Faith-Based Faith-Based Team Team

Mentoring Mentoring TrainingTraining

Based on Putting Families First Based on Putting Families First Foundation Foundation of N. Greenville College, S. Carolinaof N. Greenville College, S. Carolinaand with information taken from and with information taken from www.mentoring.orgwww.mentoring.org mentoring support mentoring support sitesite

Team Mentoring ApproachTeam Mentoring Approach

1. Administrator - 1. Administrator - keeps contact keeps contact between the team, between the team, the congregation, the congregation, and Project HOPE.and Project HOPE.

2. Primary Mentor 2. Primary Mentor - person who - person who develops the best develops the best relationship with relationship with the participant.the participant.

3. Special Events 3. Special Events Coordinator Creative Coordinator Creative person who works on person who works on building the self-esteem building the self-esteem of the entire family using of the entire family using congregational and congregational and community resources to community resources to boost esteem and reward boost esteem and reward successes.successes.

4. Financial Planner - 4. Financial Planner - Coordinates financial Coordinates financial planning training and planning training and implementation of mutual implementation of mutual plan developed for plan developed for finances of the finances of the participant.participant.

Mentoring Team PreparationMentoring Team Preparation Prayer and faith preparation - Prayer and faith preparation - begin meetings and focus the begin meetings and focus the participant on the value and participant on the value and need for regular prayer and need for regular prayer and faith development. It is crucial faith development. It is crucial to work on a plan based on God to work on a plan based on God that begins to focus the family that begins to focus the family on development of moral values on development of moral values that may have not been learned that may have not been learned or applied so far in their life.or applied so far in their life. Mentors need to be sure to 1. Mentors need to be sure to 1. limit themselves to the time limit themselves to the time they want to commit, 2. they want to commit, 2. schedule a regular time, place, schedule a regular time, place, and method for relationship, and method for relationship, and 3. focus on their specific and 3. focus on their specific part of the team / participant part of the team / participant mutual plan for success during mutual plan for success during that quality, regular relationship that quality, regular relationship time. time.

Mentors and / or the Mentors and / or the congregation need to congregation need to decide ahead of time under decide ahead of time under what conditions to supply what conditions to supply monetary support, if there monetary support, if there is to be any provided by is to be any provided by the team or congregation. the team or congregation. The effort is a plan to work The effort is a plan to work toward self-reliance not a toward self-reliance not a replacement for public aid.replacement for public aid.

For the protection of For the protection of everyone involved, everyone involved, mentors could submit a mentors could submit a background check.background check.

Faith Friends Mentoring for Faith Friends Mentoring for

successsuccess LIFE PLAN FOR SUCCESSLIFE PLAN FOR SUCCESS TRANSPORTATIONTRANSPORTATION FAMILYFAMILY EMPLOYMENTEMPLOYMENT EDUCATIONEDUCATION SPIRITUALSPIRITUAL SOCIALSOCIAL HEALTHHEALTH HOUSINGHOUSING

• NOW -NOW -• DESIRE ‑DESIRE ‑

Mentors need to Mentors need to understand that they understand that they need to be most like need to be most like a craftsman and the a craftsman and the participant like an participant like an apprentice. Mentors apprentice. Mentors need to become need to become “master craftsmen “master craftsmen for God” - meaning for God” - meaning open to change and open to change and development of skills development of skills that lead participants that lead participants to reach for strength to reach for strength in God.in God.

Getting off on the right footGetting off on the right foot Critical to early success is to help the participant get a Critical to early success is to help the participant get a handle on financial issues and then determine the level of handle on financial issues and then determine the level of financial training needed to help the participant move financial training needed to help the participant move forward toward plan implementation. forward toward plan implementation. Project HOPE explains the commitment to God, the Project HOPE explains the commitment to God, the team, and the effort to mentors as well as participants. team, and the effort to mentors as well as participants. This is a voluntary commitment This is a voluntary commitment that everyone should expect to that everyone should expect to be kept and this attitude needs be kept and this attitude needs to flow into confidentiality for to flow into confidentiality for everyone involved. Mentors need everyone involved. Mentors need to guard information about to guard information about participants as if it were participants as if it were information about themselves information about themselves and the same for participants with and the same for participants with revelations that may be made about revelations that may be made about mentors.mentors.

