Counseling & Mentoring - a preview
Sometimes the process of building something takes time to clarify. That was the case with Great City Network’s newest series of workshops. There was an inkling of an idea and a vaguely understood need, but it was mushy and abstract. So, we got to work having conversations, researching, chatting with pros, and praying.
What started as a disjointed rough sketch is now ready to present to you.
The idea was to support pastors in areas outside of the theology and their pulpits. “What are the other parts of a pastor’s job?” That was the key question we were working with.
Counseling.
While still in the brainstorming phase, one of our pastors was trying to faithfully walk along with one of his members who was struggling deeply. Her issues were significant and thankfully she knew she could turn to her shepherd for comfort, help, and guidance.
But still, he felt a little out of his league trying to counsel her through the situation.
Mentoring.
How many of our church councils are merry-go-rounds of the same handful of men? In many cases, that group of men is faithful, but aging and growing tired. What about the other 80% of our men? That same is true of the women in our congregations. There are an active few, but several disengaged.
How can we get fresh legs into the game?
The new Great City Network series will focus on these two primary areas: Counseling and Mentoring. Like our Branding and Marketing series, the content will be geared toward pastors working in large urban settings, but of course the concepts will likely be true regardless of setting.
Session 1 will focus on helping teens take ownership of their faith. As children, we go to church with our parents. But as we grow and gain more freedoms (and responsibilities) with our first cars, jobs, and other activities, it becomes more likely that a teen will choose to attend church less often. How can we help our teens prioritize continuing to mature in their faith?
Brandon Lee White is a professional speaker and guide who works mostly in the public school settings, but also with Christian youth groups. Over the years, he has spoken in nearly all 50 states, the National 4-H convention, and dozens of large gatherings of teens. He brings a fresh perspective to the conversation of mentoring teens.
