Faith-Based Mentoring and Transformation of At-Risk Youth

by Bryan Kirk McCabe
June 1st, 2012
The world is rapidly becoming increasingly urban, and the complexities of modern cities often lead to increasing numbers of at-risk youth. Most societies struggle with developing effective interventions for children growing up in the midst of strained or even broken families, institutions, and systems. This dissertation represents the culmination of a project examining faith-based mentoring as a potential means of transforming the lives of at-risk urban youth by building life-changing assets.Chapter 1 evaluates the problem of at-risk youth living in complex urban environments; delineates the audience, the background, and the outcomes of the project;and the potential contributions of the project to transformational leadership. Chapter 2 offers a literature review that examines alternative solutions to faith-based mentoring.Chapter 3 looks at case studies of faith-based mentoring in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and in the country of Honduras. Chapter 4 examines the theological foundation for faith based mentoring by examining biblical mentoring relationships. Chapter 5 outlines there search methods utilized for the project, including a questionnaire, interviews, personal journals, and quantitative data analysis. Chapter 6 presents findings supporting the concept of transformational mentoring. Chapter 7 concludes the project by presenting the principles learned, applications, recommendations, and other final thoughts about church and school partnerships, urban and suburban partnerships, cross-cultural relationships,and the impact of incarnational leadership on faith-based mentoring programs.