Whom Should We Recruit As Mentors?
Mentors should be persons with a mature faith. This does not mean that they have to be perfect Christians or that they cannot have doubts. It also doesn’t mean that they have to be biblical scholars, trained theologians, or pastoral counselors. It does mean that they are committed to growing in faith, are striving to be holy, and can be honest and open about their faith.
Mentors need to love and care for the youth with whom they work, but they need to relate as adults to these youth. Some adults who work with youth fall into the trap of trying to act like youth. But no adult should see ministry with young people as an opportunity to relive his or her teenage years. As John Gooch writes in
Claiming the Name: A Theological and Practical Overview of Confirmation, “Youth don’t need more ‘pals.’ They need someone who is willing to relate to them as an adult.”
