New Ministries for 12-14 Year Olds and Families
This year we have started two exciting new programs, led by Dave and Mary Arnold. We started last fall with “Connections” and the theme was connecting what we know in our head with our heart and actions. It involved our King’s Kids, ages 12-14, twice a month. The mentors for this project were some older teen peers and college students that are examples in their own lives. We studied the Scriptures of God’s design for redemption and salvation from Genesis to Jesus, arrival and fulfillment of God’s heart and plan for our lives.
Bridge Adventures is the name of the next new ministry. God has led us to implement a plan for parents having adventures and experiences alongside their kids . Our goal is to involve both kids and parents in interaction, inspiration and communication through adventures. Activities include hiking, fishing, target shooting, gold prospecting and more. This program will provide opportunities for fun filled days of learning and creating long lasting family memories! We had a kick-off day which was a great success and we will really kick into gear this fall! The vision is also to include family adventure camping weekends so stay tuned for dates!
Local Team Outreaches
Both Junior and Senior Team kids and parents participated in an outreach to Anapra, Mexico, winterizing houses in December. The Senior Team has had two IGNITE youth led conferences in El Paso and the Albuquerque area, with about 400 kids participating. In February the Senior Team went to Dona Ana county to distribute groceries in a very poor area and share the Gospel with Heart for the World’s ministry there. The Junior Team had a missions awareness day, learned about their gifts and callings, and shared the joy of the Lord at the Christian Men’s Home. It’s been a great year!
Spring Break Outreaches
This year about 350 kids, adults and whole families came from Canada, Washington, all over Texas, South Carolina, Oregon, New Mexico, New York and Colorado to Juarez, Mexico for a week of missionary experiences. They ranged in age from under two to the 80 and 82 year old couple who came last year for the first time. Each group was here for one of the three straight weeks. We invested our time, effort and resources in three locations: the inner city community center and park run by Pastor Ramon, another community center run by Tim Gamwell and the Tarahumara Indian ministry we’ve worked with for several years.
In all the locations we held children’s ministry and evangelism for hundreds of small children, plus construction projects to benefit the ministries: concrete work, roofing, sheetrock, painting, pouring foundations and building playgrounds. At night we had preaching, ministry time and great worship bands. Many kids at the camp responded to God’s call, coming up for prayer and weeping. Testimonies from our evaluation forms tell of spiritual refreshing and changed hearts.
India Outreach
During a staff member’s outreach to Calcutta, India she and the team ministered to four groups of street families. Daily, she and the team taught Bible songs, played games, braided hair, bathed children, did first air, prayed for, hugged and held and did generally any thing that communicated the love of Jesus. Cooking, sleeping, working and everything else that makes up daily life these families do on the street. Most of the families have lived this way for generations, with out any real hope of change. So, in addition to the daily ministry on the street Yvette and the team helped the development of an Education Shelter move forward. The hopes are that through Christian education and practical training many lives can be changed. Most of the necessary things needed for the Shelter to move forward are in place, like a teacher for literacy, trade training for adults, a sponsor ship program for shelter staff and the street children …and many more things. The biggest thing left to do is find a location for the Shelter. There have been many potential sites investigated but once the owners of the property or the neighbors find out that it will be a shelter/development center for homeless people the rental agreement falls apart very quickly. Please be in prayer for the location that God has for this project.