Podcast Episode 153: Episode 126: Special Edition: Mentorship

Description

 We've got three special guests on this unique episode of Rock Cast. Tim Lemons from Highlands Fellowship, Leah Jennings from Northside Christian Church,  and David Axelson from the Village Church join us to talk about the unique relationship they've formed through mentorship in the Rock community. Listen  in for a glimpse of what mentorship can look like and to hear what makes you qualified to answer questions in Rocket Chat (hint: it's just the   ability to type!).

Transcribed Content

This episode of Rockcast is brought to you by Rock partner Triumph Tech, a full service specialist partner. Rock partners provide crucial support for Spark Development Network and important services for the Rock community. Connect with Triumph Tech today at rockrms.com/partners. Welcome to this special edition of Rockcast, the podcast that tells you everything about Rock and Spark Development Network. I'm your host, Emily Forman, and we have a really exciting episode for you today. I'm joined by Erin Higginbotham on our team. She is our community experience, director who works with all things in the community from classes to conferences and all sorts of connections. So she and I have a really exciting panel of guests to bring to you today on the topic of mentorship in the Rock community. So joining us today, we have Tim Lemons at Highlands Fellowship, Leah Jennings at Northside Christian Church, and David Axelson from the Village Church in Texas. Welcome, everybody. Thanks. Glad to be here. It's so exciting to have you here and have three of you at once because there's a really cool story here about mentorship that starts, I think, with Tim. Is that right, Tim? Yeah. Yeah, believe so. Why don't you tell us a little bit about how you first decided to try out what being a mentor might look in the community? Well, I had been a rockstar. Star and so I think John and Emily, guys just laid down the challenge of as a rockstar, why don't you pick two or three people and mentor them? And I was , okay, I don't know what to do or how to do that or whatever, but sure, absolutely. Love to help people and so that's really how it started for me. Was just asked to do it and I did it and it was awesome. Great to meet people and help people. I don't know all the answers, but in fact, these people here on the podcast right now have helped me probably way more than I've helped them. Oh, I think that's the key. Right? It's really just forming those relationships. And, it might be that you've been in the community a little longer than someone and so you can help show them some ropes, but for sure that back and forth learning experience goes both directions. So when you said you just did it, what did what did that entail? What did you have to do? Well, I I I picked a couple of people and, , it's, I think the first round of mentors ships I did, I know Charlotte was one of those. And I just sat down at the conference and she was next to me and I had never met her and we just started talking and she seemed really smart. I was , hey, she'd make a great person to mentor and be a Rock star. So I was , hey, , if you ever need anything, I'd be happy to help you out. Know, yell at me on the Rocket Chat channel and I'm happy to be here. Then this second time around was Leah was one of those and kind of the same thing. Met her at the Rock Conference and thought again, was super smart and knew what she was doing and just wanted to help her be able to help others, I guess. So the details of that are kind of all over the place. I mean, we just direct message each other once in a while and, , ask each other questions and So really, you're just kinda I ask her way more questions. You're just kind of showing someone the ropes on how to get into the community and be a rockstar. That's about it. Yep. That's about it. So, Leah, do you remember, running into Tim at the conference? Yeah. I I do, actually. It was really funny because I'd only been on staff here at Northside for, I think, five months at the time. So when I was there, , I was fresh, , I had those bright eyes and I was just, , pumped to, , dive in so I remember, the first time even seeing him was at, , the pre meet and greet or whatever and I was I was so excited because I was seeing all these faces and matching them to their profile pictures and I was just, it's Tim Lemons, , because I'd seen your name in chat so I was, , internally feeling I was meeting a bunch of stars and so then later on at one of the meals, he'd actually sat next to us, , me and, my team and it was just cool getting to talk to him because he actually is at a church that's, I think, forty five minutes from where I grew up. So it was kind of wild to to even make that connection. But, yeah, I definitely remember it vividly. That's very cool. So when he brought that up, did you had you set your sights on being a Rock star? Oh, yeah. , I didn't even know what it really was. I had seen the the term in the chat and, , people had Rock star shirts on at the conference and I was just, , what is all this? , this is so cool. I couldn't wait to dive in. And so when he when he tapped me on the shoulder for that, I was , absolutely. , tell me what's next. , I'm I'm all in. So it sounds this is interesting because I heard you say and Tim both say, , we didn't have all the