We strive to encourage, equip, and educate women and their families that they may continue to become emotionally, physically and spiritually mature in Christ.
Our goal is to serve women of all ages and races, who may be single, married, widowed, or divorced, with or without children, who are in stress, conflict, or crisis because of past or present conflicts.
Women who are involved in the mentoring program are:
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Provided with individual Christian counseling, when desired
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Paired with a Christian woman who serves as her Mentor (when a Mentor is available)
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Required to attend monthly and/or weekly group meetings
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Given access to a Christian Crisis Intervention Team
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Given spiritual and emotional encouragement by the group
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Given Christian leadership and training opportunities
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Given the opportunity to grow from Mentoree to Mentor
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Provided support as they mentor other women
Mentoring Moms is a ministry to women. Christian women serve as Mentors who come alongside women in need and assist them through the healing process.
Mentoring Moms began as a ministry of Avalon Missionary Church in January 1999. Dr. Dan Boen, Director of Christian Counseling Centers of Indiana and Director of Pastoral Care at Avalon, approached Dianne Stitzer, a counselor at the Center and another Christian woman from the Church undergoing treatment for breast cancer, with the name and idea of Mentoring Moms.
The ministry is based on the concept that women in crisis benefit from receiving support from a woman Mentor. Each Mentoree begins the program by receiving individual counseling and being assigned a Mentor, when a Mentor is available (we seldom have enough Mentors).
At first, Mentors and Mentorees were primarily from Avalon Missionary Church. Today, the ministry has at least twelve different churches represented in the program. Additionally, Mentoring Moms Inc. became a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization on February 8, 2006.
As a part of the support system, several weekly group meetings are held that address specific needs of the women. Group fellowship activities include creating a scrapbook; learning to cross stitch; planting a flower garden; annual family picnics and annual Christmas parties.
Discussion topics at the meetings have included:
- Building and Taking Down Walls
- Escaping the Guilt Trap
- Building Boundaries
- Compassion Fatigue
- Divorce Recovery
- Broken Trust for Survivors of Sexual Abuse
- Becoming a Woman of Influence
- Boundaries
- Safe People
In addition, special weekly group classes are offered.
- In 2002 and 2003, a 32-week video lesson Extraordinary Women was presented.
- In 2004, a year-long study program series Healthy Sexuality was presented to 15 women. Facilitators for this class were Dianne Stitzer and a local Christian woman physician, Dr. Angela LaSalle.
- In 2006, the video series Heal Our Land was offered.
- Other weekly series have included Attachments and The Dream Giver Coach Training Series.
- In 2007, Caring for People God^s Way and The Dream Giver Coach Series were presented.
- In 2008 we studied Caring for People God^s Way and Breaking Free.
- During 2009 we are focusing on women and selfcare; audio series from Beauty Instead of Ashes Conferences.
The Ministry also has a Crisis Team that assists women that are suicidal, experiencing domestic violence, or facing volatile family issues. The Crisis Team includes Dianne Stitzer, who has been trained in Crisis Incident Stress Management, and the Mentors.
We welcome mature Christian women to serve as Mentors and women who are willing to be mentored.
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Board of Directors
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Dianne R. Stitzer, MS, LMFT
President of Board of Directors, Mentoring Moms, Inc.
Executive Director of Mentoring Moms, Inc.
Personal Information:
Dianne was married for 34 years to Don and now is a widow. She has 2 children: Doug is married to Sally and Debbie is married to Corey.
