Is the key to transforming your organization's impact hidden within your staff and volunteers? In this episode, Kevin East, president of Mentoring Alliance, shares how clear values, intentional mentoring, and Christ-centered leadership can create thriving workplaces and multiply Kingdom impact.
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In this episode:
- Mentoring Alliance Mission and Impact
- Mission Statement: Mobilize godly people into the lives of kids and families to provide tangible help and eternal hope. (04:18)
- Programs:
- After-school programs with part-time staff mentors. (04:32)
- Summer camps led by summer-staff counselor mentors. (04:35)
- Volunteer mentors from churches and communities supporting at-risk kids. (04:41)
- Example of Impact:
- Steve, a long-time mentor, has supported a young boy named Matthew for over 10 years. (04:53)
- Matthew graduated high school this spring, largely due to Steve’s involvement, demonstrating the program’s focus on life transformation through both practical support and sharing Christ. (05:00)
- Growth and Expansion of Mentoring Alliance
- New Locations: Started in Tyler, expanded to Waco in 2021, and recently into Abilene in 2024. (05:34)
- Community-Focused Growth:
- Hire an executive director and form a local advisory council in each city. (05:54)
- Partner with public school districts, superintendents, churches, funders, and parents. (06:15)
- Challenges and Learning:
- Constantly learning and improving as the organization grows to impact more people. (06:28)
- Ensuring local ownership and involvement so the program integrates into the community. (06:34)
- Partnership with Public School Districts
- Legal Foundation: Enabled by a 2001 U.S. Supreme Court ruling (Milford Central School District v. Good News Club) that allows religious programs in public schools after hours. (07:45)
- Program Structure:
- Bible studies are optional with parental opt-in (98% participation). (08:05)
- Benefits for Schools:
- Academic outcomes show kids in Mentoring Alliance programs outperform their peers on standardized tests. (08:29)
- Positive results attract other districts seeking similar partnerships. (08:45)
- Uplifting Growth and Staff Development
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- Core Values Integration:
- Mentoring Alliance recently refined their core values to focus on staff attributes: (10:06)
- Love one another (avoid gossip, grudges).
- Serve humbly (give credit to others).
- Get after it (work hard).
- Do excellent work (maintain quality).
- A multilevel task force contributed to creating these values. Each core value includes clear descriptions and "anti-values" to clarify expectations. (13:15)
- Core values are integrated into performance reviews, awards, and day-to-day communication.
- Staff Communication:
- Regular, scheduled one-on-ones are key to staff care and development. (11:08)
- These touchpoints (weekly and quarterly) allow supervisors to align vision, provide feedback, and address issues. (11:22)
- Volunteer and Staff Recruitment
- Recruitment Philosophy:
- Volunteers and summer/part-time staff are seen as “choosing impact over personal comfort.” (15:27)
- Mentoring Alliance seeks individuals driven by Kingdom-building and attributes like love, compassion, and grace. (16:09)
- Recruitment messaging emphasizes the significant time commitment and spiritual impact, encouraging individuals to respond to God's call (e.g., “Here I am; send me.”). (16:29)
- Challenges:
- Some people prioritize personal comfort over impact and may not volunteer anywhere.
