Impacting the Future

Mentoring
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What We Do

Godly men standing in the gap of Missing fathers

Christian mentors can play a significant role in the lives of young men without fathers, specifically within the context of their faith. They have the potential to impact these boys by providing support and guidance: spiritually, emotionally, and morally. Their investment into these young men can help them develop a strong faith foundation, navigate challenges, make wise choices, and grow into men who embody Christian values and positively contribute to their families and communities.

“I think working at Blue Sky Ranch is an amazing opportunity to teach young men life skills, to be a positive mentor and a Godly role model for them. I have been in prayer asking God to lead me to do good things. I believe this is an answer to those prayers. I feel the burden for these boys because I went off the rails in my early teens. Many years later, God saved me; and I believe it was for doing HIS work. I believe Blue Sky Ranch is where HE wants me to be.”

-Dave Anderson, Mentor

Why Mentoring Matters

Positive Life Choices

Without proper guidance, young men are vulnerable to negative influences, involvement in risky behaviors, substance abuse, or criminal activities. Mentoring encourages prosocial behaviors.

Emotional Support

Growing up without a father can lead to feelings of abandonment, low self-esteem or a lack of identity. Mentors help develop resilience, self-confidence, and a sense of belonging.

Achieving Academic Success

Young men without fathers may face educational disadvantages and a higher risk of dropping out of school. Mentors positively impact academic success and future opportunities.

Breaking the Cycle

Fatherlessness has a lasting impact on future generations. Mentors can help break the cycle of absent fathers and contribute to stronger, healthier families in the future.

“Mentoring is an amazing opportunity to put your faith and values to action—to show unconditional love to those who need it the most. It gives us the ability to actively model what authentic manhood looks like. When we do, the lies of the world are destroyed, and potentially, a life is saved.”

-Matt Haviland, Mentor

Being connected to these men is super important to me. I count my time at the ranch as a true blessing and miracle from God. My relationships with the mentors, and what they have to say, is important to me. It is obvious that they really care about me…us. The skills and truths I have learned at the ranch play a big part in my life today as a new high school graduate.

-Jesús Hidalgo, Mentee

Impacting Lives

Why Christian Mentors?

Spritual Guidance

Christian mentors can provide spiritual guidance and help young men develop a relationship with God. They can teach biblical principles, share personal faith experiences, and help mentees navigate questions of purpose, identity, and morality from a Christian perspective. This guidance can provide a strong foundation for their spiritual growth and help them develop a sense of purpose and direction.

Values & Character Development

Christian mentors can instill and reinforce values such as honesty, integrity, compassion, forgiveness, and humility. They can model Christ-like character traits and encourage young men to develop a solid moral compass based on Christian principles. A godly role model in this area will shape their decision making, behavior, and relationships, enabling them to lead lives that align with their faith.

Emotional & Psychological Support

Christianity offers hope, healing, and restoration. Christian mentors can support young men through challenging emotional and psychological experiences, helping them find comfort and guidance in their faith. They can provide a safe space for these boys to express their emotions, offer prayer and encouragement, and share biblical wisdom on topics such as forgiveness, resilience, and finding peace in difficult circumstances.

Community & Belonging

Christian mentors can introduce young men to a supportive faith community, such as a church or youth group, where they can find acceptance, belonging, and positive peer relationships. In these settings, mentees can develop friendships with other young men who share their values and faith, fostering a sense of community and support.

Fatherly Role Modeling

Christian mentors can serve as father figures, exhibiting qualities of love, guidance, and car that may be absent in young men without fathers. They can provide a healthy model of masculinity rooted in Christ’s teachings, demonstrating what it means to be a godly man, husband, and father. A positive understanding of masculinity will form healthy relationship patterns.

A Nation in Crisis

The Fatherless Epidemic

Million

Boys without Fathers

Mental & Emotional Effects

  • 85% of all children who exhibit behavioral disorders are fatherless
  • The absent father leaves his son with diminished self-concept & compromised physical and emotional security
  • Fatherless boys are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and suicide
  • 60% of young people who commit suicide come from fatherless homes

Societal Crime Results

  • 70% of all young people in state-operated institutions are fatherless
  • Young men who grow up without a father are twice as likely to end up in jail
  • 75% of rapists came from fatherless homes

Health & Safety Concerns

  • 75% of adolescent patients in substance abuse centers are fatherless
  • Fatherless boys are twice as likely to die as children and live an average of 4 years or less over a life span
  • 90% of runaways are fatherless
  • The fatherless are at 100 times higher risk to suffer mental, emotional, physical, and fatal abuse

Family & Future Outlook

  • 71% of all high school dropouts are fatherless
  • 20.2% of biological fathers are choosing NOT to parent their own children
  • Fatherless boys are more likely to experience unemployment, have low incomes, remain on social assistance, and experience homelessness

More from our mentors

“God placed in my heart a desire to help high school boys who don’t have a male influence in their lives. BSR provided an avenue to make that happen. I wanted to be a part of something bigger than just me and that has a vision and a purpose to reach young men for Christ. BSR has that very vision. Teenage boys need a father’s guidance in today’s world; and they are searching for answers. Being a mentor allows me the chance to help fill that void by being an example of the One who can truly fill that void, Jesus Christ.”

-Merle Shofner, Mentor

“I am driven every day to encourage people. When I learned about BSR, it was a perfect fit for me. I love kids and being a good influence in their lives. These boys need guidance, loved, to feel valued, and a good example of a man in their lives. At the ranch, I teach these young men how to weld and build projects out of steel. Watching their reaction after welding for the first time is priceless. These boys get so much out of the program, but giving to them is the big reward for me. I have become very close to several of them and care deeply that they develop into men of character, integrity, honesty, and truthfulness, and that we expose them to Jesus. That is our purpose for these boys’ lives. That is why we do what we do. They change when they see MEN care about them.”

-Steve Pitcher, Mentor

“When I started working with the young men and watching them catch their first fish, cook a meal for themselves, or build a chair, I was hooked! Seeing the glowing smile of pride in a job well done and an “Ata Boy!” or “Good Job!” come from one of the mentors to a young man who was starved for attention from a male role model was incredible. The best part is that all of this happens while we share the word of God with them. I believe these young men have been more of a blessing to me than I have been to them. Men, think about volunteering with us to let your skills and gifts be a real blessing to a young man who does not have a dad in his life.”

-Mike Platt, Mentor

“I remember the first time I heard Paul White speak about BSR, and within minutes, my ears perked up. After listening to his story, I reached out later that day. He told me to come and check it out; I did, and have been back every Tuesday. We are there to mentor and be supportive as we help guide these boys on a better path. I truly feel God’s hand at work. I know where He wants me, and I see the boys growing in a positive direction. BSR means hope for these young men who live in what seems like an upside down world most of the time now. I am beyond blessed and will donate my time and money for the rest of my life to Blue Sky Ranch.”

-Mike King, Mentor

“The mission of BSR resonated with my desire to mentor and also felt like a good fit with so many activities I enjoy, including woodworking, fishing, horses, and other farm activities. We are living in an epidemic of fatherless boys. These boys at BSR lack the day-to-day involvement, guidance, and positive example of their fathers in the home. I believe God has called me to be a consistent part of their lives and to actively model what authentic manhood looks like. I thoroughly enjoy the ability to encourage, empower, and teach them life skills so they can become better men. I look forward to continuing to put my faith and values into action. My desire for each of these boys is to know our loving God and become successful men, husbands, and fathers.”

-Jim Strawn, Mentor

8824 S. Hydraulic St.
Haysville, KS 67060