Welcome to Life Deck™, a faith-based mentorship tool with a mission to build real relationships. Life Deck was born out of a pressing need we experienced regularly at our rescue mission; namely, the lack of a key ingredient necessary for personal growth: relationship development. From my experience of more than 15 years serving the Church to help the American urban poor, I can attest that nearly all chronic poverty is rooted in broken relationships. Reforming healthy social affiliation is vital for anyone struggling to gain the foothold necessary to succeed. Yet, more than a foothold is required. Ongoing relationships that guide the individual are vital and necessary for anyone to experience personal growth. Let’s talk about mentorship. The Oxford English Dictionary defines mentor as “an experienced and trusted advisor.” A study of the word’s etymology reveals the compound of the prefix “men,” meaning “thought” (consider the word “mental”), and “tor,” indicating “action” (consider the word “creator”). Together, that’s “Thought-Action,” which you’ll soon learn serves as the skeleton for the Life Deck system. Interestingly, the common noun “mentor” was first noted in language as a proper noun. Mentor was a character in Homer’s Odyssey written nearly 3,000 years ago. In Homer’s epic poem, Mentor is a faithful friend willing to share in grief. Says Mentor, “Yet, while my friend grieves, his griefs I share.” He is also described as a faithful guide and one who lent warning and aid to his friends at risk or in distress. It was not until the mid-1700s that the name Mentor was brought into common-day use as any person committed to the qualities of Homer’s original character – that of a faithful guide, advisor, and friend. Though there are countless variations of the definition for “mentor,” sticking closely to the etymology and Homer’s origin leads us to our working Life Deck definition: “A friendly and faithful advisor who uses his mind to guide another in action.” I pray you’re blessed on your journey of building real relationships!