Running head: MENTORING YOUTH ESSAY
Mentoring Youth Essay
Anna Margot Brisky
Grand Canyon University: MIN 630
10/1/14
1
MENTORING YOUTH ESSAY
2
Mentoring Youth
Mentoring is the process in which a person guides or advises another individual through
developing solutions to various facets of life. In order to mentor youth, mentors must have a
particular heart posture and sense of character that is often discussion throughout the Bible. Mark
10:45 shares Jesus declaration that he came not to be served, but to serve others. An expression
for role models to set the example and urge younger individuals to model good works, show
integrity and sound speech is emphasized in Titus 2:6-8. The practice of mentoring is also
revealed in 2 Timothy 3:14-17 where readers learn that God has inspired all of scripture to teach
the truth, but also identify what is wrong in the lives of believers. Mentoring youth in today’s
culture requires that programs incorporate strategic practices, embrace methods of incarnational
ministry, adhere to key components of mentoring, and develop ways to apply these fundamentals
to the changing youth culture.
Mentoring Strategies
The younger generations of modern culture have faced some horrendous issues in their
lives and are in need of guidance in a several aspects in their lives. Though these issues are not
new to society, the current issues are not being addressed collectively leaving the youth to fend
for themselves and be isolated from society. These youth are in need of a sound support system
for times in which they need encouragement, correction, and prayer. Mentors are people who
advocate for individuals who reach out for assistance, but in other instances, mentors are
recruited to engage a person as he or she struggles with life situations. Mentoring relationships
require engagement and sharing from both individuals where both members agree to invest in the
one another’s lives (GCU, 2010). The relationship is more effective when the mentoring partner
MENTORING YOUTH ESSAY
3
is mentored by an individual of the same gender, and this person is typically older and more
experienced.
Mentors are also expected to “listen with their hearts not just their heads…ask the right
questions…not teach above where they are… share the word of God” (Stoddard & Tamasy,
2009, p. 70-6). It is all too important for mentors to be truthful, and do well to direct the
discussion to the word of God. This process of navigating through the Bible does require
perseverance as several contextual elements must be analyzed to ensure a solid understanding of
the particular scripture. In light of these points, by listening to the mentoring partner, the mentor
is able to discover and discern what it is that the person truly needs help with even when they do
not come right out and say what it is. By asking the right engaging questions, the partner feels
safe to open up his or her life in order for the mentor to enter his or her world. In turn, the mentor
must do the same.
Finally, it is vital to implement the best practices of mentoring which include safety,
accountability, a 1-to-1 mentoring ratio, and setting clear boundaries for the relationship (GCU,
2010). Mentors need to look at themselves as they are not able to speak on situations they have
not experienced. Just the same, as a mentor, it is unacceptable to pressure the mentoring partner
to believe what the mentor believes or force personal opinions on other another. Stoddard and
Tamasy (2009) also suggest the need to refer to original sources or the original foundation of
one’s thought. Mentoring partners are their own person, so their individuality should be
encouraged, valued and respected. Each of these practices, and several others, comprise the
development of a mentoring relationship especially in today’s youth culture.
MENTORING YOUTH ESSAY
4
Incarnational Ministry
In order for a mentoring relationship to be effective, there are many factors to
incorporate; the use of incarnational ministry is one of them. Incarnational ministry is when a
person, specifically a mentor witnesses “to God’s love through one’s presences and actions”
(Sherman, 2005, p. 8) or “becomes part of his or her partner’s culture by entering into their
world” (GCU, 2010, para. 1). In other words, the mentor is acquiring a more intimate level
where he or she is learning the partner’s likes and dislikes as well as their hobbies. The key for
this form of ministry is to grow spiritually, and to creatively catch the youth’s attention from
their realm (technologically, musically, artistically, etc.) in order to demonstrate how God is able
to work with them through their interests (Krum, 2005).
Incarnational ministry calls for churches to openly talk about what they believe and why,
in addition to facilitating the development of a youth’s life-long intimate relationship with Jesus
Christ. This can be done by implementing an outward focus of ministry whereby mentors reach
out to youth who are desperately in need of Jesus. The outward focus views the larger purpose of
God’s creative and redemptive work, understanding that others must learn from their mistakes,
and brings people together through love. The youth need to know that they have been forgiven
by Jesus, so mentors work with them through the process of forgiving themselves which aids in
the development of their relationship. In all, incarnational ministry helps develop mentoring
strategies and techniques that drive the mentors to meet the youth where they are, and establishes
relationships built upon the interests of the youth. This turns the mentoring relationship into a
resilient youth driven practice whereby the barriers have been broken and there is mutual sharing
between the mentor and the mentoring partner.
