The purpose of the Merge Mentoring program is to provide the young people of Kalamazoo an opportunity to have a one-on-one relationship with a caring Christian adult so that they can be mentored in life skills, character development and the daily living out of the Christian faith.

The name “Merge” comes from the idea that we are taking two individuals who were previously walking separate roads and bringing them together to walk the same road for a stretch of their journey. Much like the road signs you see, the picture of merging  indicates the way that “coming together” will help us to move forward in life and in our walk with God.

There are thousands of fatherless children living in Kalamazoo. I often have young people come up to me in the neighborhoods and ask, "Are you the person who can get a mentor for me?" -Mindy Kiss 

How You Can Get Involved...

Sign Up To Be A Mentor:

The process

• Orientation (optional) – We would love to grab coffee or lunch and explain Merge in more depth. You can learn more details and have your questions answered, all in an hour or so!
• Volunteer paperwork (required) – All forms can be filled out online and is required of all of our volunteers. We will then do the background checks, driving check, and reference checks…all because we love kids!
• Interview (required) – This 90-minute interview allows YFC the opportunity to get to know you better so that we can best match you up with the right young person.
• Training (required) – This 4.5-hour equipping time is designed to help you be the best Christian mentor you can be. They are only offered every few months so getting registered for the next one is important.

The Requirements

• Age – Our preference is that our mentors must be at least 22 years of age. It is possible, however, with strong recommendations, that a college student be considered to serve as a mentor.
• Driving – All mentors must have a valid driver’s license, a good driving record, and standard car insurance, and must provide YFC with proof of insurance every six months.
• Spiritual – All Merge mentors need to be growing Christians. We know that no one is perfect (outside of Christ), and we certainly don’t expect our mentors to be without error. We do ask, however, that each mentor is daily seeking Christ, is plugged into a local church, and is regularly spending time in the Bible and in prayer.

How to get more info and/or get started

• Call our offices at 269.388.3888  or email Steve Newland at [email protected] 
• If you know you want to serve as a mentor, please visit our Merge  Mentoring volunteer page to find the application link.

Sign Up To Be A Mentee:

The process

• You can get started simply by emailing Steve Newland at [email protected] to express your interest in signing up to get a mentor.
• Interview – This 90-minute interview is done with the student and a guardian so that YFC  has a chance to get to know you better. This will allow us to find the best mentor possible for each young person.
• Paperwork – This will just take a few minutes and is done at the student/guardian interview.
• Timeline – Unfortunately, there is a waiting list of young people who want to have a mentor. It is our hope that we can find you a mentor as soon as possible, but there will likely be anywhere from a month to a year before this may happen. This is the case because we want to find the right mentor for each young person rather than just the first one that is available.

The requirements
Call or email at the contact information above for more information

• Age – YFC is a ministry to 11-19 year olds. If you are younger than 11, we look forward to working with you once you are old enough!
• Spiritual – There are no spiritual requirements for students. We are glad to encourage any young person, regardless of their current beliefs. It is important for you to know, however, that all of our mentors are Christians.

Sign Up To Be A Prayer Partner:
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• What we commit to – As a prayer partner, you will receive an initial packet that provides a picture of the mentor and mentee for whom you will be praying for as well as some ways that you can be praying. After that, you will receive monthly updates on how the match is going, what praises there are to report and some current ways that you can be praying. In addition, you will be invited to the annual Merge Celebration Banquet, where you will be able to actually spend time with your respective mentee/mentor match.
• What you commit to – We ask that you commit to pray at least once a week and we would love it if you decide to pray daily!
• How to sign up – Call or email at the contact information above and share your interest.

If you are already a mentor and want to share your monthly prayer update, click the button below! 

Monthly prayer update