The only directive outside The only directive outside confidentiality deals with confidentiality deals with any kind of abuse. If a any kind of abuse. If a mentor is a “mandated mentor is a “mandated reporter” or social work reporter” or social work professional, abuse must professional, abuse must be reported. Team be reported. Team members with questions members with questions or concerns about or concerns about suspected abuse should suspected abuse should contact Project HOPE contact Project HOPE staff or congregation staff or congregation leaders or pastors.leaders or pastors.

Set ground rules for both Set ground rules for both mentors and participants mentors and participants to contact each other, i.e. to contact each other, i.e. when, where, how often, when, where, how often, what may constitute an what may constitute an emergency, etc. No one emergency, etc. No one wants to be overloaded wants to be overloaded with calls mutual respect with calls mutual respect is expected but is expected but boundaries also need to boundaries also need to be established to build be established to build respect for each other.respect for each other.

Issues of EmploymentIssues of Employment Participants are usually very weak in the Participants are usually very weak in the skills it takes to: 1. Find jobs - they may skills it takes to: 1. Find jobs - they may need to be urged to go to The Career need to be urged to go to The Career Center to have a good resume made, take Center to have a good resume made, take a test that determines job skills, aptitudes, a test that determines job skills, aptitudes, and and interests in order to interests in order to focus their efforts in focus their efforts in an areas that will allowan areas that will allow success and fulfillment,success and fulfillment, be persistent, follow up be persistent, follow up on applications, how toon applications, how to have a positive interview, etc.; have a positive interview, etc.;

2. Maintaining employment, which 2. Maintaining employment, which means necessary discussion about means necessary discussion about working hard, how to handle extra working hard, how to handle extra stress at work or very busy times on stress at work or very busy times on the job that require extra effort, the job that require extra effort, when and how to quit (if this is ever when and how to quit (if this is ever necessary) with discussion about the necessary) with discussion about the urgency of finding a replacement job urgency of finding a replacement job before leaving and giving fair notice before leaving and giving fair notice to the employer; and to the employer; and

3. anticipating the need for alternate 3. anticipating the need for alternate plans for things like daycare in case plans for things like daycare in case of illness, transportation problems, of illness, transportation problems, etc. It would be very useful to etc. It would be very useful to everyone, including the employer, everyone, including the employer, for mentors to follow up on the for mentors to follow up on the progress of participants on the job. progress of participants on the job. Very few employers have mentoring Very few employers have mentoring programs; but they do understand programs; but they do understand the value of mentoring to their the value of mentoring to their business - fewer problems between business - fewer problems between workers, quicker and more workers, quicker and more successful training, longevity of successful training, longevity of employees, etcemployees, etc

The Mentoring Lifecycle - It’s The Mentoring Lifecycle - It’s Good!Good!

Project HOPE recommends spending time on the web site Project HOPE recommends spending time on the web site www.mentoring.orgwww.mentoring.org to familiarize and refresh yourself on mentoring to familiarize and refresh yourself on mentoring techniques, to look for answers to apparent problems, and to look for techniques, to look for answers to apparent problems, and to look for new techniques and recommendations for being a successful mentor new techniques and recommendations for being a successful mentor for your participant. for your participant.

Please remember this is not a faith-based site; Please remember this is not a faith-based site;

so statements that you should avoid “preaching”, so statements that you should avoid “preaching”,

if you are looking into improving communications, if you are looking into improving communications,

does not mean that you should not talk about does not mean that you should not talk about

faith, morality, responsibility, etc. faith, morality, responsibility, etc.

Project HOPE staff are always available Project HOPE staff are always available

for any questions mentors have along for any questions mentors have along

the way. We want this to become a the way. We want this to become a

congregation’s ministry so congregation’s ministry so

mentoring will be easily passed on to mentoring will be easily passed on to

succeeding members and generations. succeeding members and generations.

Most mentoring information lists similar stages of the Most mentoring information lists similar stages of the mentoring process:mentoring process:

1. Birth or initial stage - takes listening skill, patience, 1. Birth or initial stage - takes listening skill, patience, focus on basic needs, like God, for instance, and focus on basic needs, like God, for instance, and building the trust needed to develop a good building the trust needed to develop a good relationship.relationship.