MENTORING YOUTH ESSAY
5
Components of Mentoring Relationship
Jesus calls us to love one another as he loved us. Since he gave his love unconditionally,
the Christian mentor must give unconditionally to the mentoring partner. This means that the
mentor does not just try for a while then give up if there is no instant return. The mentoring
process is for the long haul. The mentoring partner must be met where he or she is and brought to
understand the value of spirituality in living life and finding their passion. Mentors can do this by
inviting the mentoring partner into their world by modelling what is expected; what constitutes
good values and character. The mentor should help with the problems of the partner and help
them to reach the point where they can and want to mentor others (GCU, 2010). This should
become the goal of any mentoring relationship, the vision behind mentoring. David Stoddard in
The Heart of Mentoring defines a vision as “a mental picture, a perception acquired through life
experiences that says to our hearts, ‘This is what I want to give my lie to.’” (Stoddard, 2003, p.
177). This vision should become the legacy that endures long past the life of the mentor. The
best mentors do not wait until they have all the rule, regulations, and strategies in place before
they begin, but, in the immortal words of Nike advertising, “Just do it!”
Application to Youth Culture
The youth culture in the Twenty-first Century is definitely shifting. With the advent of
electronic communications such as texting, email, and social media, youth are spending less time
in face-to-face relationships. This has shifted the dynamic from cliques and trying to climb the
social ladder to the establishment of small groups of 4 to 10 close friends referred to as “clusters”
(GCU, 2010). These clusters function much like a family with their own set of rules and values.
The important point for the mentor to remember is that in order to effectively mentor a member
of a cluster, he or she must be accepted into the cluster as well. This limit the scope of their
MENTORING YOUTH ESSAY
6
influence to a small group of individuals rather than a large group such as an entire football team
(GCU, 2010). This cultural shift must be kept in mind when developing any mentoring program.
The mentor must gradually integrate the youth into activities outside of school such as fieldtrips,
bible studies specifically for at-risk youth (Sherman, 2005). The ultimate goal of mentoring is
reproduction whereby those being mentored will eventually begin to learn ways to mentor others
(Stoddard & Tamasy, 2009).
Conclusion
As addressed, mentoring tends to play a large role in the lives of youth, so effective
strategies must be implemented into the mentoring programs. Linking incarnational ministry
methods into a mentoring program is likely to ensure the solidity of the mentor and mentoring
partner’s relationship. Embracing the mentoring components into the relationship shows that the
mentor is sincere and is also determined to bring about a healthy and prosperous bond between
him or herself and the mentoring partner. The youth culture’s shift to displacement and
detachment has hindered the overall achievement of mentoring youth. Mentors must incorporate
effective mentoring strategies, adopt the key mentoring components, and understand the change
in youth culture. Understanding and implementing each of these elements allows mentoring
programs to be more relevant and youth-oriented.
MENTORING YOUTH ESSAY
7
References
Grand Canyon University. (2010). MIN-630 module 4 lecture notes: Creating strategies for
mentoring youth. Retrieved from https://lcgrad2.gcu.edu/learningPlatform/user/users.html?operation=loggedIn#/learningPlatform/l
oudBooks/loudbooks.html?viewPage=current&operation=innerPage&currentTopicname
=Creating%20Strategies%20for%20Mentoring%20Youth&topicMaterialId=f5bfa740524c-4135-bc51-28b99aac788b&contentId=945add52-a2d4-4f97-bb38-da418bb9c619&
Krum, B. (2005). The missional shift of youth ministry: from cookie cutter to incarnational
ministry. Stimulus: The New Zealand Journal Of Christian Thought & Practice, 13(1),
27-30.
Sherman, A. L. (2005). Mentoring on the margins. Christian Century, 122(1), 8-9.
Stoddard, D. A., & Tamasy, R. J. (2009). The heart of mentoring: Ten principles for developing
people to their fullest potential. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.