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Resource: One Kid at a time: Reaching Youth through Mentoring
Miles McPherson with Wayne Rice
David C. Cook Church Ministry Resources
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What is the purpose of this resource?
This resource promotes the use of a mentor system instead of a regular youth program. It is a more targeted project, looking to develop one-to-one relationships between youth and adults, rather than a leader-follower scheme. - How does this resource define youth ministry?
What are the key elements of youth ministry in this resource?
It proposes a relationship model of ministry, moving from the group concept that it defines as being concerned with programs, to the relationship of mentoring with the emphasis on people (youth and adult). It is open to most ages, but begins by using models featuring 7-8 year old children. The key point is to find children lacking a sincere, caring, positive adult role model and to allocate one for them. Training adult mentors using Biblical examples of leading by example, such as the one Jesus modeled to His disciples. It is a means to provide positive, personal role models of at least one adult to each child. This modeling process replaces programming and seeks to remove the image that a growing in number youth group is the example of a good youth group. - How are youth defined? (age group)
There are not age group definitions per se. What the resource does is enlighten, interest, and train adults to be mentors. The age grouping depends on those in the community. What the resource looks for a children-at-risk, those who need a Biblically based example of adulthood. - What understanding of young people is present in
this resource?
The targeted group is young people in crisis. It is teaching adults to find youngsters without a close positive relationship to an adult and connecting them. The youth without this is deemed in crisis, in such a manner, as the youth may be lost to the world. It is an attempt to evangelize youth with role models. - Do you see any particular theological perspective
or agenda within this material? If so, what is it?
This resource is a Biblically based one, using images of mentoring as a means to provide Christian instruction and salvation. This resource seeks to evangelize youth, to reach into their community with the Gospel message as the hope of their future, using Christian adults as role models. - How could this resource be used and by whom?
Any one who seeks growth by relationship could like this program. It actually ties into a topic the secular world uses as well---mentoring. The key is to have a core of committed adults to begin the process, adults who desire to reach youngsters not by doing things for them, but by being with them. Any denomination should be able to find their particular dogma applicable within this scheme, with but a little retooling. - What is included when you purchase this resource?
What is the cost of this resource?
One videocassette, 1 textbook (173 pgs), 3 mentor handbooks. Cost figure unavailable to reviewer. - What is your overall evaluation of the resource?
(strengths and weakness, etc.)
This resource is good, but basic. It will need extra materials to teach the mentors to act as the kit wants them to be. The mentor role is taken very seriously here, and can put the mentor into situations requiring professional help. If the church has a means to also connect the targeted troubled population to professional help, then it can be implemented as the program suggest. If it were modified, to include just an existing youth group, it would also function well. The base tenant of model faith by actions and not words is very important. I would recommend this as a starting point for anyone considering mentoring as a possibility in his or her church.