Implementing Mentoring into a Congregational Outreach Program

Abstract

Mentoring is a tool for growth and development that has become popular in business, academic, and non-profit settings. Currently WELS is also using mentoring in its ministerial education system for the training of called workers. Because it has been proven to be an effective training method, this paper explores implementing mentoring into a congregational outreach program for the training and equipping its members for the task. A synthesis of qualitative research and study on both the fields of outreach and mentoring identify the benefits and risks of implementing such a program into a congregation. The results point to this conclusion: mentoring can help enhance and expedite a congregation’s efforts as they continue to reach out with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Through mentoring the training process can become more focused and efficient and more attention can be brought to developmental needs of the mentee (protégé) as they progress through the stages of learning. Findings from the practice of mentoring also place an emphasis on the growth not only occurring on the side of the mentee, but mentor too; also, those outside an outreach committee can contribute to the growth of outreach committee members.