The Mentoring Project
I learned about Donald Miller’s organization, The Mentoring Project, a few months ago when he spoke at the Lead Now conference. Donald’s demonstration of good stewardship over the notoriety God has blessed him with is inspiring. He has spent the better part of this year on the road promoting his new book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, and raising funds to expand the reach of this important organization. In addition to The Mentoring Project, Donald also serves on President Obama’s task force on Fatherhood and Healthy Families.
I had the opportunity to talk to Dr. John Sowers, President of The Mentoring Project, about their organization and their Christmas campaign.
Tell me about The Mentoring Project.
There is a crisis of fatherlessness in the United States. Both Donald and I are all too familiar with what this does to boys and what it does to the community. We also believe that God has given us, all of us, a special call to be a father to the fatherless, and we have an obligation to meet that calling. How can we do any less? So we decided that the best way to meet the need would be providing resources, mentor training, and support to faith communities that have partnered with us by providing groups of male mentors. The next step for us is to then help facilitate opportunities for mentors, kids, and moms or other family members to come together and develop organic relationships.
I loved the idea of creating supportive, faith-based communities to recruit and develop Godly men for mentoring relationships. Why is that important?
We believe that the most powerful and impactful way to meet the need for godly male mentors is to foster communities where mentors can learn, grow, offer support to one another, and become equipped for the responsibility of mentoring a fatherless child. It’s a big calling and we feel that a big support system is necessary to develop sustainable relationships. We also believe that the church is the perfect place to facilitate and develop these communities.
What can readers of this blog do to help The Mentoring Project this Christmas?
If your readers are looking for a cool Christmas gift, they can visit our site to learn about the Christmas Campaign. If they sign up to sponsor a mentor for as little as $10 per month by December 18th, we will send them a copy of their choice of book signed by the author (Nicole’s note: Who wouldn’t want a signed copy of A Million Miles, Crazy Love, or Fearless for Christmas? Watch the video below to learn more) and get entered to win backstage passes to a Switchfoot concert.
If $10 per month is too much, they can pray for us, as we are planning substantial growth next year. Currently, we are focused on mentoring partnerships in the Portland area. However, we are planning on expanding into a national program in September 2010. In addition to prayers, any contribution, no matter how small, helps us to move closer to our vision of meeting the needs of fatherlessness across the country. Your five and ten dollar contributions are important to us and have a huge impact on what we do.
A Christmas Gift from the Mentoring Project from The Mentoring Project on Vimeo.
You can learn more about The Mentoring Project on their website and follow them on Twitter and Facebook. Check here to give to the Christmas campaign and order your free, signed book. I’d love if you put nicolewick.com as your referrer. You can see all of my 12 Days of Christmas Giving posts here.
All right people, help me make a HUGE decision. I’m going to sponor and get a signed book to give to our pastor for Christmas. Should I do Crazy Love or A Million Miles. He love Donald Mailler and Francis Chan both. Let me know what you think… Thanks!
Both are great books. I go with a Million Miles!
Hi Nicole,
Both great books! In short, I found Crazy Love a good (heart)challenging read and A Million Miles a good, (heartfelt) entertaining read.
~mp:)
Just finished Crazy Love. Francis Chan just has a way of making the complex simple & understandable. Haven’t read the other. Crazy Love so honest & inspiring! Challenging & easy. We should be obsessed with giving back what was so freely given to us. (Yea, I know, sounds like a 12 step program mixed in there!) But, it’s true. I cannot never, in my lifetime, repay God for what His son did for me. Me! But, I can be obsessed with loving others. Whether I like them or not.
Honestly…you can’t go wrong with either one.
Thanks guys. I got a few Twitter votes for Crazy Love (which I love!). I think I’ll sign up on Saturday, so if anyone else has a suggestion before then please leave me a comment!
Also, if you are considering sponsorship or a one time donation (5 bucks matters, really!) leave me a comment if you’re comfortable. I’d love to thank you :)
Dear Lord:
Bless the work that these servants of Yours have in mind to do. I believe You put it into their hearts to help Your church be the fathers to the fatherless. Now empower them to do just that.
Give them perseverance, creativity, resources, volunteers, money, patience with people and success in all they do. Bless them and help them as they re-write the story of fatherlessness in America. May You be the Hero in the lives of kids who feel invisible or unloved, because of The Mentoring Project’s work.
Amen.
Dawn – Thank you so much for leaving a prayer for this wonderful organization. I agree with you in prayer now and am praying that God would continue to provide vision, resources, and spiritual protection as they continue to touch the vulnerable in His name. I pray that God will continue to bless the work of their hands. Amen!