2. Engagement - takes 2. Engagement - takes urging the participant to urging the participant to develop their plan for success develop their plan for success and then helping to break the and then helping to break the plan down into as small plan down into as small increments as possible so the increments as possible so the participant can focus on just a participant can focus on just a few major things and experience few major things and experience quick success. Most participants quick success. Most participants are overwhelmed with problems are overwhelmed with problems to the point of not having focused on dealing with to the point of not having focused on dealing with

anything for a while.anything for a while.

3. Sustaining the relationship - requires pushing and urging the 3. Sustaining the relationship - requires pushing and urging the participant to keep focused on God and their plan (since some participant to keep focused on God and their plan (since some people fear success) by continuing to focus on progress toward people fear success) by continuing to focus on progress toward the goals in each area of the plan and calling the participant to the goals in each area of the plan and calling the participant to higher and higher levels of dignity and responsibility. This call higher and higher levels of dignity and responsibility. This call corresponds beautifully with our call to continue to grow our corresponds beautifully with our call to continue to grow our relationship with God. Some people tend to “slack off” when they relationship with God. Some people tend to “slack off” when they see any success where there has been none at all!see any success where there has been none at all!

4. Transition - Unexpectedly this can be 4. Transition - Unexpectedly this can be the point that causes the most trouble the point that causes the most trouble because many participants think that because many participants think that once they have graduated they don’t once they have graduated they don’t need advice from anyone any longer. need advice from anyone any longer. We all know this is not true, especially We all know this is not true, especially when it comes to connecting with God when it comes to connecting with God and fellowship with a congregation! and fellowship with a congregation! Transition takes some preparation so Transition takes some preparation so the participant continues to plan for life, the participant continues to plan for life, keeps in contact with God growing in keeps in contact with God growing in faith, and can really handle making faith, and can really handle making life’s decisions on their own. There life’s decisions on their own. There needs to be a gradual move toward needs to be a gradual move toward self-reliance and some discussion self-reliance and some discussion about what it will take to maintain the about what it will take to maintain the successes experienced during the successes experienced during the mentoring.mentoring.

                                                                                                                                                                 

 

                                  

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Dealing with OBSTACLES!Dealing with OBSTACLES!One major part of mentoring is to recognize obstacles and know what you One major part of mentoring is to recognize obstacles and know what you can handle so you are always ready to refer can handle so you are always ready to refer participants to others for the professionalparticipants to others for the professional help they may need in overcoming their help they may need in overcoming their obstacle. We would not think of doing obstacle. We would not think of doing heart surgery, if we were not a trained heart surgery, if we were not a trained heart surgeon; and, similarly, Project HOPEheart surgeon; and, similarly, Project HOPEdoes not expect mentors to be able to handle does not expect mentors to be able to handle everything tossed your way! Check with your everything tossed your way! Check with your congregation to see if you may have a congregation to see if you may have a professional able and willing to provide the professional able and willing to provide the professional service needed or call Project HOPE professional service needed or call Project HOPE and we can help find professionals. and we can help find professionals. As the mentoring progresses you need to move As the mentoring progresses you need to move your participant toward finding more and more your participant toward finding more and more of their own solutions to overcoming obstacles of their own solutions to overcoming obstacles they face. If the relationship stalls or seems to they face. If the relationship stalls or seems to be going nowhere, please call Project HOPE, as be going nowhere, please call Project HOPE, as we will get involved and re-assess the participants we will get involved and re-assess the participants commitment. Project HOPE will take care of commitment. Project HOPE will take care of ending any mentoring relationships that need to end. ending any mentoring relationships that need to end. Please remember that about 10% of mentored participants we have Please remember that about 10% of mentored participants we have experienced do disconnect for various reasons.experienced do disconnect for various reasons.

RELATIONSHIPS, RELATIONSHIPS, RELATIONSHIPS, RELATIONSHIPS, RELATIONSHIPS . . . RELATIONSHIPS . . .

FOCUS ON GOD!!!!!!!!

MOVE TOWARD DIGNITY AND RESPONSIBILITY!!!!!!