answers. We didn't know all the things, but we made a connection. And that's a super empowering thing to say because people who are listening to this podcast today probably can totally relate to that. Yeah. But when you see people that you've seen in chat, Leah, you had at the conference, you're , oh my gosh, they know all the things and they've got it all figured out. Right? And that's not true. Not at all. I'm telling you guys, Leah and David have helped me so much more than I have ever helped them. Promise. And they're so smart and, , programmer based and, , they know everything, and I'm , hey, how do you do this? And they're , ah, they just tell me, and all I did was really just introduce myself and talk to them and make myself available. Yeah. The thing. It's that They me way more. Yeah. It's the introduction. And, , not everybody's wired to, , wanna put themselves out there and make that, , first, , connection and invite someone into something because there's, I don't know, all the humanness of us. Right? , the fear of rejection or of, , not being enough enough. So that's really cool. So, Leah, you got into this whole mentorship thing. You obviously set your sights on being a Rock star. You went in, , both feet. It dive you dove right in. And then at some point, you also decided to follow in Tim's footsteps in the mentorship program and find, some other people that mentor yourself. Right? Yeah. Tell us about that. Yeah. So, once you're kind of in, , the Rock star, you guys have said all the time, , it's a pathway, it's not a pool, , it's something that you are actively working on to give back to the community and not, , a status to attain, so once once I was kind of at that level, I just kind of wanted to give back even more than I was just with, , community help and just find other ways to pull people into it and I'd I've honestly never met David in person but, I mean, I feel every single time I open chat, David Axelson plus plus, , he's always got points helping everybody on every single channel and I was, , if nobody's got him, I'm tagging him on the shoulder because he would be great for this community. Very cool. So you just reached out to him and chat? Mhmm. Yep. That's basically it. Just direct messaged him and I was, , listen, this is pretty rad what you're doing. You're already doing it. , would you to be on that pathway, to be, , in that class of of people? And he he was , yeah. Absolutely. So, David, did that message just kinda come out of the blue? Oh, yeah. Yeah. For sure. I had no idea about, , that whole process. , , they've both said, , I've seen that Rock star tag on people's names, but no idea what that meant other than, , I want to be that. So that must have been pretty fun when you got that just popping into your direct messages and chat. For sure. And I've seen, Leah's name on a lot of stuff. , she is she is a legit Rock star in the community helping people out, so it was really cool. So it didn't take long to say yes? Oh, no. For sure not. Very cool. So did had were you aware of, , a mentorship program, , the unofficial one we have kind of in the community where you can connect with people and kinda learn the ropes? No. Not at all. I said, I've seen that tag, and definitely seen those people stepping out there to to help out in the community. And as someone else who is really new to Rock coming into this role, that is is one of the things that I found most compelling about Rock, especially the Rock community, is those there's people who are willing to step in there and and help other people out. , that's a really cool thing. So, , what's your motivation in that? , you mentioned, you were new. You came in, you kind of looked around and saw what was going on, and you jumped in and started helping people without, , very early on. What motivated you to do that? Actually, it's kind of fun seeing, Tim say this as well, but just , I helping people. , that's, I think that's probably a pretty common factor, I would guess, among, people in this Rock star program that that's part of what's excited me about this role. There's actually something that as I was interviewing, my supervisor brought up that that's something he wanted for this role. , because we have the bandwidth to have a full time person working with Rock, , there are a lot of other churches that don't have that opportunity, and we can step in and help out and be part of the the bigger body of Christ in that way. It would have been so cool if we could have also brought on all the people that have been helped by you over time. I mean, we don't I don't know. We couldn't have pulled that off. I wouldn't even known to try one these impossible. It would be impossible. That's the point. , what you guys are doing as three people is impacting so many people, and the chain of connections isn't over. , there's plenty of opportunity to connect with you, all three of you, or others in the community for people who are interested in being Rock stars. I , we wanna make sure that people don't see it as something that's a fixed group because we've seen changes in the number and and makeup of that group over time. Right? Yes. And there's plenty of room for the listener here right now who's been thinking, , I don't know if I know the things or the right people or the there's plenty of space for that person to decide they want it and to make those