October 2013
news Good to Great....................1 Summer Round-up...........1 Girls, Guys, God................ 2
Hope For Youth builds and maintains long-term Christian mentoring relationships with urban youth to challenge and enable them to reach their full potential spiritually, academically, and socially.
Upcoming Events............ 3 Ways to Help Youth........ 4 Financial Update.............. 4
From Good to Great:
Summer round-up
Program Changes Emphasize Discipleship and Accountability
The summer of 2013 will go down as an awesome
In the 20+ years since its inception,
maintaining
HFY has advocated for kids. It’s
groups. These groups of students
empowered them. It’s helped them
(8-12) and volunteers (2-4) will meet
make important strides in their often-
on a weekly basis in neighborhoods
difficult lives. We stand by that hard
throughout the city. We believe
work. But as cultural and societal
that the increased frequency and
realities shift, we must identify new
consistency as well as a smaller
ways of evolving our programs to
group environment will allow for the
adjust to those realities.
formation of deeper relationships
Each year, we look back to review and assess what worked and what can we do better. This summer, the board and staff took a hard look at the ministry and concluded that going forward we want to increase our focus on going deeper with our youth and creating more opportunities for the close relationships necessary to affect the change we want to see in the youth. To accomplish this, our main focus this fall will be on creating and
discipleship
small
and create opportunities for true learning, sharing, and growth. We also believe that holding the groups in volunteer’s homes around the city will allow volunteers to spend more time with the youth and less time tied up in Houston traffic! In addition to the weekly small groups, however, we will continue to have a monthly large-group outreach event.
time for growth and new experiences at Hope For Youth. Here’s a recap of what we were up to June, July, and August.
Jesus ‘N the ‘Hood Our
week-long,
summer
bible
camp
–
Jesus ‘N the ‘Hood – was attended by over 100 kids each
night!
This
year’s
theme was “Holding on to God’s Promises,” and each night was filled with fun fellowship and great teaching. Over 50 volunteers made it all possible. Our special
Also this fall, we want to emphasize
thanks
personal accountability among the
following groups:
Good to Great, page 4
annual
go
out
Read more, page 3
to
the
Summer round-up, continued from page 1
n
n
n
Current HFY volunteers who
Nicole Abner and Charde Jones
continue to offer their hearts
accompanied the students to camp,
and passion to the kids;
and all reported back that it was a
Agape class, which continues to
fantastic experience of
learning. This opportunity was
ministering and service;
made possible by a generous grant
Brennin Brock’s Sunday school Chad, Kaleb, and Chad’s small group from Ecclesia for coming
from Second Baptist Church and
Those who donated desserts for our kiddos;
n
n
Those
who
n
n
n
behind
camp session provided yet another
the scenes with administra-
great opportunity for kids to grow
tive work;
spiritually and emotionally while
The volunteers who came out
having fun in a beautiful, outdoor
from City of Refuge. Gratitude
environment. This year, 51 kids
to all.
in grades 8 - 12 made the trip to
October 19
Student Leadership Meeting
Kids Across America camp This year’s Kids Across America
worked
October 17
Hope For Life (City of Refuge)
We look forward to returning next year!
October 15
New Volunteer Info and Training Meeting
we greatly appreciate their support!
out nearly every night of n
events
fun and
refer class members to HFY for
class from Second Baptist; n
October 2013
n
October 23
College Visit Day for Hope For Life
We are already looking forward to
Golden, MO for the week-long
For more details
next year’s session!
camp experience. Over the course
about any
of the week, 17 youth made new
program or to volun-
Stoney Creek Ranch Camp
decisions for Christ while many
This summer, we were blessed to
others recommitted their lives to
teer, email Emily@
be able to add an additional camp
following Him more closely.
hopeforyouth.org.
experience to the schedule. At the end of July, we took 10 of our
Most Hope For Youth kids are faced
younger students (i.e. 6th and 7th
with numerous negative influences
graders) to Stoney Creek Ranch,
in their daily lives, so programs like
located outside of Columbus, TX.
