Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. Psalm 16:5-6

Mentoring has become a lost art within the Christian sector. Our Christian heritage is built upon the concept of mentoring. Older women and men would train and mentor youth who might one day replace their leadership. I have once heard it stated, “Success without a successor is failure.” I believe this to be especially true concerning the future of our youth.

Mentoring opens doors for opportunity, provides inspiration and encouragement, and directs, guides and empowers students to find their truest sense of self through Christ. Following are some simple guidelines to establishing an effective mentoring program for youth.

 Introduce the Topic to Youth
Creating a successful mentoring program requires attention and excitement. Research places in history where mentoring made a difference in the world. Gather statistics that reflect mentoring success and ways that it made a difference. Find inspirational stories to share, either from history or from your own experience. Students connect to stories that relate to their own experiences.

During weekly youth gatherings introduce the concept of mentoring. Present it in a way that is appealing. Help students recognize that having a mentor is a privilege, responsibility, and a blessing. Research historical leaders who were inspired by mentors  (basketball players, artists, teachers, ministers, etc.). Piece together a creative PowerPoint presentation with inspirational quotes, interviews, and music. Find a young person who meets regularly with a mentor and have them give a testimonial to the youth. Your excitement and passion for a mentoring program will affect its overall success.

Find Mentees
Mentoring is usually most effective when working with senior high students and beyond. Not all students will wish to have a mentor. Encourage all students to participate, but realize that some may not have the maturity to relate to a mentor. Help students to realize that each mentor/mentee pair will operate differently. With their mentor, they will decipher how often to meet and how their relationship will function. On average, most mentors/mentees will try to make some form of contact at least once weekly. The benefits for youth and mentors are endless. Youth gain an adult friend other than their parents in whom to relate. Mentors can provide encouragement, aid students in realizing their potential, and provide avenues of jobs, service, or ministry opportunities for youth. 

Find Dedicated Mentor
Announce within the church that you are beginning a mentor program for the youth. Be creative with publicity and create a buzz within the congregation regarding this new program. Hold an informational meeting for those that might be interested. Make the meeting fun and informative. Have the prospective mentors tell why they wish to invest in the life of a youth. Discuss with them the structure of the program and be honest about how much time you wish for them to invest in each student. (For protection of the students, it is imperative that each person seeking to be a mentor undergo a background check.) Mentoring programs may vary from group to group. Mentors should expect to contact their mentee weekly or every two weeks. Contact may occur through a letter, an email, or a personal visit. Mentors should expect to meet in person with their mentors at least once a month.

Being a mentor is a rewarding experience. A mentor shares his or her life and experiences in order to encourage a younger generation. A mentor helps to shape a student’s future while investing a part of themselves in the core of a student’s spiritual journey.

Match up Mentors to Mentees
The success for each individual will deeply depend on their mentor/mentee matches. Girls should always be paired with female mentors and boys should always be paired with male mentors. If there are more students than mentors, pair up 2-3 students with one mentor. In a mentee meeting, have students fill out detailed questionnaires about their likes, dislikes, life experiences, hopes, and expectations for the mentor/mentee relationship, etc. Have mentors fill out similar forms about themselves. Match up pairs according to similarities and compatibilities. Pray diligently as you decipher matches for each student. Once pairs have been assigned, hold a special event to foster relational building with each group. The introductory meeting could take place in the form of a banquet, retreat, or group outing. Group building games and crowd breakers often foster an inviting atmosphere for new groups of people. Create a fun “game show” type activity to introduce mentees to mentors. Most importantly, find time for mentor/mentee pairs to learn about one another and decide their time commitments to each other.

Encourage and Empower
As you facilitate the program, supply helpful hints to mentors regarding ways they can connect with their youth. Some helpful hints might include writing encouragement notes throughout the year; going to ballgames, plays and special events; having their mentee to their home to meet spouses, children, etc; planning special events to attend together; etc. Each mentor/mentee pair will have different needs and situations. Allow groups to find creative ways to foster effective mentoring.

Evaluate Often
Hold meetings with mentors and mentees throughout the program. Have pairs report on their experiences. What needs to be changed? What needs to be strengthened? What needs to be eliminated? Are there groups that need to be changed? Form a list of issues and questions to cover with the groups. Apply the suggestions to the program regularly and continually invite feedback.

Every mentoring program will look different. However, the objective is to foster positive role models and effective growth for leadership. God has given us a great inheritance. With inheritance we are given both the gift and responsibility to empower those that follow closely behind. Mentoring changes lives and thus changes the world.

Lori Crowe Burgess graduated from McAfee School of Theology (Mercer University) with a Master of Divinity in 2004. Lori is currently serving as a freelance writer for various publications and ministry curriculums. She also serves as a missions consultant for churches; working with women of all ages.