Tag Young Leaders Mentoring
TAG Mentoring
Mentoring is a key part of TAG Young Leaders. It’s a great place for young people to ask questions, be encouraged and challenged, and go deeper in their faith, character and leadership.
We want to support you as a mentor too. Whether you’ve mentored young people before or this is something new for you, these resources are here to help you make the most of your time together and support your young leader as they grow. You’ll find practical ideas, guidance and resources to help you have great conversations and encourage them to discover more about God, themselves and their calling.
Resources
We’ve put together some resources for you to download, to help with mentoring on TAG Young Leaders.
Mentoring Policy Template
Mentoring Session Record Template
Mentoring Risk Assessment Template
TAG YL agreement template
FAQs about Mentoring
What is TAG Young Leaders mentoring?
Mentoring is one of the key aspects of TAG Young Leaders. A mentor is a trusted Christian adult who walks alongside a young person throughout the program, helping them reflect on what they are learning, grow in their faith, and take practical next steps in their discipleship and leadership journey.
Who can be a mentor/ does the mentor have to be a youth worker?
Not necessarily. Many excellent mentors are not part of the youth team. Mentors can be church members who are mature Christians, who are suitable for the role and have been safely recruited. We would encourage you to look beyond your youth team to see who within your church might be a great as a mentor or value the opportunity to walk alongside a young person.
How often do mentors need to meet?
We would suggest that between each TAG Young Leaders session that at least one mentoring session would take place (roughly once a month) but if there is scope for sessions to twice a month that would be great. We would suggest that these sessions are no longer than an hour.
Does mentoring require another evening commitment?
Not necessarily. Mentoring will look different for every mentor and young person. Some mentoring sessions may take place on an evening or after school in an appropriate place like a café. Sometimes this might not be possible and so mentoring could take place within one of the preexisting rhythms of church life, for example over a cuppa and a biscuit after church on a Sunday.
Does mentoring have to happen 1-1 or can it be done in a group/ delivered in a youth group setting?
While we believe that generally the most effective mentoring happens in a 1-1 setting/ context we also recognise that this isn’t always In some settings, elements of mentoring may take place in small groups or within existing youth ministry structures, provided appropriate safeguarding, oversight and relational support are maintained.
How will a mentor know what to talk to the young person about?
We would advise that TAG YL mentors use the LOOK framework to frame a mentoring conversation. This consists of
- Looking back- Reflecting on what has happened in the young person’s life since the last mentoring session and reflecting on the previous TAG YL session.
- Looking up- Reflecting on where God has been and is at work in the young person’s life.
- Looking in- Reflecting on how the young person is growing and what God is doing in them.
- Looking forward- Reflecting and proactively considering what the next steps of the young person are to take them deeper in their faith/ leadership.
It is also worth noting that we will send you as a mentor a summary of the key teaching points after each TAG YL hub session, so you have a brief understanding and summary of what has been covered.
What safeguarding requirements are there?
- All mentors should be recruited and approved according to their church’s safeguarding procedures. Churches should ensure mentors have completed any relevant safeguarding requirements and understand how to respond if concerns are raised.
- We have created some templates for churches who may need them as they get started on their mentoring journey.
- For questions about local safeguarding requirements, churches should refer to their own safeguarding policy and procedures.
What do TAG young leaders provide?
- Mentor Guide (which includes; questions for sessions, guide and template for a session).
- Templates that may support churches to think about the practical aspects of mentoring in their context.
- LOOK Framework.
- Work/ reflection book for the mentee.
- A summary sent out after each young leader’s hub session, so the mentor is aware of what’s been covered.
Our aim is to provide churches with everything they need to make mentoring feel possible.
Still have questions?
If you still have unanswered questions regarding TAG YL mentoring, then please do get in contact with the TAG Coordinator via email Rachel.Newton@swym.org.uk