* All students should have a Faith Mentor secured and paperwork turned in by Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019 * Lenten Mentor Program Information Packet - 2019 A fun and powerful faith building experience for Confirmation youth! KEY DATES: Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019: REGISTRATION FORMS DUE! Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019: Lenten Mentor Orientation Students, parents and mentors attend, 6:30-7:15 p.m. in the Sanctuary Wednesday, March 6, 2019: Ash Wednesday/Lenten Mentoring Begins Ash Wednesday Worship, 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary PROCLAIM JESUS CHRIST LIVE IN CHRIST SERVE St. Andrew s Lutheran Church, 900 Stillwater Road, Mahtomedi, MN 55115 651.762.9131
For Confirmation Youth: How do I get my Faith Mentor? You get to select your own faith mentor! STEP #1: MAKE A LIST Please prayerfully consider whom you would like to ask to serve as your Faith Mentor for this program. Make a list of three people you would like to consider using the following checklist: Someone who is not your parent An individual who is a good example of the Christian faith Someone you feel comfortable talking with A person who is local enough to attend the events Must be at least one full year out of middle school Examples of people you might ask include a congregation member, a Confirmation classmate s parent, a chaperone from a youth retreat, a former Sunday School teacher, a grandparent, a Confirmation Small Group Guide, a friend of your parent, an older sibling, or a family friend. STEP #2: INVITATIONS When you invite an adult to serve as your Faith Mentor, you will need to clearly explain what a Faith Mentor is. You will also need to give them this packet (the pages that follow) to read over so they can consider whether or not they will be able to serve in this role. (If it is easier, the mentor can also find the packet at www.saintandrews.org/confirmation -- find Lenten Mentor program details under Links and Downloads. ) An idea of what to say: Hello, this is (your name). I am in the Confirmation program at St. Andrew s Lutheran Church and will be participating in the Lenten Mentor program. I would like to ask you to serve as my Faith Mentor for six Wednesday nights during Lent. It would involve us attending worship together and meeting before or after for a conversation. I have an information packet that gives details about the program. Would you consider being my Faith Mentor this year? STEP #3: FOLLOW UP The packet that you give to your mentor tells them to return the form to you, but ultimately it is your responsibility to follow up with them. Your first choice for mentor may say no and you need to revisit Step #2 and invite someone else. STEP #4: REGISTER YOUR FAITH MENTOR When you have found a Faith Mentor, you need to make sure they fill out the Registration/Volunteer form and return it to you to turn in by January 30, 2019! You can turn the information in any Wednesday to your Small Group Leader or in any building on campus to be returned to Mary Post in the Youth and Sports Center. If you need help finding a Faith Mentor, please contact Josh Carlson for assistance. Please make every effort to find a suitable Faith Mentor on your own before contacting Josh. Schedule: Important dates to successfully complete the Lenten Mentor program are: Wed., Jan. 30 Registration forms due Wed., Feb. 27 Lenten Mentor Orientation, 6:30-7:15 p.m. in the Sanctuary Wed., March 6, 13, 20, 27; April 3, 10 Six weekly Lenten worship services, held 6:30-7:15 p.m. in the Sanctuary (Note the March 6 Ash Wednesday service is 6:30-7:30 p.m.; arrive early to find parking.)
Dear Prospective Faith Mentor, You have been asked to serve as a Faith Mentor for a young person in the Confirmation program at St. Andrew s Lutheran Church. It is an honor to have been asked to serve as a Faith Mentor for one of God s children! This is a unique opportunity to build a relationship with a young person in need of your attention and care. Please consider helping them explore issues of faith and how faith plays out in their daily life. You have been asked specifically by this young person to be their Faith Mentor, so you can assume that you already enjoy a basic level of trust with them or, at the very least, they think you are cool and want to spend more time with you! This is an honor and a privilege as there are often very few adults whom youth will trust or turn to. The simple invitation by the youth is an excellent foundation on which to build your relationship. The purpose of this consideration packet is to provide you with the information necessary to understand the Lenten Mentor program so that you can be fully informed as you make your decision about participating and accepting the invitation. Let me suggest the following steps: First, read the contents of this packet. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Next, take some time to pray about this decision. You will play an important role in this young person s faith formation and we want to ensure each mentor is committed and prepared to serve in this role. If you feel led by God to say yes, then fill out the registration form and give it back to your youth as soon as possible. Your youth must turn in the registration form no later than Wednesday, Jan. 30! If you feel you are unable to accept this invitation, please respond to your youth as soon as possible so they can select someone else to serve as their mentor. If you accept the invitation, Faith Mentors need to plan to attend the Lenten Mentor Orientation on Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 6:30 p.m. in the St. Andrew s Lutheran Church Sanctuary building. May the Lord bless you as you make this decision! Josh Carlson Middle School Youth Minister St. Andrew s Lutheran Church 651.762.9168 jcarlson@saintandrews.org