connections. Yeah. And I think, you said, that that big hurdle of I don't feel I know enough. Yeah. Or, , I don't feel I'm qualified to do this. , hopefully, having , hearing this conversation, you've heard from people who've been doing it forever to people who are relatively new that that's just not a requirement at all. , step in and help out with what , and that's a big deal. There's a common denominator of what all you are saying, which is just jump in. Just jump in and figure it out. I think it's something really cool and special about the Rock community is that there's a kind of scrappiness to it. Mhmm. Everybody just kind of hops in and figures out what the next step looks , figures out how to go from where they are to where they wanna be. And it's cool to hear all three of you say that in a different way. Yes. And it's really effort based, right, and and passion. And I think it's really interesting. This is the the highlight I really wanted our listeners to hear is every one of you said something , I saw these other people and I thought, oh my gosh, I know that name. I know that face. Oh, I'm, , I'm standing in the presence of someone who knows all the things. And you've all said that about different people, and yet you are representing that to other people. And there's just a humility that goes along with it, I think that's absolutely incredible that there's both that ability to be looked at that way and to look at others that way and realize we're all just a connection, a chain of helping people. And not just helping people in the community, but I think we have to tie it back to what are we doing? Reason we're working at churches or at Spark as a nonprofit is because we really care about serving the church and the church ultimately serving people in their spiritual walks. David, you're right, we're wired to help people. And I think that's what it is, and we have to just keep tying that back. Yes, we're doing that type of ministry with technical tools, but we're all sharing our experience and expertise in those areas because we know we're impacting the people that the church serves. I mean, we're designed for community, right? And The Rock community is amazing. , I'm starting to do more digital engagement stuff with our church and I wish I could create some type of online digital community we have in The Rock. I've never met David, but I've talked to David over and over and over and I've hopped on calls with him. And , Tyler, one of another guy that I've mentored, , we've yet to meet because I missed a Rock conference last year. And anyways, I've never met him in person, but we've talked on through digital means over and over and over. And we have a relationship. And I have a relationship with all these people through Rock that some of them I haven't even met yet. So to it is, it's just we're designed for community and something that somebody else doesn't know. So just help out, get involved, and just make a difference and help. It's a great point that there are people you're connected with that and you have a great relationship with that you haven't met in person. That's really cool. So can the three of you kind of elaborate on what those connections look in this mentorship relationship that you have, Tim and Leah, and Leah and David, how do you connect? What's the frequency look ? Someone's trying to envision themselves in this kind of relationship? What, what are some of the ways that plays out? Well, I gotta be honest when you, when you guys emailed us and asked us to do this, first thing I did was send a message to Leah. And I said, I don't know that we're qualified for this because we haven't talked and we haven't been very intentional. And she said, Yeah, I kind of feel the same way. So I don't know. I mean, it's just everybody's busy, right? For sure. And I don't know that we've been super intentional about , hey, we're gonna get together once a month or anything that, but I always have needs, right? I'm always, I always have questions, I always need help. And so it's just , she's one of the first ones that I'm gonna go to. If I put a question in a channel and nobody answers me, then I'm gonna direct message some people and say, hey, do this or that? And so because of that relationship, I'll message her and kind of that same thing back. So I do know, , I'm sure some people out there, personality, right? I'm not that type or super organized. I'm just kinda, I'm just not. So I'm sure there's some out there that haven't set a set meeting every third Thursday of the month or something that. But for for me, that's not what we've done. But that's kind of an important point, Right? But it looks however you want it to look. Yeah. It can look very informal. It can look, I have a question, and I know I've got a point person. And it can also look , hey. We're gonna meet every Thursday. I think that's cool. Yeah. It's kind of the same with David and I, , very fluid, just kind of as needed, kinda ad hoc basis. He reached out with a couple questions sometimes and, , I'm always there ready to help as as I can. That would definitely be something that I would encourage people who are joining the mentorship program either as a mentor or a mentee is to try to be more intentional with some of those connections because, I mean, we get in the thrills of the day to day, it is very easy to, , that that I will get