WALKS WITH ME has provided an online manager to help you set up and faciliate older adults meeting with young people. These are training sessions which have been developed to help new adults be trained in how to use WALK WITH ME. This can be done through your partner organisation or using the resources available on this website. If you have other questions or need support to deliver WALK WITH ME, please get in touch with us on hello@walkwithmejourneys.org

WALK WITH ME is designed for young people aged 14 – 21 .

Young people will be expected turn up when meetings have been scheduled, to complete any readings or questions before the following meeting and to commit to completing at least one journey with their mentor.

Mentors should be committed Christians, known to the church or ministry running the programme who are willing to go on the journey alongside a young person. They should want to see young people stepping closer to Jesus; and be willing to meet with, listen to and pray for the indivudal(s) they are paired with.

No, this will depend on the church or ministry context and Safeguarding guidance. WALK WITH ME can happen in pairs (1 to 1) or in “pods” (up to 3 young people and 1-2 adults).

Each church or organisation is responsible for pairing the young person and adult. This should consider age of the young person, gender (single gender will be most likely), the personality of both individuals and the journey they will be completing.

The mentors app is based around a selection of journeys to suit young people at different stages. Each journey is made up of different sessions which mix catch ups, discussion, Bible engagement and prayer.

The young person and mentor can agree which journey will suit them best.

There are 3 levels of engagement – searching, committed and maturing.
There are 3 descriptors of content – questioning, growing and influencing.

Most of the journeys will require mentors and young people to bring a Bible and notebook. We recommend a paper Bible to make it easier to see the readings in context and avoid distractions. Young people without a Bible should talk to their mentor or someone else in the church or ministry.

Mentors and young people should meet in a public space, for example, a coffee shop, church or youth building where other people are present. If the young person is under 18, they should not meet alone in the adult’s home or building.

It is important that mentors feel connected. The mobiliser in each church or organisation is responsible for encouraging, advising and keeping each mentor accountable. The WALK WITH ME online manager enables each ministry to link to their verified mentors and see how they are getting on.

Each church or organisation is responsible running WALK WITH ME in a way that prioritises good practice in safeguarding. This should include recruitment and police checking of suitable mentors, training on conduct & communication when working with young people, clear reporting systems for concerns and support and accountability for all involved. The partner organisations can help with this.

Any church or ministry running WALK WITH ME should be carrying out police checks on all mentors meeting with under 18s. If you are not sure this is happening you should speak to someone in the ministry.

Communication should be carried out in line with the organisation overseeing the programme specifically as it relates to direct contact via phone or social media. As a guideline the vast majority of the contact should be during the face to face meetings. Communication by phone or social media should be for be for communication, not conversation – i.e. to confirm the time and date of the next meeting, provide details of any reading or questions for the following meeting.

Parents should be partners in WALK WITH ME. If the young person is under 18, a parent/guardian should complete a consent form from the organisation running the programme. Parents should know who the mentor is and that the organisation has carried out a police check and approved them as a mentor . Parents should also know when meetings are taking place and who in the church or organisation to contact with questions.