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Church-based Program Models
Rebuilding the Walls of Hope is a Bible based mentoring ministry that builds relationships between believers and those needing and seeking a life change. Principles from the book of Nehemiah are the foundation mentors and mentees use to develop a relationship that includes friendship, self-respect, character development and life planning.
-Obtain the Rebuilding the Walls Mentor Manual
Partner with a local nonprofit: Some of the best ways for congregations to engage in relational ministry with low-income families are through partnerships with local Christian nonprofits that help such families through housing or individual Development Account (matched savings plans) programs. Good Samaritan Ministries and Neighbors Plus are two nonprofits with exemplary programs.
Additional Tools for Church Leaders
1. Check out FASTEN's Mentoring Programs Toolkit for a variety of program design, implementation, and evaluation tools.
2. Self-Sufficiency Scales and Ladders Form A helpful tool for charting out the mentee's progress in different life arenas, including work, education, and budgeting.
3. Case Management: Creating a Plan for Change Through Convenantal Commitment by Jay Van Gronigan (this workbook is part of the Communities First series of materials). This workbook offers practical guidance and sample forms for a mentor/mentor team to use with a mentee.
4. Volunteers in Service's Steps to Success form is a good model of a covenant and initial action plan for mentors and their mentees.
5. Volunteers in Service's "Volunteer Tips" is a one-page tip sheet of basic, but important, advice for mentors.
Recommended Books for Church Leaders
What Every Church Member Should Know About Poverty by Bill Ehlig and Ruby Payne. As congregations with predominantly middle-class members increase outreach to lower-income families, miscommunications and misunderstandings based on cultural differences can occur. Payne and Ehlig's book describes the "hidden rules" among the poor, middle-class, and wealthy, identifying key differences that can cause confusion.
Establishing a Church-Based Welfare-to-Work Mentoring Ministry by Amy L. Sherman. This manual walks church leaders through how-to steps, tips and best practices in adult/family mentoring based on various models around the nation.
Building Up Zion's Walls: Ministry for Empowering the African American Family by James C. Perkins. This book focuses especially on church-based mentoring by Black churches for Black families.
Training Opportunities for Church Leaders
Churches wishing to start a Rebuilding the Walls family mentoring ministry can receive on-site training from World Hope. Contact: Annkarl at worldhope dot net.
The Center on Faith in Communities offers on-site training and consulting for congregations desiring to launch family mentoring programs.
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