A group of men gather in St. Paul every Tuesday evening to discuss topics ranging from relationships to grief to news. It was started by Pastor Joseph Webb IV with The Way Church on West 7th Street a few years ago.

“Our motto is there’s no conversation off limits with the right vocabulary,” said Webb. “Hearing people out is a lost art and building relationships is not something that’s highlighted anymore. We want to take those opportunities to learn about people, to grow.”

It brings together people of all backgrounds, including recent college graduate Biel Wiel who lives in St. Paul.

“We want to make sure that even if we disagree or we have differences, we can actually come together in a mutual space and listen to one another, actually support one another,” said Wiel. “It is such an enriching experience to have community.”

Other participants have included police officers, judges, doctors, ball players, lawyers, and those with a criminal history, according to Webb.

Police Chief Axel Henry started attending more than five years ago.

“And really a friendship developed out of it,” said Henry.

That connection has helped Webb launch a mentorship program this summer that aims to help men find employment. It specifically targets those who are about 19 to 35 years old.

“As Joe and I were talking, he was dealing with a bunch of kids and young men and adults that were in need of opportunities and I was talking to different places that had opportunities,” said Henry.

Webb created a curriculum to connect men with those jobs, including in retail and at restaurants. He explained it starts with a one-on-one conversation.

“We find out your missions, your ambitions, what you want to do,” said Webb. “Our goal is to build relationships.”

The men are required to attend two Tuesday group sessions, volunteer for two days at the job they’ll eventually be doing, attend a class on hygiene, etiquette and integrity, and they are paired with a mentor.

“We have expectations for them,” said Webb. “It’s not just a guy can come ‘Oh I just want a job’. They have to have some skin in the game.”

The accountability benefits the employers too.

“If we have someone we want to give an extra shot to maybe because of a criminal record or because they don’t have any work history at all to show before they get hired, we try to offer them ‘You can come to us if you have a problem with that employee’,” said Henry.

So far, more than a dozen men are participating, and it’s been a success.

“Every guy we have set in front of an employer to get a job, it’s been a hard yes,” said Webb.

Henry told us, “It’s just a reflection of a bunch of people were sitting in a room and they all cared and they wanted to make a difference.”

The Chief hopes similar programs can be modeled after this mentorship initiative to further spread its positive impact. He encourages those with experience in resume building, job interview etiquette, or employers with available jobs to reach out to the program.