to that or that, , something that you'll kinda follow-up on later but, unless it's something that's prioritized or on your calendar, it's really easy to miss. That's even something that Tim had told me when he had, messaged me about becoming a Rock was if you don't put time on your calendar to spend and chat, it's not going to happen and that's, , the the one thing for the longest time, I had a standing, , Tuesday appointment with Rocket Chat that I would just, , just sit in the channels and, , kind of see, what people were working on and how I could help. So that's definitely something just I would encourage people to do is just kind of assess that and have that conversation as you build that mentorship. So that way, we kinda know what to expect and how often you wanna connect. That's some good solid advice right there because you're right. Our best intentions aren't enough. I've been working on some calendar blocking lately too, and it does make a big difference. It seems it shouldn't. It seems intention should be enough, but they are not. No. What would you say has been the most impactful, opportunities or experiences that you've had inside this mentoring relationship? I would say for me, just being a part of something that's bigger than myself, and that that kind of alludes to the mentorship and the entire rap community, knowing that you're building these connections, that other people can use you as an asset in their ministry and other churches, it's all kingdom minded. And that that is by far the biggest thing, just giving back and through the mentorship but also through other means in the community. I get asked a lot, , what do you love about your job? And I'm, , easily, , always in the top three answers is I get to be a part of this community with our database which sounds super, , nerdy but it's I always bring it back to the why, , we are serving his kingdom throughout the entire world through this little piece that we have, and everybody has a part to play, and that that's definitely the most impactful for me. Mhmm. It's interesting that you said everyone has a different part to play. And, honestly, I think humans, we're all quirky. Right? , we all have our little things. And it's so cool that, Tim, you pointed out, you have different skill sets than Leah or than David, and there's room for everybody, and it's all needed. And it and you don't have to share exactly the same skill sets to help each other out. And so I think that's that's really cool too. Yeah. I mean, it's not to get spiritual, but the body of Christ. Right? If a finger if a finger tried to be a toe, it wouldn't work out very good. So No. I've tried to be a toe at different times, and it's not a good idea. Yeah. No. Anytime I try to walk on my hands, it doesn't work out so well. No. Definitely not. We should lean into our own giftedness for sure. So what advice would you give someone who's looking to connect with someone who might mentor them and show them the ropes of moving into Rock star status in the community? I would say jump in, we've been saying. , I know you've got fears of being inadequate and we all do, and but it's just don't be afraid to ask someone. If you've talked to somebody a lot and maybe you feel you have a rapport with them or maybe you don't know anybody, find somebody and say, hey, I wanna do more, I wanna help more, I wanna be more involved, I wanna learn, I wanna grow. Can you help? And Do you feel the connections you've made inside the community have helped, grow your individual strengths, capacities, and skill sets? Absolutely, yeah. There's, I mean, I could, it's we said earlier, if we pulled everybody in who has, who we have helped, there's no way I could pull in everybody who has helped me. I mean, the things we're doing in Rock to make a difference in people's lives through our church is just amazing. And I wouldn't be able to do any of it if I hadn't connected with these people and learned from everybody. That's what makes it a great community. Well, on the flip side, what would you say to someone who has moved to Rock? Maybe they're fairly new to being on the platform. They've peaked in the community, and they thought, I I can do it on my own just fine. I I don't I don't need that. I think there's something I was thinking about this, before the meeting. , there's something to the fact that you learn so much by helping people. ? , if someone asks an interesting question that you don't know the answer to, , that's a great opportunity for you to play around on the demo site or even your own instance and, , figure it out and help them figure it out. But by doing that, , you're gonna learn so much. , it's the classic, , you learn best by teaching. True. But, , you have that opportunity to step into those and bring up things that you wouldn't necessarily have thought to look into. So I think that's been true for me that I've learned so much by jumping into Rocket Chat and being a part of that. Yeah, I think there's been so many times someone has asked a question and maybe someone hasn't answered. So I'll be , I don't know, but let's try to figure it out. And I'll even, my favorite thing to do, I'm a people person and so I love to connect with people. So I'll be , hey, let's hop on a Zoom real quick and let's just figure it out. And one of my favorite things is watching other people do things because I learn