Seeing and Being Seen: Reflections on Iconic Mentoring
How many times have you found yourself caught in a misunderstanding? Assuming one thing, only to discover that it was something else entirely. In the church, misunderstands can happen more often than we realize.
The church is a home for many: a tapestry of identities, personalities, cultures, and ages. But we are limited. We see the world in the limits of our own perspectives. We see each other based on the fragments of information we gather and piece together; but we can never fully experience the others perspective. What we can do is respect it.
On Friday March 13, 2026, at the Sheraton Parkway hotel in Richmond Hill during the Ontario Conference’s Ministries Convention; in the Youth & Young Adults workshop room – Pastor Guadalupe Montour began an evening of discussions about Iconic Mentoring.
The session launched a four-part workshop series where leaders and supporters of Youth & Young adults gathered together to learn more about the interrogative words – who, what, where, when, why and how – that emphasize how we shape the support of young people in their church environments.
At the heart of it all, one truth stood out: young people want to be seen and heard for who they are. Yet leaders can sometimes slip into viewing willing young people as a set of skills to be used rather than individuals to be nurtured. A part of being a good mentor is identifying the skills and values that matter but itis also about creating space for growth, learning and becoming.
The conversation continued into Sabbath morning with an open forum. Participants reflected on the importance of meeting people where they are. A part of mentorship that most fail to recognize is that mentorship is a pathway to leadership. Wementor young not to keep them in supporting roles, but to empower them to lead, innovate and energize the church.
But as leaders, we can become stagnant to power and want to keep a hold of positions and titles, because we’re looking for replicas of ourselves, rather than embracing the unique identities of emerging leaders. True mentorship calls us to see beyond titles and into the heart of those who are the next generation of leaders.
Between the 3 parables found in Luke 15; the Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin and The Lost Son, Pastor Montour highlighted a challenging truth – that we excel at supporting those that already within our walls, but what the outside? Churches are accustomed to Opening their doors but rarely going out to bring people in – that is where change needs to take place. As leaders in this ministry, young people are drowning in the realities of the world. They are feeling empathy and kindness tenfold; navigating a world filled with global crisis, they are longing for church to be a safe and grounding space. So how can we make that happen?
This theme carried us into our final discussion session led by Pastor John Scott and Chris Cardoza. Leaders shared their experiences of feeling siloed by age in their own home churches.Speaking up to their personal experiences, encouraged others to recognize that Jesus’ love is radical, active and lived out with both feet planted firmly in the truth.
By the end of the convention, everyone walked away with a fresh perspective and a new inspired notion of what it means to be a mentor. They carried a deeper understanding of mentorship, rooted in creating safe, welcoming and open spaces where young people are truly seen and hear. They were reminded of a powerful truth: the kingdom of God is not waiting for people to arrive, it is about going to them.