Missionary / Mentors are the backbone of The Village community, and come with a clear sense of “calling” to this ministry. When helping others through mental health challenges, standard motivational formulas and logic that may seem obvious to the rest of society are typically not effective. To break through these unseen and misunderstood barriers, the Village objectives for effective Missionary / Mentors are:
- To be profoundly aware of the dividing line between self-effort and God’s life-giving grace
- To live in a state of expectant reliance on the grace of God, so as not to hinder His transforming work
- To be willing to act, wait, speak, listen, give, receive, work, play, serve and sacrifice as needed to build trust and breathe life into broken souls
- To speak the truth in love – using wisdom, patience and discernment, so as not to confine our work to our natural abilities
- To maintain a humble acceptance of the physical, mental and spiritual condition of each neighbor while prayerfully nurturing their needs as they heal
- To demonstrate love, and promote community by encouraging non-judgmental relationships between neighbors
- To maintain Christ-centered fellowship in order to be able to give and receive guidance and support between fellow missionaries in times of difficulty or discouragement
- To understand the recurring need for their own spiritual replenishment