how they think when they're trying to problem solve and that has helped me think different. And so that's what I try to do is , hey, let's hop on a Zoom and I'll just kind of explain what I'm thinking as I try to figure out this problem. And I feel that helps people so much because you're teaching them how to become a problem solver instead of just do a b c d e. ? Mhmm. That's a great point. I think sometimes some people view the community as the place to ask questions, but they also don't feel qualified to give answers. And maybe that's all in their heads, because maybe there's qualification on what they do know, but maybe not on some other things they don't know. At what point are you qualified to give answers in Rocket Chat? At any point. Yeah. If you if you even if you don't know I mean, just they were saying, , if you have any kind of ability to type, , you can answer questions even if it's , okay, I'm not great at this side of Rock but here's a few things I would try if this were me, and you can model some of that problem solving or just shooting out some some clarifying questions that maybe even if you don't settle on the answer, someone else can come along and be , hey, see you've already tried these things. Let's let's take it a little bit further and try some other things, and that's where we all play a part. There's plenty of times I've answered, we've not gotten to the solution and then I'll just kind of leave it as , hey, if anyone else has any ideas, , feel free to jump in because this is kind of beyond what I've I've been able to figure out. So, yeah, I think at any point you are totally qualified to jump in and start chatting. Just So one, , that person that's asked that question, they feel seen even if they Mhmm. They didn't get the answer they were looking for or it's not resolved in, , five minutes, , there's people helping them and that that builds that community piece you're looking for. It's not always the end goal is not always solution. The end goal is community and that's built by even just typing something. Yeah. And I I think part of my job, feel in the community is a connector, , Peter from Traders Point has helped me with Power BI so much. And so anytime I see somebody asking a question about Power BI or metrics, I'm , need to talk to Peter. So I'll tag him and just try to connect other people to other people who know that better. Right? And and the the only way you can do that is by being in the community and seeing how people are talking and what they're experts on. And and then that that's just another way to help people. Yep. What you said, Tim, reminds me of the when I moved to Phoenix, One of my neighbors is a connector, and she would just help me find all the right resources that I needed to feel I was at home. And I think that's really valuable and true inside the The Rock community too. Sometimes just you said, Leah, that friendly someone reaching out, , it might just be saying, hey. Welcome. I see you just joined for the first time. Take a peek over here. There's some great stuff going on for people who are new. Or let me know if you need anything. Or connecting people with someone that has developed an expertise in a subject matter. You don't have to have all the answers. And I love too, Leah, that you did not feel nervous about saying, I will help people collaboratively, and sometimes we just end up still not knowing. And that's okay. Mhmm. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's doing that work in that ministry together. That's really cool. So don't be intimidated. Right? You see the Rock star tag and you're , Oh, a Rock star? Oh my. But you don't have to be intimidated. Everybody on the other side is just a person who's gonna do their best to help you figure out what you're trying to figure And as the community grows, our Rock star group needs to grow as well. It's not a fixed number. We need more people. So don't let that intimidation factor overcome you. Don't let your individual skill set stop you and and just make the connections. I think that's probably the theme of the day today for the mentorship discussion. Well, thank you so much, Tim, Leah, and David for joining us today. This has been really cool to talk through, and the connections that the number of people that you've helped still just boggles my mind. And the way that that all weaves together is phenomenal. And so we are looking for more people to actively want to be a part of that and not let their own fears hold them back. So if someone in the community wants to reach out to you and ask you how to get connected, I'm sure that you would be totally open to that. Erin and I would be as well. And the community needs more rockstars and more people who are passionate about using technology for ministry. Thank you so much for joining us today. Thank you, guys. Thanks, guys. Do a church that loves the idea of using Rock but hasn't taken that leap yet? With managed hosting, churches of any size can get access to Rock's amazing technology, hassle free. With just one click, Rock's managed hosting removes the roadblocks that might stop a church from switching to Rock by making the process simple. Churches get the ease of a SaaS church management system without losing any of Rock's features. Are you ready to take the next step or share with another local church? Visit rockrms.com/hosting today.