastor to invite into The Orchard? (10:10)
• What advice would you give to a pastor or church leaders who are discipling young people? (24:38)
• How has your own experience with the Church informed the way you engage, mentor and pastor the emerging generations? (28:45)
• What advice would you give to our listening audience about engaging young people with topics like politics, race, and evil in the world? (35:35)

Resources:

• The Orchard Program – The Orchard is a project-based mentoring program that participates in the work of the Holy Spirit by helping emerging Christian leaders discern God’s voice in their ongoing growth.
• Youth Vision: a column dedicated to the adults who are actively participating in the discipleship of children and youth.
• Types of Mentors: A Church Hack about the mentoring relationship.
• The ABCs of Healthy Mentoring: An Equipper article outlining mentoring best practices.