KAA are essential to providing them
Stoney Creek Ranch is a relatively
with the strength and hope needed
new camp patterned after Kids
to make good, positive choices.
Across America in that it focuses
Thank you so much for making this
on providing a Christian camping
week possible for our youth!
experience
to
urban
youth.
Like us on Facebook! We have recently launched a new Hope For Youth ministry page on Facebook. Please visit the page http://www.facebook.com/
hopeforyouth for all the news and information about Hope for Youth including upcoming events and recaps/photos of previous events.
Introducing G3: Girls, Guys, God By speaking directly to our teens’
Like all of our programs, the
hand with our Program Directory,
daily struggles, we strive to change
success of G3 depends on having
Emily Morris. If you are interested
the course of their lives. To that
faithful,
volunteers.
in volunteering for or learning
end, we recently kicked off G3, our
At this point, our greatest need
more about this position, please
new girls and guys program.
is for Girls’ Group Leaders. These
contact Emily directly at emily@
volunteers will be strong enough to
hopeforyouth.org.
committed
speak directly to girls about tough
is that we divide the youth into
issues and compassionate enough
Thank you to our new Guys’ Group
same-sex peer groups, in which
to inspire conversations around
Leaders: Javier Ayala, Ellis Scott, and
we discuss gender-specific issues.
sensitive topics. In particular, the
Tydon Bell. Please support them
Our hope is that in this setting, we
Girls’ Group Leaders will facilitate
with you prayers and encourage
can more effectively address the
conversations
self-
them if you happen to run into
challenges and temptations faced
confidence, lack of trust in male
them. They’re doing great work with
by the youth and enable them to
figures, body image issues, healthy
the G3 guys!
make better decisions now and in
speech and controlling gossip. The
the future.
volunteer leaders will work hand in
Summer 2013
What’s unique about this program
about
low
Donate onlie at hopeforyouth.org
Ways you can help Hope For Youth
Good to Great, continued from page 1 youth. In recent months, we’ve noticed that many of our youth
From the very beginning, Hope For Youth has relied on
have a sense of entitlement
the faithful support of volunteers and donors to fulfill its
and expect the benefits of the
mission. Here are some of our current needs and ways
ministry without having to put
you can help us right now:
any “skin in the game.” Through increased
n Provide a place for our guys to play flag football n Lead a small group
program structure
and participation requirements we want to instill a sense of responsibility and discipline in
n Host a small group in your house
the youth that is typically lacking
n Provide new Hope For Youth member incentives
in their present environment but will be required for success in
(badges, t-shirts, etc.) n Help us purchase a new van (e.g. provide funds, contacts, etc.)
the future. With these program changes, we
n Pray for our new programs
are tremendously excited to see
n Pray for our search for a new Executive Director.
what God will do through Hope
As you may already know, Kendall Boyd is no longer
For Youth this coming year. And,
with us and we have retained an Executive Search firm to help us find a suitable replacement. Please pray that God will raise up the right person to lead this ministry.
as always, we greatly appreciate your continued support and prayers. Together, the work we do makes a real difference in the lives of these youth.
Financial Update:
Your Support Makes a Difference While we are still closing out the
As we mentioned at the beginning
also want to be a part of the work
books on FY13, by all indications,
of this newsletter, for FY14, we are
God is doing through this ministry.
we were tremendously blessed
raising the bar on our programming
Please help us out by spreading
last year by the gracious donations
efforts to make an even more
the word about Hope For Youth!
of our supporters. Approximately
impactful and lasting change in our
For information about how you
150 donors contributed almost
youth. To provide the necessary
can help or to become a monthly
$230,000 to support Hope For
resources, the board has adopted
supporter, please visit our website
Youth!
an annual budget of $330,000.
at www.hopeforyouth.org.
enabled
This us
generous
the
Although this is clearly an ambitious
and
goal, we feel confident that once
recapped in this and previous
more people hear about Hope For
newsletters.
Youth and our mission, they will
programming
to
support
provide
described