One of the things that we are most proud of here at Forerunner Mentoring is our Forerunner Family Dinners. These dinners are a time where all of our mentors and their families can come and share an evening with all of our Forerunners and their families. We pack the house out while enjoying a meal and fellowship together. Once dinner is over, all of the men go participate in a fun activity while the ladies stay behind and get some "girl time" to themselves. The purpose of this night is three fold...

First, it brings everyone together. Mentors, Forerunners, moms, wives, and children of all ages come together as neighbors to build relationships. It truly does feel like you are at a family get-together! After all, we're all LH neighbors!

Next, it allows build-in time for our mentors and Forerunners to experience community together. The Forerunner gets to have intentional time with his mentor while interacting with both his family and the family of his mentor. This dinner also allows the mothers of our Forerunners to get to know the mentor of their child and his family on a deeper level, which results in trust being built between the mother and the mentor. This time also allows our mentors to get to know other mentors and provides them with a time to brainstorm to figure out what works and what might not work in their mentoring relationship with their Forerunner. This night helps them feel apart of a family instead of on an island!

Lastly, it allows the mothers of our Forerunners a couple hours to themselves. Most of our hard working mothers are too busy taking care of their families that they hardly get a minute in a day to take care of themselves! We take the kids of their hands while providing an atmosphere where they can relax and have some adult-talk with other women their own age. It's just a small way that we can serve our mothers and say thank you for all that they do!

Below is a picture of our October Forerunner Family Dinner where we had a pumpkin carving contest. This past month we had a Thanksgiving Feast and fed over 50 people! A big shout-out goes to our Director of Family Ministries Sara Garza for putting all of these dinners together. Another shout out to the Tobey family and the Matthews' family for hosting our dinners.

If you would like to be a part of our next Forerunner Family Dinner, just let me know! We'll find room at the table for you and your family!