Lenten Faith Mentor Program Faith Mentor Information and Consideration Packet WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF FAITH MENTORING? The purpose of Faith Mentoring is to: Expand a Confirmation youth s circle of trusted adults. A Search Institute reports suggest that only 29% of youth felt that adults in the church cared about them. The same report recommended that teenage youth need a minimum of 5 adults in their life that they can trust and talk to in order to become a healthy and contributing adult. Offer each Confirmation youth the opportunity to see and learn how another adult (besides their parent(s)/guardian(s)) live out their Christian faith. Offer each Confirmation youth an opportunity to explore and make sense of their faith. In the same Search Institute report, more than 60% of the youth surveyed said they wanted to know how to learn to love life more, recognize right from wrong, and gain a sense of purpose. WHAT CHARACTERISTICS SHOULD A MENTOR HAVE? Faith Mentors play an important role in the growth of a young person s faith though the mentor is also often transformed in this experience. The gifts that are needed from mentors can be captured in three words: available, authentic, and affirming. Available: Being available is about making time for a relationship. Being available means following through on commitments and being physically and mentally present in your time together. It is also being emotionally available to form a relationship and spiritually available to the Spirit as it works in you, the youth, and the relationship. Authentic: When one is authentic, they are honest. Honest about who they are, where they are at in the world, and how they see God in their lives. Youth are surrounded by things that are fake and insincere, such as people, institutions, or media, and they yearn for something that is real and someone who is authentic. Affirming: Everybody needs and longs for others to affirm their lives and decisions. Youth are in desperate need of affirmation especially after spending a long day in a middle school when many of the messages they receive suggest they are not smart enough, attractive enough, strong enough, or cool enough. An affirming Faith Mentor will simply confirm the validity of a youth s life, their experience and their feelings. A Faith Mentor needs to love a youth for who that youth is and remind them that they are loved by God. Remember: A youth does not need a know-it-all or someone who has all the answers. They don t want someone who lives a perfect life and makes no mistakes. What they want (and what they need) is someone who will be available to them to listen and care, someone who will be honest and real about the struggles of faith and life, and someone who will make them feel loved and accepted.
THE COMMITMENT Orientation: Wednesday, Feb. 27, 6:30-7:15 p.m. in the Sanctuary (youth, parent, and Faith Mentor all attend) Lenten Faith Mentoring nights: Ash Wednesday, March 6 Wednesday, March 13 Wednesday, March 20 Wednesday, March 27 Wednesday, April 3 Wednesday, April 10 The schedule: There is some flexibility in the evenings as the Mentors and youth gather together, framed around the Wednesday night Lenten worship services. We ask that you and your young person attend the worship service together and arrange to meet for 30 minutes before or after the service for conversation. MISSED MEETINGS If a youth or a mentor is unable to make one of the meetings, they can choose to meet at a different time to make up the missed study guide. The sermon/message from the service is also generally available online for you to watch. These times can be arranged for Sunday mornings or Wednesday nights (before or after the regularly scheduled meeting time). All make-up meetings must be scheduled with parent permission! MENTOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS Sign and uphold the Faith Mentor Covenant Attend the Orientation on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 6:30-7:15 p.m. in the Sanctuary Meet the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the youth you will be mentoring and exchange contact information Meet regularly with your youth on the scheduled nights at the scheduled times Sign and turn in each week s devotional guide WHAT TRAINING DOES A MENTOR NEED? If you accept the invitation, please attend the Lenten Mentoring Orientation on the evening of Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 6:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary at St. Andrew s Lutheran Church. QUESTIONS OR MORE DETAILS? For more information about the Lenten Mentor program, contact Josh Carlson, Middle School Youth Minister, at St. Andrew s Lutheran Church, at 651.762.9168 or jcarlson@saintandrews.org. For questions regarding registration or receiving the weekly devotions, contact Mary Post, Youth Ministry Support and Registrations, at 651.762.9131 or mpost@saintandrews.org.
Lenten Faith Mentor Program Faith Mentor Registration Form Please complete this form and return to your youth so they are able to submit it by Jan. 30. All complete forms should be turned in to Mary Post in the Youth and Sports Center. I will be the Faith Mentor for (youth s name): Your name (mentor s name): Relationship to youth you are mentoring: Email you can be reached at: (Print clearly. Please check this email regularly as we will communicate with you regarding this ministry.) Mentors Please read and sign: I have read and understand the information packet. I will commit to the Lenten Mentor program and the schedule. I am able to attend the Orientation on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 6:30-7:15 p.m. in Sanctuary. Mentor Signature Date Parents/Guardians Please read and sign: I have read and understand the information packet. I will commit to the Lenten Mentor program and the schedule. I approve of my student s choice of a Faith Mentor. Parent/Guardian Signature Date Parent email: (Print clearly. Please check this email regularly as we will communicate with you regarding this ministry.)