Faithful Mentors Make the Difference
This article was originally published in Watered Gardens Ministries’ Rain Newsletter in Spring 2019.
As a student moves into the latter phases of the Forge program, a men’s recovery program operated by Watered Gardens Ministries in Joplin, Missouri, he is assigned a mentor – a Christian leader from the community who agrees to meet with him once a week until graduation.
It’s a relationship designed to last for about 6 months, and Forge Director Jamie Myers believes it’s a crucial component to student success.
“The opportunity for these students to have the input, influence, and wisdom of a godly Christian man who is willing to invest in their life is a rare and generous gift,” she said.
When Arlan Campbell agreed to become a Forge mentor, he got a lot more than he bargained for. And he couldn’t be happier about that. Arlan was paired up with Rick, and even though Rick graduated last fall, the two still get together every week. Arlan doesn’t see that ending anytime soon.
“Monday evenings with Rick are a highlight of my week,” Arlan said. “I’ve seen him grow, and then graduate, and now I continue walking with him in these ‘post-Forge’ phases of his life.”
Rick said, “[The Forge program] can teach us a lot about Bible study and Bible ethics, integrity, and how to be a good man but, with somebody like Arlan as a mentor, it gives you an example, in practice, of what that looks like.”
Arlan has tried to focus on a long-range vision both for Rick and for their mentor relationship, and he believes that vision has given their meetings together great meaning.
“I think a good mentor has to have a vision for the student’s potential that far exceeds what the student can see in himself at that moment,” Arlan said.
Sometimes for Arlan that’s meant holding Rick accountable in difficult times at work, or offering a listening ear and an encouraging word as Rick transitioned out of Forge upon graduation. And now it includes helping Rick see the ways he can begin to invest in other Forge students now that he serves as the live-in assistant for the Forge residence.
“I knew I was agreeing to enter into a relationship where I would provide encouragement, counsel, and accountability,” Arlan said, “but I didn’t know I’d also receive so much of that as well. Rick has such a heart for other people, and I’m glad to call him my friend.”
Interested in starting a mentoring program in your organization? True Charity Network members have exclusive access to the Mentoring Program Model Action Plan (MAP), which provides a detailed how-to guide on planning and implementing effective and life-changing mentoring.
- Members: Access the Mentoring MAP in the Network portal.
- Non-Members: Learn more about Model Action Plans here.
You don’t need to be an organization, though, to start mentoring! If you’re an individual wanting to begin a mentoring relationship but don’t know where to start, check out Life Deck, a faith-based mentorship tool that provides a framework that will walk you and a friend through a joint exploration of 20 life-categories over a period of forty weeks.
