Our Standards

Christian mentoring requires participation from both the mentor and the mentee. A mentee does not need to have everything figured out before beginning. She does, however, need to demonstrate a genuine willingness to heal, learn, grow, and participate in the mentoring process.

Being willing to heal may look like:

• Being honest about where you are emotionally and spiritually.
• Being willing to examine unhealthy patterns.
• Accepting appropriate accountability.
• Being open to biblical encouragement and guidance.
• Taking responsibility for personal choices.
• Being willing to forgive and work toward healthy boundaries.
• Taking constructive steps between mentoring sessions.
• Being open to professional help when recommended.

Healing is not about being perfect — it is simply a willingness to begin the process.

Christian mentoring is a relationship in which a mentor provides:

• Biblical encouragement
• Spiritual guidance
• Life experience and wisdom
• Accountability
• Goal-setting
• Encouragement toward healthy choices
• Support in developing boundaries
• Prayer and Scripture-based encouragement
• Help identifying personal strengths and areas for growth
• Encouragement toward a Christ-centered life

The mentor's role is to walk alongside the mentee, not to control, diagnose, or treat her.

Renewed Mentor Ministries does not provide:

• Mental health counseling
• Psychotherapy
• Psychological diagnosis
• Psychiatric treatment
• Medical treatment
• Crisis intervention
• Trauma treatment
• Treatment for mental health disorders
• Medication recommendations
• Legal advice
• Professional financial advice

Mentoring should never be represented as a substitute for licensed professional care.

The mentor agrees to:

1. 1.Treat each mentee with dignity, compassion, and respect.
2. 2.Maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
3. 3.Keep appropriate information confidential, subject to safety and legal obligations.
4. 4.Avoid diagnosing or treating mental health conditions.
5. 5.Encourage Scripture, prayer, healthy decision-making, and personal responsibility.
6. 6.Recognize when a situation exceeds the scope of mentoring.
7. 7.Recommend appropriate professional resources when necessary.
8. 8.Avoid creating dependency between mentor and mentee.
9. 9.Encourage the mentee to develop her own relationship with God and appropriate support systems.
10. 10.Pray for wisdom and discernment when determining how best to support the mentee.

The mentee agrees to:

1. 1.Be willing to pursue healing and personal growth.
2. 2.Participate honestly and respectfully.
3. 3.Take responsibility for her own choices and decisions.
4. 4.Be willing to examine areas where growth is needed.
5. 5.Make a genuine effort to implement agreed-upon action steps.
6. 6.Communicate honestly when she is struggling.
7. 7.Respect mentoring boundaries.
8. 8.Understand that the mentor is not a licensed counselor unless separately stated.
9. 9.Allow for and thoughtfully consider recommendations for professional assistance when offered.
10. 10.Understand that spiritual mentoring does not replace professional mental health care.

A mentor may recognize that a mentee is currently unable or unwilling to participate constructively in the mentoring relationship at this time.

Examples may include:

• Repeated refusal to acknowledge personal responsibility.
• Consistent unwillingness to participate in the mentoring process.
• Persistent destructive behavior without willingness to address it.
• Refusal to consider appropriate professional assistance when clearly needed.
• Expecting the mentor to function as a therapist.
• Repeatedly using mentoring sessions primarily for crisis management.
• Severe emotional distress that requires professional intervention.
• Circumstances beyond the mentor’s training or scope of practice.

The mentor should respond with compassion rather than judgment. The message should never be, "You are failing." Instead:

"I care about you too much to provide something outside of my role. I believe you deserve the right kind of support for what you are experiencing, and I would encourage you to work with a qualified licensed professional. We can revisit mentoring when you are in a place where mentoring can support your healing and growth."

When a mentee's needs exceed the scope of Christian mentoring, the mentor should recommend that she seek assistance from an appropriately licensed professional. Depending on the circumstances, appropriate referrals may include:

• Licensed mental health counselor
• Licensed clinical social worker
• Licensed marriage and family therapist
• Psychologist
• Psychiatrist
• Medical professional
• Qualified trauma professional

Where appropriate, the mentor may provide general information about how to locate a qualified professional. The mentor should never attempt to diagnose the mentee or determine what specific mental health condition she may have.

If a mentee communicates that she is in immediate danger, intends to harm herself or another person, or is experiencing any other emergency situation, mentoring should not be used as the primary intervention.

The mentor should encourage the individual to contact appropriate emergency or crisis resources immediately.

The mentor should not attempt to personally manage an emergency situation beyond her training.

Renewed Mentor Ministries believes that spiritual growth is an essential part of every woman's journey, and that Christ-centered mentoring can bring lasting renewal to her life. Mentoring may incorporate any of the following:

• Scripture
• Prayer
• Biblical principles
• Forgiveness
• Grace
• Identity in Christ
• Healthy boundaries
• Accountability
• Purpose
• Personal responsibility
• Community
• Spiritual disciplines

However, Scripture and prayer should never be presented as a replacement for appropriate medical or mental health treatment. Faith and professional care can work alongside one another — seeking counseling is not a failure of faith.

Our goal is not simply to help women "feel better."

Our goal is to encourage women toward renewal, truth, healing, wisdom, healthy choices, and a deeper relationship with Christ.