Power Mentoring w/Jen

Jen and I have been in contact through emails and phone recently about some of the apprehensions she is having. We are planning to set up another lunch/dinner date soon to discuss some options and coping strategies to the following voiced concerns:

• Making new friends at a new high school -- being in a new environment is not always the same. Especially in a new school, dynamics can be incredibly different from school to school.

I am feeling this same thing right now at my current school. Having recently changed grade levels, my team is different than last year. In addition, it appears that the school I teach at is going to through one of those changing transitions where people are stuck in a rut, negative, over-worked, busy with young families and the unity that used to exist is void.

Another thing Jen mentioned that she is nervous about with the new transition is:

• Not beginning Young Life ministry right away. Young Life is a Christian-based organization that Jen has been a leader through (it's done through high school kids with teachers who act as leaders one night a week for "club") her entire teaching career thus far.

My fiance and Jen were both Young Life leaders for a couple years together and with this new school change, Jen will be ending her current school's YL leadership (and kids/fellow leaders/friends/support group) position. She likely hopes to be involved in YL in the future at her new school but must first get started, create connections with kids (that's how success in YL can exist) and find out how to start up club with the new kid base. Leaving behind a beginning is always difficult. In addition, myself and my fiance are fans of YL and how they work to bring kids to experience a faith. We will be looking into working as leaders as well with Jen when she is more established at her new school scene. We are hoping to live close to the high school which would make developing relationships with high school kids easy. :)

These are two main concerns Jen is facing right now and I obviously hold a bond with these two concerns. These are not the only two concerns, but we are taking the concerns in chunks as to work through them without a sense of overwhelmingness.

Dinner/lunch soon as our power mentoring relationship continues!