A character development ministry among adolescent African American males

First Community Church of the Nazarene inaugurated the Winner's Circle as a ministry initiative to address the underachievement among adolescent African American males and to engage some of the men of the church in a meaningful inter-generational ministry. Educational deficits, changing demands in the work environment, and fragmented family-life have intensified the challenges facing today's adolescent males requiring a strong, wholesome character to achieve personal success and restore the historic strength of the African American family. In many households, boys are being parented without the benefit of a positive male role model at a time when the church is being perceived as increasingly irrelevant to this population. The character of today's young African American males is therefore shaped mostly by the mores of popular media, and the ubiquitous peer group.;The Winner's Circle utilized a mentoring model in which young males, 13 and 14 years old from the White Plains/Greenburgh area of Westchester, NY were paired with men from the Mighty Men fellowship of the church in six character building workshops. Mentors coached the young men through a multi-sensory exploration of six character building principles. These young men not only viewed appropriate videos and participated in relevant group discussions, but also engaged in hands-on activities related to Self-Respect, Acceptance, Kindness, Determination, Responsibility and Integrity. A Character Development Scale inventory was used as a pre-test/post-test instrument to evaluate the effectiveness of the training.;The purpose of the project was not only to enhance the success potential of the young men but also to demonstrate that the church is an important and potent resource in redeeming these young men from the morally toxic environment in which they are currently growing up. A significant residual benefit of mentoring young males in an inter-generational context is the affirmation which the church provides for the old generation of males and the growth the church experiences when the needs of these two populations are met as they intersect in ministry.