As your church grows, gaps in your ministry offerings may be revealed. It is important to look at ministry areas that can help prevent crisis. We discovered that it is helpful to address emotional health and spiritual growth at a high level through an individual conversational environment.

Re:new is a one-on-one mentoring ministry that matches trained volunteer mentors with individuals of the same gender for confidential, weekly mentoring sessions. Utilizing a structured, intentional approach to mentoring, the mentor walks with the participant through a curriculum designed to help the participant gain a better understanding of his or her identity in Christ.

By understanding his or her identity in Christ, the participant will learn to live in freedom—freedom to experience the Christian life as God intended.

 

Format and Content

Mentoring sessions are best done in a neutral location (church meeting room, coffee shop, etc.) at an agreed-upon day and time each week for approximately four to six months. Mentors have the freedom and flexibility to move at the participant’s pace, focusing on certain topics or concepts for longer if necessary.

In Re:new, mentors and participants explore the connection between the participants’ quality of life and what they believe about themselves. Mentors lead participants through a process of discovering why they may feel stuck in life by uncovering lies they believe about themselves, others, and God. Participants in Re:new explore questions such as:

  • Why do I struggle with certain behaviors or emotions?

  • What causes me to feel stuck in my circumstances?

  • What can I do to experience victory in my life?

  • Can I find peace in the midst of life’s challenges?

While the Re:new curriculum is not available for circulation, we have created a study called Renovate that is based on the principles found in Re:new. Renovate can be done as a group study or in individual mentoring sessions. The book Grace Walk can be a great study to do in a mentoring environment.

Resources

 

Process

Before being matched with a mentor, each potential participant is carefully vetted through an application and intake interview process. An individual experiencing clinical depression, suicidal behaviors, or active addiction would not be a good fit for Re:new and would be directed to professional counseling resources as the best next step.

Each Re:new participant agrees to a set of guidelines for mentoring, including completing weekly homework assignments, being on time to weekly sessions, and contacting his or her mentor at least 24 hours in advance if it’s necessary to reschedule a session. Failure to comply with the agreement will result in termination of the mentoring process.

Resource

 

Leaders

Each potential volunteer mentor is carefully vetted through an application and interview process. Because the role of a mentor is full of opportunities for influence, we are intentional about selecting individuals who are spiritually mature, emotionally healthy, and have been pursuing a growing relationship with Jesus Christ for at least five years.

Resources