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BS - Elementary Education, Bible and Theology
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MS - Pre-Clinical Psychology
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Endorsement in School Psychology
Licenses:
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
- Independent Practice School Psychology
- Life License School Psychologist
Professional Memberships:
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American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy Clinical Member (AAMFT)
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International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF)
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American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC)
Partial List of Certificates of Completion:
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Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
"Extraordinary Women" - 32 lessons (AACC)
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"Healthy Sexuality" - 31 lessons (AACC)
- "Heal Our Land" Trauma Response and Grief Counseling 18 lessons (AACC)
- "Inner Healing Prayer" Seminar - Ashland Theological Seminary
- "Helping People God^s Way - 30 lessons (AACC)
- "Breaking Free" - 30 lessons (AACC)
- Emergency Management Institute - 4 certificates
- National Incident Management System (NIMS) An Introduction
- Itroduction to Incident Command System, for Health Care / Hospitals (NIMS)
- National Responce Framework, an introduction
- Applying ICS to Healthcare Organizations T-200 Healthcare/Hospitals
Certificates of Specialized Training:
Professional Employment History:
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Elementary School Teacher
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Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
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Marriage and Family Therapist
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Ministry History:
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Children^s Sunday School and Children^s Church Teacher
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Co-Founder of Mentoring Moms, Inc.
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Developed training for Mentors
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Initiated and facilitated monthly and weekly group meetings
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Facilitated "Extraordinary Women", "Healthy Sexuality", "Attachments", "Heal Our Land", "Dream Giver" Series
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Facilitated various topics: Divorce; Remarriage; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Anger Control; "Safe People"; Forgiveness; etc.
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Instituted a Leadership Team comprised of Mentors and Mentorees
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Developed: Mentors^ Appreciation Lunch; Christmas Surprise; Family Picnic; Completion of Series Graduation Lunch; Community Outreach Program; Spiritual Wound Conference
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Formed Crisis Team and Visitation Team
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Initiated Incorporation and 501 c 3
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Recruited Dr. Angela LaSalle to be the Medical Consultant for Mentoring Moms, Inc., Seminar Presenter, and Co-facilitator for "Healthy Sexuality"
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Carole Bates
Secretary of Board of Directors Mentoring Moms, Inc.
Professional Employment:
Ministry History:
- Avalon Missionary Church - Deaconess Board - four years
- Chairperson of Deaconess Board - two years
- Served on Congregational Board - two years
Extra Church Duties:
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Decorations and accoutrements for services
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Served on 50th Anniversary Committee
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Arranged bus trips for women^s outings
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Arranged conferences
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Initiated small groups for women^s interests
Mentoring Moms, Inc.:
Certificate of Completion:
- Helping People God's Way (AACC)
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Cindy Gilbert
Treasurer of Board of Directors of Mentoring Moms, Inc.
Professional Employment:
- Event Coordinator and Bookkeeper for the Central District Office of the Missionary Church
- Coordinates district wide conferences for youth and adults
- Serves as bookkeeper for all accounts
- Develops printed material
Certificate of Completion:
Ministry History:
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Pastor^s wife
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PTA Member at Ossian Elementary School
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Mother of three adult children
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Market Day Chairperson for Norwell Music Boosters
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Wells County Community Choir Member
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Avalon Missionary Church - Dinner Theatre Productions
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Children^s Ministry Committee of Murray Church
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Vocalist - Murray Church^s Worship Team
Mentoring Moms, Inc.:
- Mentor since 2000
- Mentored a woman in "crisis" who now is a Mentor in Mentoring Moms, Inc.
- Mentoring a woman in her twenties
- Leadership Team
- Printed Materials for Beauty Instead of Ashes Conference
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Our Psychological Consultant
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Dan L. Boen, Ph.D., HSPP
Licensed Psychologist
Executive Director of Christian Counseling Centers of Indiana
Dan received his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Purdue University in 1985. He holds a Master^s degree in Clinical Psychology from St. Francis University and an undergraduate degree in psychology from Huntington College. In addition to a general practice in individual, marriage and family counseling, Dr. Boen specializes in treating pastors and their families and others in ministry.
Dr. Boen and his wife Jennifer, a journalist for a daily newspaper, have three married children, daughters Erin and Shauna; a son Ian; and six grandchildren.
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Our Financial Information
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Mentoring Moms, Inc. is a non-profit tax exempt 501(c)3 organization.
Click here to view our Financial Report.
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