- Measuring Tangible and Intangible Impact
- Measurement Framework:
- Inputs, outputs, outcomes, and impact are all tracked to ensure progress. (17:43)
- Inputs include efforts to increase mentors and mentees in programs. (17:51)
- Outputs measure growth, like the number of participants in programs. (17:53)
- Outcomes and Impact:
- Standardized tests show that kids in programs perform better than peers. (18:14)
- Social-emotional learning is assessed, focusing on children's safety, emotional well-being, and readiness to learn. (18:22)
- Impact includes addressing trauma by fostering safety and trust in program environments. (18:30)
- Gospel Impact:
- Over 17,000 instances of sharing the Gospel were measured in one year. (19:04)
- Hundreds of children came to Christ as a result of ministry efforts. (19:11)
- Programs support families who need safe, reliable care for children, especially in public schools. (19:21)
- Healthy Workplace Culture and Its Impact
- Culture as a Priority:
- A healthy workplace is foundational to organizational impact and success. (20:38)
- Health is integrated into the organization’s vision, recognizing that caring for staff is essential. (20:24)
- Measurement of Workplace Health:
- Annual participation in the Best Christian Workplaces Survey (BCW) for the past nine years. (20:01)
- Results are reviewed with leadership and the board to maintain accountability and track long-term progress. (21:09)
- Decisions, communication, and staff rewards are informed by survey insights. (20:57)
- Impact of Healthy Culture:
- Caring for staff ensures they serve others more effectively. (21:29)
- A healthy workplace culture strengthens the overall quality of the ministry. (21:34)
- Leadership Practices for Staying Centered
- Christ-Centered Community: Kevin emphasizes the importance of close, Christ-centered friendships, especially during difficult seasons like his cancer diagnosis. Daily check-ins with friends have been a significant source of support. (22:23)
- Scripture and Spiritual Practices: Staying in God’s Word, not as a duty but as a life-giving practice, replenishes and sustains Kevin as a leader. (23:01)
- Serving as a Family: Kevin and his family serve as foster parents, creating a shared spiritual outlet and a way to live out the Kingdom of God together. (23:31)
- Sabbath and Rhythms: Maintaining physical, emotional, and spiritual rhythms is essential. Kevin practices Sabbath through activities like mowing the lawn, which he finds restorative. (24:07)
- Building a Strong Senior Leadership Team
- Quarterly Leadership Retreats: The team engages in quarterly two-day getaways that combine:
- Social activities (e.g., Topgolf, bowling, Christmas-light tours) (25:38)
- Prayer and planning sessions for quarterly and yearly goals (26:01)
- Weekly Practices: Leadership meetings, staff chapel, and consistent check-ins keep the team connected and aligned. (26:12)
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- Utilizing Feedback for Growth
- 360 Feedback Process: Kevin’s team uses Best Christian Workplaces’ 360 reviews to gather feedback from peers, subordinates, and supervisors. The process highlights strengths and trends for improvement. (27:35)
- Investing in the Next Generation
- Opportunities Amid Challenges:
- Social media and digital isolation have created a longing for real, meaningful relationships among young people. (29:17)
- Ministries have a unique opportunity to meet this need through authentic connections. (29:25)
- Gen Next Program:
- A leadership development initiative for young college students. (29:34)
- Participants meet on Saturdays to learn skills like professionalism and networking. (29:50)
- Focuses on mentoring by sharing both the Gospel and personal lives, following 1 Thessalonians 2:8. (30:17)
- Identity in Christ and Ministry Impact
- Kevin shares how their team emphasizes identity in Christ through tangible efforts, like the "red carpet" initiative at summer camps. (31:26)
- Signs reading “God loves you” and “You matter” affirm each child’s value as created in God's image. (31:36)
- The goal is to help students understand their worth and begin a relationship with Christ. (32:32)
- Vibrant faith, academic success, and emotional resilience are core outcomes of their ministry.
- Prayers for Transformation and Growth
- Kevin discusses the importance of prayer:
- Praying for children’s hearts to be changed, recognizing that bad decisions are not the end of their story. (32:57)
- Praying for new communities to open up, raising champions who will expand the ministry into areas of need. (33:25)
- The focus is on leading kids with “eternity in mind,” as they are destined to live for all eternity. (33:49)
- Gratitude for Best Christian Workplaces (BCW)
- Kevin expresses appreciation for BCW’s support:
- BCW has provided guidance on organizational culture and leadership through consultants like Cary. (35:53)
- Their partnership has been instrumental in the organization’s growth and impact. (36:08)
Read the Transcript
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Best Christian Workplaces : December, 16 2024
Best Christian Workplaces