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Approved and verified accurate by the Faculty Chair of the College of Theology on Aug. 6, 2025.
At GCU, there are many opportunities to explore mentorship relationships. GCU encourages our students to find and live their purpose in a way that honors God and enables them to serve their communities in positive ways. Each week, GCU offers Chapel and The Gathering services, during which faculty, students and staff members come together to celebrate Christ’s message. This is one opportunity to connect to potential mentors.
Another possibility is to join our weekly Life Groups. These Bible study groups are small, student-led groups overseen by GCU staff. Here, you can build relationships and work toward spiritual growth. GCU also offers numerous community outreach and service activities, during which you can meet other like-minded Christians and perhaps find a mentor.
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As you seek to grow in your spiritual walk with Christ, there are many benefits to having a mentor along the way. For example, a mentor can offer affirmation and encouragement, as well as hold you accountable to your choices. They can help you work toward spiritual growth and serve as a positive role model.
In short, when life seems confusing and the road is tough, having someone there to encourage you from a Christian perspective can help you to keep your focus on God. Before considering how to find a spiritual mentor, you’ll want to become more familiar with what a mentor in Christ is and what the potential benefits of working with a mentor are.
College is a time of significant change. For many students, it’s the first time they are away from their homes and families for a considerable length of time. It’s the first time they are fully in charge of making their own decisions on everything from how to manage their money to what time to go to sleep. Some students may struggle with the newfound independence more than others and can be affected by homesickness, loneliness and a sense of being overwhelmed.
During this time, spiritual mentorship can be particularly important. A mentor who possesses important qualities like compassion, integrity and wisdom can uplift students and empower them to take responsibility for their own lives. In essence, a spiritual mentor can help college students find their way as they work toward life after graduation.
While a degree is not necessary to work toward becoming a mentor in Christ, you may wish to more closely examine scripture and theology in college to nurture your relationship with God. The College of Theology at Grand Canyon University offers a variety of transformative degrees, including the Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies degree and the Bachelor of Arts in Worship Arts with an Emphasis in Worship Ministry program. After earning a bachelor’s degree, you may be interested in the graduate degrees offered by Grand Canyon Theological Seminary.
Any type of mentor is typically an experienced, often older individual who helps a less experienced individual work toward growth, such as by offering guidance. A spiritual mentor focuses on guiding the mentee toward spiritual and personal growth. Mentorship can challenge the mentee to push past boundaries in pursuit of greater maturity and wisdom, and it can encourage the mentee to reflect on their relationship with God and how to nurture it.
The mentorship relationship is not a one-way street, however. While the focus is on the benefits of mentorship for the mentee, the mentor can also use the opportunity to work toward their own personal and spiritual growth as the two individuals navigate their relationships with God together.
Some GCU students perfectly embody the concept that giving to others is not only fulfilling the Lord’s work but is also a way to achieve personal fulfillment. The 2025 Advisor of the Year, Leo Quintero of the Latino Student Union, often facilitates student discussions on topics ranging from pressure to succeed from parents to fears of persecution. He explained, “I want (the students) to learn and grow. Their belief is what drives it.” Serving as a spiritual mentor to our students, Quintero has helped give them “a sense of home,” according to one student.
There are many potential benefits of learning how to find a spiritual mentor and working closely with that person toward personal growth. These benefits may include:
As humans, we desire to receive affirmation and be encouraged. A spiritual mentor can be someone who believes in you and encourages you to find your purpose. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”
In life, there are ups and downs. When you are at a low point, a mentor can remind you of your value in Christ and encourage you to keep going.
A mentor in Christ leads by example. They realize it is not necessarily the words they say, but it is their actions that speak the loudest. They seek to honor God in the choices they make on a daily basis. This provides guidance for those they mentor and encourages them to do the same.
Unfortunately, it can be easy to fall into sin and lose sight of your relationship with Christ. A godly mentor can be someone who is honest with you and tells you when you need to turn your focus back to God. As a result, they can keep you from continuing in a life of sin and encourage you to live in a way that is honorable to God.
A spiritual mentor can offer wise counsel when it comes to some of life’s toughest decisions. As someone who has walked the road before you, a mentor can guide you in the right direction and steer you away from mistakes they previously made. They can prepare you for what is to come and offer advice from a Christian perspective.
For college students, this advice may often take the form of career guidance. For example, if you’re struggling to decide whether you’re called to be a missionary or a marriage counselor, a mentor can help you explore these possible futures so that you can decide which is best for you.
We all need someone who listens to us and shows support. A mentor does not necessarily do all the talking. They realize that sometimes, you just need someone to listen without judgment. They show understanding because they have most likely experienced similar things, and they are there for you during both good and bad times.
A spiritual mentor is someone who cares about you and wants the best for you. They know that the most important thing in life is to have a personal relationship with Christ, so they encourage you to invest in this relationship. As a result, you can grow spiritually and become mature in your faith.
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