Mentors do not act as social workers, case managers, or counselors. Mentoring is about sharing "the love of God that has been poured out within your heart …" Romans 5:5.  Mentoring is about building relationships that are based on trust and friendship without having an agenda one wishes to impose upon the youth.  Some training is needed in order to equip you for success as a mentor, but this is not a long and arduous process.  Not only will you be trained, but you will be supported by professional staff who will be available to answer questions and help solve problems.  There will be a policy and procedures manual which all mentors and professional staff will be required to follow.  This is essential for the protection of the agency, the mentees, and the mentors.

There is no set number of hours that are required.  Research has shown that the more successful mentors are those who maintain a steady presence in a youth’s life.  A steady presence does not mean a constant presence. However, keeping in mind that many of these youths have been neglected by their primary care givers, we do not want to disappoint them even more by matching them with a mentor who is unavailable.  A prospective mentor should have adequate quality time available to interact with the youth.  Remember that the key to creating effective mentoring relationships lies in the development of trust between two strangers of different ages.  This is not something that can be achieved by a "drive by" visit.  Youth mentoring is not a cure-all for society, the church, or for the Tennessee Children’s Home.  However, it is another ministry tool that can join us together to the glory of God and the improvement of our community.