Date

12-19-2022

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Chair

Darren E. Hercyk

Keywords

Mentoring, Spiritual Health, Connection, Church life, Teenagers, Parents

Disciplines

Christianity | Religion

Abstract

A major problem facing the church is that a significant number of teenagers leave after high school. The researcher addressed the problem of teenagers leaving Taylorsville Church of God after high school by training adult members to mentor the church’s teenagers. In the program, seven adult mentors, which included six females and one male, and six teen mentees, which included four females and two males, participated. The training program included the following topics: mentor spiritual health, servanthood, church life, active listening, parents, empathy, compassion, spiritual health of teenagers, and current teen issues. Through a series of interviews with the adult mentors and teen mentees, the researcher identified several themes that continued to present themselves. The interviewees indicated that a teenager’s spiritual health, parents, relationships, which included connections and role models, and competing forces impacted their commitment to the church. By implementing a mentor training program, adult mentors intentionally interacted with teenagers to enhance their connection to the church. Ministers and members of other churches will be able to follow this study to improve their teenagers’ commitment to the church, which will ideally promote the teens’ spiritual health.

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