The Beginning of Mentor Meetings
Provide both mentors and mentees a copy of the Conversation Guides for Couples. Wish them well in their friendship and conversations about marriage. Some coordinators may choose to send a letter of appreciation and encouragement to their mentor couples.
Support Meetings for Mentors
The committee should meet with the whole group of mentors a two or three times throughout the year to discuss how they are doing as mentors. Celebrate marriage mentoring. This is not to be a reporting on stories that mentees have shared. This meeting is to share what mentors have found that works well for them in engaging in their mentoring conversations. This also gives a chance for mentors to encourage one another and work out any difficulties that may have arisen.
The Marriage Mentoring Coordinator serves as the “go to” person if a mentor couple has a mentee couple that is in trouble and needs a counseling referral to a church leader or a professional counselor. This should be handled discreetly between meetings as soon as the situation arises.
Planning a Mentoring Celebration and the Next Year
The mentoring committee plans a celebration event for mentors and mentored couples during the last three months of the cycle of mentoring. Celebrate marriage! Give honor from the pulpit to those who have been in the mentoring program. Conduct planning for year two of the mentoring program.