Mentoring – The Urban Hope Way

Mentoring is:

• A process that takes time
• Based on a relationship, not an assignment
• Best achieved through environments of safety and grace, and relationships of trust.  Not just about truth, but about trusted truth
• Mutual - you have a lot to give and you have a lot to learn.  You must be a learner and recognize your need to grow too
• Constructed upon gaining access and building rapport

 

Mentoring is NOT:

• A program or a project– it's about real lives with real issues.
• Something that you can jump in and out of.  It takes commitment - otherwise you can do more harm than good.
• Just based on good intentions.  You should and must engage spiritually to see real and lasting life change.

 

Things to consider:

• Asset inventory and how can those assets be used in mentoring
• Start on the youth's turf - attend their athletic games, concerts, and programs
• Identify an event we can do together with the youth (single-gender) in the next month or two to gain access and build rapport
• How much time per week or month can you give towards mentoring? Think about the regular everyday things you do too