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Every year churches from across the country help meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of prisoners' children at Christmas. But when it comes to making an enduring influence in the lives of children, there is no substitute for a consistent year-round mentoring relationship. Expanding your Angel Tree ministry into Mentoring is a great way to make a life-changing impact in the lives of your Angel Tree children. Studies indicate that mentoring by a caring adult is the single most effective strategy for building character and curbing destructive behavior. And the young people who benefit most are those who are the most disadvantaged or at-risk-and that includes prisoners' children.
By starting a safe and effective mentoring ministry in your church, you can develop Christ-centered relationships between children of prisoners and caring Christian adults in your church.
 Angel Tree can help your church start its own mentoring ministry, or link your volunteers with effective programs already in your community.
A Mentoring ministry is simply connecting Christian mentors with Angel Tree children for at least a year, where the two spend time together weekly doing everything from just eating out, doing homework, or playing hoops. It's caring adults showing their mentee the love of Christ throughout the year.
We have some materials that can help you develop this ministry in your church and train your mentors. We will support you by providing access to the names of children in your area, and connect you with additional mentoring organizations that have resources, training, and ongoing support to help you oversee your ministry.
Would you like to be a friend, coach, and role model to these children? Would you be interested in starting a mentoring ministry in your church?
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