Christian Youth Mentoring |
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Youth The Concepts Behind Christian Mentoring The process of guiding and mentoring people is a highly delicate one: mentors need to be able to allow their proteges to progress and get out of their shells, but they have to strike the balance between directing the movements of their followers while still allowing these fledglings time to find the strength of their own wings and fly with their own will. One such form of mentoring is Christian mentoring, in which a Christian looks after a protege who may or may not be a Christian, but who will benefit from the strength and wisdom of the older or more experienced person. One such mentoring relationship, at least in the Christian sense, is that between a senior pastor and his junior. The former will guide the younger in speaking the voice of God, and in bringing a sense of unity and Christian goodness to a flock. Another such Christian mentoring relationship is that between parents and children, where Christian parents have to guide their children in following the Christian way of living. Christian mentoring, therefore, is the passing down and sharing of knowledge and wisdom by someone who is an expert in a field, and with the precepts and principles of Christianity guiding the mentor and protege. In general, Christian mentoring programs will help people guide those who are younger than they in living a Christian way of life. Some mentoring programs will even exhort would-be or aspiring mentors to do two things at the onset: find a good mentor who will pass down knowledge and get an aspiring mentor started on good living and good Christian teachings; and, at nearly the same time, find a protege who might benefit from your teaching and wisdom further down the line. Once these two persons are identified, a would-be or aspiring mentor is exhorted to be as creative as possible in meeting such people. These meetings might be as simple as stopping over at someone’s house, meeting over for coffee, or having dinner together. Another way for the mentor and protege to meet is through a shared hobby. Such a hobby might include running, biking, writing poetry, reading books, or even cooking. Despite the image of intense and sometimes alienating spirituality attached to Christian mentoring, many Christian mentoring programs are actually more about building a stronger relationship between mentor and protege. The shared hobby may actually be a simple beginning: many mentors will share tasks with their proteges, such as smaller jobs at one’s office, training the protege in various tasks, or simply listening to the protege talk. What makes Christian mentoring unique, however, is its emphasis on things that would otherwise make people appear vulnerable in the secular arena. For instance, mentors and proteges are required to listen to each other intently, and to avoid speaking about oneself as much as possible in order to learn better. Second, mentors and proteges are required to be as real and as truthful to each other as possible. Honesty is certainly the best policy in Christian mentoring, and if a protege is feeling down, awkward, unwanted, or simply out of sorts, he or she is encouraged to talk to his or her mentor and humbly ask for guidance. There are many different kinds of Christian mentoring programs out there. If you need more information, talk to your local Christian pastor, or do research over the Internet. Many such mentoring programs also have their own websites and mailing lists that can make it easier for you to read about their activities and enroll in their program. |
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| Christian Youth Mentoring News | |||||
Ex-Cal star Chuck Muncie rushes to inspire others - San Jose Mercury News
Muslim, Christian rivals turn peacemakers in Nigeria - Reuters South Africa
Project Aims to Spread Power of Adoption - Christian Broadcasting Network
Interfaith Calendar - Indianapolis Star
PEOPLE PROFILE: Stephen Hay, youth organizer - Lockport Union-Sun & Journal
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