About Lifted Higher Ministries
Our VISION
LIFTED HIGHER MINISTRIES PLANTS SEEDS OF LOVE
Lifted Higher Ministries was founded in 2018 upon the desire to “go above and beyond” when it comes to the foster care system as a whole
We strongly believe that not only are foster children important to sow into, but their birth parents are as well. We strive to put our hands to work for God and His Glory, follow in the footsteps of Jesus, and act out His LOVE! We believe all the programs and services we implement in this ministry will do just that. We are a volunteer based agency
Programs & Services
Our Mission
STRONG FAMILIES CREATE Strong communities
Serving parents and their kids that are in foster care & the elderly throughout the Wiregrass Alabama area.
Programs & Services
- Parent Support Program : Mentoring through our supervised visits and transportation services
- Transportation of foster children and birth parents
- Birthday lunches/dinners for foster children and parents
- Continued relationships with parents and foster children post-foster care
- Helping DHR in various areas
- Partner with other local agencies
- Monthly email news video to inform partners of what we have been up to
- Meal Blessing Program
- Housing opportunities
- Help birth parents furnish their home
- Adult Protective Services Transportation & Mentoring Program
We have been inspired by God in these endeavors and look forward to adding to them as He instructs us.
Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfullness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
Romans 8:17 “. . .and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”
Ephesians 4:28 “. . .working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.”
Ephesians 5:8 “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the world. Walk as children of light. . .”
Needs-Based Mentoring
Based off of research published by The Chronicles of Evidence-Based Mentoring November 2, 2023/in Mentoring Research, New Mentoring Research /by Saniya Soni
The majority of the parents and elderly we work with are considered at-risk. For the parents we work with this stems from being in poverty, past childhood trauma/upbringing, lack of basic living resources and lack of stable support system. For the elderly it is lack of family support and stage of life. The following approach consists of five key elements.
NBM Elements:
- Engage: (building rapport and trust). Engage is built of the components supporting mentee autonomy, positive communication, attunement (knowing what a mentee’s needs are at a given time), and celebrating success; affirmations.
- Teach: (providing skill instruction). Teaches components are to provide instruction, scaffolding (creating steps of learning) and modeling.
- Structure: (data-driven decision-making around goal setting). The components in this element are identify missing skills, goal setting with the mentee, collect and review relevant data (for example: reports ISP accomplishments), collaborative problem solving with the mentee and other supports, and data-based decision making.
- Advocate: (supporting parents and the elderly through the use of finding outside support). The components here are community resources that LHM has partnerships and relationships with, and follow-up (check-ins with the mentee and other supports).
- Assess:(continuous evaluation throughout all elements to assess mentee needs). Here the components are a needs assessment, quality of mentoring relationships, and behavior change.
Implications for Mentoring
Through use of these elements, particularly the strategies embedded in them such as continuous assessment and evidence-based strategies, NBM works as a strengths-based approach emphasizing mentor and mentee collaboration, focusing on the quality of the mentoring relationship. Importantly, NBM focuses around the involvement of LHM’s Parent Support Program and APS Program as mentors; our volunteers have helping experience that can be uniquely effective for supporting this at-risk population. For best practice the authors in the sited evidence-based research recommend 6-8 hours of professional development a year in specific skills and techniques. Typically, LHM spends that much time in 1-3 months with the population for whom it works. Overall, NBM lays the foundation for a strengths-focused and evidence-based approach to needs-based mentoring that has the potential to increase positive outcomes for this at-risk population.
Board Members:
Voting Board Members: Adam Lukas , Wes Bell Attorney at Law, Pastor John Dowdey, Melissa Elmore.
Advisory Board Members: Sherriff Eric Blankenship
Non Voting Board Member: Brandee Lukas, Founder and Director
[email protected]
248-342-8488
PO Box 492 Headland, AL 36345