Support for Friendship Groups

Whether you’re starting a new class or continuing a long-standing program, we’d love to hear from you. Our goal is to help you have the best group possible. We strive to personally respond to every communication we receive. So please contact us with your questions or comments. Here’s what you’ll find on this page.

We’re here to help
Receive our newsletters
Pass along some inspiration
Check out the Curriculum Overview
Friendship Program Guide
What Friendship Mentors Need to Know
Downloadable Abuse Prevention Guidelines
Downloadable Volunteer Disclosure Form

We're Here to Help!

Here are just a few things we can help with:

Recruiting volunteers
Setting up a new group
Tuning up an existing group
Training & conferences
Activities to enhance your group
Overcoming challenges in your group
Questions about the materials
And more...

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Receive Our Newsletters

Extras

Friendship’s newsletter in print. Designed to inspire and inform anyone involved in Friendship Ministries. Mailed quarterly.
Click here to download current and past issues.

More Extras

A supplement to Extras. This online e-mail newsletter is sent out about once a month. Click here to subscribe.

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Pass Along Some Inspiration

Do you have a story or activity to share? We'd love to hear about it. Your story could inspire someone else. We might even include it in our next edition of Extras! Drop us an email at friendship@friendship.org

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Check Out the Curriculum Overview

Looking for some direction? Need to add some structure to your program? Click here to check out the Curriculum Overview. It explains the entire curriculum, including Bible studies, life studies, and special holiday books. It tells you what topics and memory verses are covered in each unit. And it's free!

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Friendship Program Guide

Friendship Program Guide This indispensable resource presents the Friendship Ministries philosophy, describes the program model, and provides practical tips for starting a Friendship group: from choosing materials and defining roles, to recruiting friends and mentors, to building community. Click here to download it for free.

To order a printed copy, click here, or call 888.866.8966.

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What Friendship Mentors Need to Know

Whether you’re a brand new Friendship mentor or have been involved for years, this new resource is a must-read, answering questions like “What does a Friendship mentor do?” and providing helpful tips for working with the friends in your group.

Leaders, we encourage you to print out a copy for every volunteer in your group.

To download, click here.

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Abuse Prevention Guidelines

The success of Friendship groups depends on numerous dedicated volunteers working in one-on-one interpersonal relationships. Unfortunately, it's in the context of close interpersonal relationships that persons with intellectual disabilities are often abused. To make Friendship meetings and social events enjoyable and safe for everyone, Friendship Ministries has developed a set of model guidelines to reduce the potential risk.

To download, click here.

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Volunteer Disclosure Form

Friendship Ministries has developed this model disclosure form for anyone interested in a volunteer position that involves the mentoring, supervision or instruction of friends. We believe the use of this form can facilitate the screening and selection of applicants who will provide a safe and secure environment for our friends. This form was developed by Friendship Ministries in conjunction with its Model Guidelines For Abuse Prevention.

To download, click here.