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Growing Together | Book Review

Writer's picture: Amber ThiessenAmber Thiessen

Updated: Oct 5, 2024


"Would you consider mentoring me?"


Isn’t that one of the most nerve-wracking questions a Christian woman could ask another? Or maybe, it's even more intimidating to be asked that question!


But we don’t have to let it overwhelm us anymore. There's a resource that equips you to walk alongside another woman with purpose. Growing Together is exactly what you need. Keep reading to find out more.


Growing Together | Book Reivew


Content


quote rom growing together by melissa kruger

Content

Purpose of the Book

Melissa Kruger writes this for the purpose of providing "a hands-on tool that a mentor and mentee can use together as a springboard for mentoring discussions."


Table of Contents

Introduction

  1. We Need One Another

  2. Setting Expectations and Sharing Your Story

  3. Taste and See: Savoring the Word of God

  4. The Church: Our Home Away from Home

  5. It’s Good News! Sharing Your Faith with Others

  6. Prayer: Pouring Out Your Heart to God

  7. Family and Friendship: Loving Your Nearest Neighbors

  8. Temptations: In the World but Not of It

  9. Joy in the Journey: Cultivating Contentment in All Seasons

  10. Service: Spending Your Life on Others

  11. Discernment: Choosing What Is Best


Summary

She encourages us in the first two chapters about the importance of the mentoring relationship and to clarify the expectations of what times together look like.


The next 9 chapters highlight different topics of Christian living, such as church, prayer, family and, temptations, to facilitate conversation between the mentor and mentee. At the end of each chapter, you'll find a handful of questions that you can discuss, with the added challenge of considering an area of change.


quote from growing together by melissa kruger

My Take

Growing up in the church, I was blessed to be guided by godly men and women who invested in me—whether through Sunday school, Pioneer Girls, mission trips, or youth ministry teams. These experiences, along with summer camps, equipped me for ministry and instilled in me a love for serving others.


During my university years, I moved to a new city, found a church community, and was deeply shaped by the Christian books I encountered. Later, marriage and a move to Africa brought more opportunities to grow, as I sat under the teaching of gifted leaders and worked alongside teammates who not only encouraged my theological development but also helped me navigate the practical challenges of cross-cultural ministry.


As I reflected on the people who have poured into my life, I realized how many names belong on the list of those who mentored and guided me. These relationships were like a source of nourishment—fertilizing my spiritual growth and sustaining me through seasons of need, drought, and uncertainty.


As others have poured into me, it has become a joy and privilege to walk alongside other women—listening to their stories, encouraging their hearts, and inviting conversations that lead us to Jesus. While it might seem like the mentor is the one doing all the blessing, I’ve found that these relationships have deeply impacted me as well. The way these women persevere, show resolve, and seek Jesus through difficult seasons models the Gospel to me in profound ways.


But back to the original question. I believe many women in the church hesitate when it comes to mentoring. Some of this hesitation likely stems from fear—What will I say? What will I do? Other times, it’s rooted in insecurity, as if we need to reach a certain level of spiritual maturity before we’re “qualified” to mentor. And perhaps there’s also the fear that saying yes to mentoring means committing to a lifelong relationship.


The beauty of mentoring, though, isn’t about having every answer or being a perfect role model. It's about walking together in faith, sharing our experiences, and pointing each other back to the truth of God's Word. We aren’t called to be flawless guides but to be faithful companions. Just as Paul encouraged others to imitate him as he imitated Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1), mentoring is simply inviting someone into your journey—trusting that God will use both your victories and your struggles to encourage and build up the other person. It’s less about teaching and more about doing life together in Christ.


So, instead of focusing on our fears or perceived inadequacies, what if we simply leaned into the opportunity to invest in someone’s life, trusting God to work through our imperfect efforts? Who might God be calling you to walk alongside in this season?


quote from growing together by melissa kruger

My Recommendation

In a nutshell, this resource will guide you to mentor another young woman, providing conversation starters and accountability. Yes, you will need to play your part, but no longer is there a reason to feel lost or an excuse that you don't know how!


I give it 5 stars. This is a great resource for all Christian women! I say all to remind us that we all are exhorted to mentor. It's not a responsibility for the 'gifted' or the 'mature' it is for the regular women who follow Jesus, like you and me.


I lovingly challenge you to buy two copies of this book and ask the Lord who you can share this journey with!


Quick Stats

# of Pages: 192

Level of Difficulty: Easy

My Rating: 5 stars


quote from growing together by melissa kruger

[PODCAST] Let's Talk: Finding a Mentor and Being a Mentor

This is a 30minute podcast with the author, Jackie Hill Perry and Jasmine Holmes on the topic of mentoring. I don't listen to many podcasts, but I did follow this one and recommend it if you have the time!




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Scriptures About Discipleship

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:18-20)
Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. (Titus 2:3-5)
Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. (Acts 18:24-26)
Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Heb. 10:25)

Follow Along



**Thank you to Crossway for the complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to post an honest review!


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All Content © Amber Thiessen, 2017-2024 | All Rights Reserved. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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