On any given Sunday, the St Andrew Church of Christ looks like any other Kingston congregation. Hymns rise, prayers are spoken, and the service ends with the usual benediction. But beneath the routine lies a project that could reshape how young Jamaicans are prepared for adulthood.
The church has launched a mentorship initiative that pairs teenagers and young adults with seasoned members of the congregation. The idea is straightforward: put experience within arm’s reach and ensure young people are not left to figure life out on their own.
Beyond Sermons and Schoolwork
David Tennant, one of the coordinators, admits the spark came from a realization that preaching and teaching weren’t enough. “They don’t just need to hear us on Sunday mornings. They need people beside them during the week,” he said.
Mentors are selected not only for their years in the church but also for their professional backgrounds and personal steadiness. Each volunteer undergoes orientation and then takes on a young person between the ages of 12 and 22, guiding them through choices about school, work, faith, and even personal challenges.
Literacy, Leadership, and Listening
Some mentors focus on literacy, recognizing how weak reading skills cripple confidence and limit opportunity. Others lean into career advice or emotional support. What unites them is the discipline of listening—allowing the younger voices to speak, rather than simply lecturing.
Althea Smith, a mother of three who has been in the church for decades, sees her role as adopting children into her circle. “It’s not about talking down. It’s about making them feel heard and capable,” she explained.
Quiet Results, Big Ripples
Early results are tangible. A teenager who once struggled with reading now confidently tackles schoolwork. A young woman mentored through the programme has already enrolled in cosmetology studies. An 11-year-old, once timid, now openly shares her ambition of joining the Jamaica Defence Force.
For project manager and mentor Soroya Blake, the impact is not abstract. She sees herself in the children she counsels. “They assume they’re alone in their struggles until they meet someone who lived it and came out on the other side,” she said.
Changing More Than Children
The programme is not only influencing youth. Parents, initially cautious, have begun showing up more regularly to church after seeing changes in their children. Some, after entrusting the programme with their sons and daughters, have become participants in the congregation themselves.
In a country grappling with fractured family structures and rising social pressures, the St Andrew mentorship project offers a small but powerful alternative: deliberate, structured relationships that pass on wisdom in real time.
It isn’t flashy. There are no billboards or campaigns. But inside one Kingston church, the next generation is quietly being built—one mentor, one child, one conversation at a time.
