RESOURCE HIGHLIGHT – Mentoring

If you look over your life, can you remember an adult that took the time to walk alongside you? Someone who took an interest in you. Maybe it was a youth leader or someone else in your congregation that encouraged you?

Mentoring is important. At the most basic level, it guarantees that a young person has someone who cares about them. They are not alone in dealing with their day-to-day challenges. Little things that may seem easy to us may seem a major issue for a young person with little or no experience. Mentors can be an adult friend who is there to help and guide them and share how God has been present in their life.

Mentoring creates relationships, which in turn helps create community within a congregation. It is a way of inviting people to share their lives, their stories, and their faith. It leads to growth in faith in both younger and older people, as well as creating relationships that will enhance the life of the church. It is one way that every congregation can be involved in youth ministry in an enriching way.

“Many children and youth ministries say they want to have a 1:5 ratio of adults to kids (meaning they want one adult for every five kids) for their Sunday school class or small groups. What if we reversed that? What if we said we want a 5:1 adult to kid ratio—five adults caring for each kid? … five adults whom you recruit to invest in your kid in little, medium, and big ways.” Dr. Chap Clark, Sticky Faith 2011.

There are many styles of mentoring; it could be one-on-one, small groups, informal get-togethers, or formal sessions. Whatever the strengths, resources, or opportunities in your congregation, you can use them to build a program that benefits the lives of young people in your community in intentional relational ways.