LEARNING FROM MATURE BELIEVERS MAKES SPIRITUAL IMPACT

When it comes to learning from mature believers in Christ, outstanding examples of that discipline are found at Christian Women’s Job Corps and Christian Men’s Job Corps ministry sites throughout the nation and internationally.

In our travels as national correspondents in partnership with National Woman’s Missionary Union, we have had the privilege of visiting with CWJC leaders and participants in a variety of settings from New York and Ohio to Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.

While the leaders we have interviewed speak passionately about the impact that CWJC/CMJC training and mentoring can have on the lives of participants, perhaps even more compelling are the first-person testimonies from participants who have shared their journeys with us.

MENTORING BECOMES “BIGGEST BLESSING”

One young mother who received tutoring at CWJC of Rusk County, Texas, to earn her GED and then enrolled in Life Skills classes, also was taught the gospel and accepted Jesus as her personal Savior.

“My favorite class out of Life Skills was Bible study,” she said. “It was amazing for me. It really was. I just felt peace. It was something that I was needing at that time in my life.”

She and her husband also were paired with a CWJC volunteer couple who provide personal mentoring and Bible study – giving them the opportunity to learn firsthand from mature believers.

That connection “has been very important in my family’s life because our mentors are the sweetest people,” she reflected. “In my life, I’ve never had anybody like them. They show you love as a couple. They’re older and they’re still holding hands and that just gave me this really nice feeling of that’s how I want to be with my husband when we’re old.

“The mentoring has been the biggest thing that has helped me in my life,” she affirmed. “It helps us to be better parents and to guide our kids on God’s path. That’s the biggest blessing of coming here for me.”

GUIDANCE IS “ABSOLUTELY AMAZING”

Another young mom with three sons has been on her own since age 15. She was directed to Future & Hope CWJC in Paragould, Arkansas, where she also gained GED tutoring, Life Skills training, Bible study and mentoring.

“I have come to the realization that God is my outlet and He’s going to provide my every need and that’s never been something that ever went through my mind before,” she candidly shared. “My faith has grown so much and I know that no matter what, I don’t have to turn to drugs because I’m not alone.

“I’m learning things that I probably should have learned a long time ago as far as making good choices and decisions,” she added. “Just having someone teach me the right thing, having this guidance is absolutely amazing.”

Just as Titus 2 instructs older women to “be reverent in the way they live” and to “teach what is good” to younger women, that same counsel applies to mature believers today.

What Christian mentoring can you provide to people in your circle of influence? Whether it’s volunteering your time at a CWJC or CMJC ministry, leading or hosting a group Bible study or seeking out a young believer to mentor one-on-one, God calls us as followers of Christ to help strengthen and encourage fellow pilgrims on the journey.

By Trennis Henderson, WMU National Correspondent