Fathering, or mentoring, is one of the most important relationships, if not the most important, in all of life. This book looks specifically at Biblical mentoring, the fathering of sons in the Kingdom of God.
A positive expression of godly maleness in church life, without which there can be no positive expression of fathering, has all but disappeared, and the Church is the poorer for it. True masculinity and true sonship come from the father, and can only come from the father. This book explores what it means to be a true son, some misconceptions about what fathering, or mentoring, is, and then examines the true nature of Biblical fathering.
Biblical fathering has a deliberate purpose. It has vision. It always points sons to the Father in heaven and seeks to bring ‘sons’ into an environment that enables them to be effective and to fulfil their God-given call. For this reason, true Biblical fathering has to do with the fashioning and forming of ‘team’.
There is an apostolic dimension to any team in the Bible, and all fathering in a Biblical context also has an apostolic element. Biblical fathering is thus a significant key to raising up and releasing sons who will “go into all the world” and “make disciples of all nations.” This is, after all, the will of the Father.
“The cry for biblical fathering echoes across the world today, as countless leaders realise their need to be mentored. How we need someone with a pure testimony and who is finishing strong, to coach us through life’s challenges and pitfalls.
Dudley is such a person. I have had the privilege of having him put his hand on my shoulder and direct me out of the misty hills of obscurity onto a path that led to a richer and fuller inheritance in Christ. There are many men around the world who today share this testimony with me. We will be forever grateful for his example as leader and mentor.” Ashley Bell, Johannesburg, NCMI Team Member