The goal of e-mail mentoring is to share God’s love and grace with a hurting person on the receiving end of the response e-mail and prayer. You can accomplish this with words of compassion.

People write on a heart level, so it's important to meet them there by responding first of all to their feelings. Use phrases that communicate an acknowledgement of the hurt and pain in their situation. Empathy shows that you really do care, and this care is an extension of God’s love for them.

As a resource we suggest that you read the article, Bringing Comfort to the Wounded by Lynette Hoy.

Below are two sample mentor responses that illustrate how words of compassion were used at the very beginning.

Samples

1. Problem: I am in a job that I am unsuited for, and I'm often afraid that I am going to mess up and get into trouble or be fired. I feel confused and displaced and unappreciated.  Please pray for me. Erin.

Mentor Response: Dear Erin, I am so glad that you have written into this site and I am honored to respond to you today and pray for you. My heart goes out to you as I read your e-mail. I feel badly for the tension and challenges that you are facing in your job. Life can seem very difficult when we have to face a job each day that we feel overwhelmed by. (Move into reassurance of God’s love and care, gospel presentation and prayer.)

2. Problem: My heart is breaking and I need someone to pray for me. For five months now I have been dating a Christian man. We have been slowly planning our lives together. Our kids have met, my family met him and he proclaimed his love for me. This last weekend I met his family and friends and we enjoyed a wonderful weekend together. We were so in love. After this wonderful weekend I woke up on Monday and I received the news from him that his daughter tried to kill herself with sleeping pills. It was horrible. I told him that he and his ex-wife really needed to come together at this point and be supportive for their daughter. So that night after he got home he said I need to talk with me. He told me that his ex-girlfriend had written him a letter and said God had put it on her heart that he should get back with his ex-wife. He also told me that another friend had done the same earlier in the week, he said that he could not ignore the signs. Even after proposing to me and proclaiming his love for me he was going back to his ex-wife. His older daughter and I are have become very close, and she could not believe it. She said there is no way... He loves you... I am so lost and confused and devastated. My faith is being challenged and my heart is numb, I need some help. Please, have someone write me, and pray, Thank you. Susan.

Mentor response: Dear Susan, My name is Patricia and I am responding to you on behalf of Women Today.  As soon as I read your inquiry I began praying and have not ceased.  It is my hope to bring comfort and to answer you with sensitivity. You have every right to be devastated.  It is devastating to go from believing your life is headed one way to having the wind knocked out of your sails in a single phone call.  And, it is understandable how your faith has been challenged by this situation... (Move into reassurance that God is there for her and prayer)

Become a mentor: If you are not already a mentor with us, please see more information  here.