Frequently Asked Questions

Whether you’re thinking about joining LIFT or you’ve already been matched, it’s normal to have questions. We’ve gathered some of the ones we hear most often below.

Before You Join

LIFT is a Christian mentoring community that connects women with other women for encouragement, friendship, faith, and support through whatever season of life they’re in.
Sometimes you need someone a little further down the road who can listen, encourage you, share what she’s learned, and simply walk alongside you for a season. That’s what LIFT is all about.
LIFT is for women in all different ages and stages of life. You don’t have to be going through a crisis or have a specific problem you need help solving. We all need mentors.
Maybe you’re navigating motherhood, marriage, work, faith, a big transition, or just everyday life. Or maybe you simply want a meaningful relationship with another woman who can encourage you and help you grow.
A mentor isn’t expected to have all the answers. She’s simply there to listen, encourage, pray with you, share wisdom from her own experiences, and walk alongside you.
Think less “expert with all the answers” and more “trusted friend who’s a little further down the road.”
Definitely not!
You don’t need a perfect life, a Bible degree, or an answer for everything. Some of the best mentors are simply women who listen well, care deeply, are willing to share what they’ve learned, and consistently show up.
Your experiences—the good ones and the hard ones—may be exactly what another woman needs in this season.
That’s completely okay. You don’t need to come to LIFT with a goal, a problem to solve, or even a clear idea of what you need. No matter what stage of life we are in, we all need other women in our lives who are mentors.
Sometimes you just know you’d like someone to talk to, learn from, pray with, or walk through life with. Your relationship can develop naturally from there.
Our LIFT team personally works through the applications and prayerfully matches women based on things like life experiences, season of life, personality, interests, and what a mentee may be looking for in a mentor.
There’s no perfect formula, but we put a lot of thought and care into each match.
LIFT is meant to fit into real life—not become another thing on your to-do list.
We encourage mentors and mentees to connect consistently throughout the September–May term. What that looks like may be a little different for every pair depending on schedules and needs.
The goal isn’t a certain number of hours. It’s simply making space to build a real relationship.
We encourage you to connect about once a month at minimum, but you and your mentor or mentee can decide what works best for you.
You may meet for coffee, grab lunch, go for a walk, talk on the phone, or check in through texts between meetings. There isn't one “right” way to do LIFT.
Once registration closes, our LIFT team begins the matching process. We spend time reviewing applications and putting together matches, and then we’ll contact you with information about the woman you’ve been matched with and what happens next.
From there, the two of you can begin getting to know each other!
Just reach out and let us know as soon as possible. We understand that circumstances change.
If you've already been matched, please don't simply disappear from the relationship. Contact the LIFT team so we can help figure out the best next step for everyone involved.

During Your LIFT Term

Either of you can!
We may encourage mentors to make that first connection, but there’s no need to sit around wondering whose turn it is. If you’re excited to meet the woman you’ve been matched with, send the text.
A simple, “Hey! I’m so excited we were matched. When would you like to get together?” is plenty.
Keep it simple. Grab coffee or lunch, take a walk, or meet somewhere you can sit and talk.
You don't need an agenda for your first meeting. Spend some time getting to know each other. Talk about your families, work, interests, faith, what this season of life looks like, and what made each of you interested in LIFT.
You’re starting a relationship, not conducting an interview.
Life!
Your conversations might include marriage, parenting, friendships, work, faith, decisions you’re facing, things you're struggling with, things you're celebrating—or what happened at the grocery store that morning.
Not every conversation has to be deep. Give your relationship room to become a real friendship.
That is completely normal.
Remember, you’re two people who may not know each other very well yet. Sometimes you click immediately, and sometimes a relationship takes a little longer to develop.
Don't put too much pressure on the first meeting or two. Give each other a little grace, keep showing up, and allow the relationship time to grow.
First, give it a little time. “This feels new” and “this isn't a good match” aren't always the same thing.
You may have different personalities, ages, backgrounds, or interests—and sometimes those differences end up being one of the best parts of a mentoring relationship.
But if you’ve given it some time and something genuinely doesn't feel right, please reach out to the LIFT team. We want this to be a healthy experience for both of you, and we're here to help.
Start by giving each other some grace. Life gets busy, texts get forgotten, and people have different communication styles.
But mentoring works best when both people participate in building the relationship. Mentors shouldn't have to continually chase mentees, and mentees shouldn't feel like they're bothering their mentors by reaching out.
If it becomes a pattern, have a simple, honest conversation about it. And if you need help, you can always reach out to us.
You haven't failed LIFT. :)
Life happens. Kids get sick. Work gets crazy. Vacations happen. Calendars fill up.
Just reconnect. Don't let one missed meeting turn into three months because you feel bad that you haven't talked. Send the text and pick back up where you left off.
First, don't feel like every meeting has to include a big, meaningful conversation.
But if you do feel stuck, try asking questions like:
What has been taking up most of your headspace lately?
What's been really good lately? What's been hard?
Is there anything you're trying to figure out right now?
How can I pray for you?
Sometimes one good question is all it takes.
No. Faith is an important part of LIFT and will naturally be part of many mentoring relationships, but you don't have to turn every cup of coffee into a Bible study.
Talk about real life. Laugh together. Share stories. Ask questions. Pray for each other. Talk about what God is teaching you when it comes naturally.
The goal is a genuine relationship where faith can be part of the conversation—not a checklist you have to complete.
Trust is incredibly important in a mentoring relationship. Personal things shared between a mentor and mentee should generally stay between the two of you.
The exception is when someone shares something that makes you concerned for her safety or someone else's safety, or something comes up that needs support beyond what a mentoring relationship can provide. In those situations, please reach out to the LIFT team or another appropriate source of help.
Being a mentor doesn't mean you have to know how to handle everything.
Mentors are there to listen, encourage, pray, share wisdom, and walk alongside their mentees. They aren't expected to take the place of a counselor, pastor, doctor, or other professional.
Sometimes the most loving thing a mentor can say is, “I care about you, and I think this is something you need more support with than I can give.”
If you're unsure what to do, reach out to the LIFT team. You don't have to figure it out alone.
Please do.
We don't want to match you in September and then disappear until May.
If you're unsure how to handle something, communication has dropped off, something feels uncomfortable, or you simply need a little advice, reach out. We're here to support both mentors and mentees throughout the term.
Sometimes circumstances change, and we understand that.
If you need to step away from your mentoring relationship before the end of the term, please contact the LIFT team rather than simply stopping communication. We'll help you navigate the situation as thoughtfully as possible.
Our official mentoring term runs from September through May. When the term ends, your commitment to LIFT ends—but your relationship doesn't have to.
Some mentoring relationships are meant for a season. Others turn into friendships that last for years.
There’s no pressure either way.
Absolutely.
In fact, we hope many of you do.
LIFT gives you the introduction and a season to intentionally build a relationship. What that relationship looks like after May is completely up to the two of you.

Still have a question

—or need a little help with your mentoring relationship? We’re here. Reach out to the LIFT team anytime.