Mentor Training

Today was our first training session for mentors within the ASPIRE Movement. The consensus from the trainees was they walked away not only with a greater understanding of urban youth but also felt more equipped to parent their own children. What I have witnessed is seeing godly men and women who feel a burning desire and need to get out of their comfort zone and experience God in a whole new way.

The mentoring program is not simply for a more educated person to get involved and assist a young person. While surely there will be a time for that commensal relationship we are promoting mutual transformation where both mentors and mentees are teaching and learning from each other.

Deep below the surfaces of the water you might see this kind of relationship between the shrimp and the goby fish. The shrimp is an excellent digger but has limited vision making him vulnerable to attackers. The goby fish has great vision but cannot dig burrows. The two work together so while the shrimp is digging burrows the goby fish watches out for predators. When the goby fish sees danger he taps the shrimp and they both retreat into the burrow. Both bring assets to the table and mutually benefit from each other.

While the mentee may lack in a number of areas that the mentor can help with, the mentor has great need of the mentee in his own walk with Jesus. He has a need to be brought out of his or her comfort zone and experience brokenness on a whole nother level. The mentor has need for satisfaction and service that can only be granted by humbling himself and giving himself away to the needs and plight of another.

While the aim if the program is to produce the next generation of urban leaders we believe we will also produce heart-felt, compassionate, sensitive Christ-followers who will develop a great dependency on God that will permeate all areas of their lives.