Growing Together Mentoring Program Nearly Finished
by Dr. Susan Suleski
Communications Specialist, Office of Advancement
Growing Together Program Development Team Member
We are nearing the finish line with our Growing Together mentoring workshop materials and guide! Our committee has met virtually and via email on numerous occasions to finalize and tweak language, flow, and timing.
As you may recall, the goal in creating this workshop is to re-frame mentoring in a way that encourages congregation members to view themselves as mentors by equipping them with tools that boost their confidence to step into mentoring relationships. Our second goal is to connect congregation members in intergenerational mentoring relationships that view mentoring as a process of experiencing and learning together.
Most recently, the committee has decided to offer three suggested workshop sessions that enable participants to focus on specific parts of the overall program. This enables leaders to spend more time on particular sections of the workshop. The buyer will receive the workshop materials in their entirety, but the breakout packages will be offered as potential ways to utilize the program.
The three packages are:
- Mentoring Side by Side: The content will provide compelling reasons for participants to engage in mentoring relationships within their community and congregational settings. It will frame mentoring more as “learning together and listening to one another,” and less as one who is an expert and one as the apprentice. This workshop content is best utilized in a day retreat setting or in three separate-two hour sessions.
- Fostering Fruitful Conversations: Content will focus on developing participant mentoring skills and is ideal for those who desire to better their communication skills with family, friends, and within intentional mentoring relationships. This program content will focus on Fostering Fruitful Conversations using six I’s: Investigate, Identify, Influence, Involve, Invest, and Impact. Concepts will be introduced and participants will practice these skills in partner and group exercises. The work shop will conclude with an opportunity to brainstorm how to implement mentoring practice into various groups within the congregation.
- Let Your Mentoring Skills Take Shape: Content provides a combination of the first two programs by first providing a Scripture overview and introduction to mentoring, and then diving into the skill practice that incorporates the six I’s of Fostering Fruitful Conversations. Congregations will have an option of choosing exercises that fit their group and goals best and spreads content over a 10-hour weekend period.
Currently our designer is working on tying all of our pieces together with a cohesive look.
Our next steps include:
- Facilitator and Participant Manuals in final design stage and review
- Final pieces approved and uploaded onto the Growing Together Online Course Website
- Virtual Facilitator Training and Workshop walk-throughs Scheduled (stay tuned for details later this Spring 2021).
- Launching of program Spring/Summer 2021
