#Truth

A while ago, I was visiting with one of our Kids Club moms and left the conversation feeling overwhelmed and asking myself what I really believed about the gospel. Can Jesus really change anybody? My head knew that yes was the correct answer, yet I kept getting stuck on all the painful consequences that years of living in sin and making unhealthy choices had woven into this woman's life.

I think I was trying to "fix" her. You and I can't fix anyone, though. Only God can transform a life. He may use us to be His messenger, but He alone is the life giver and Redeemer. "Neither is there salvation in any other..." is the message Peter shared with boldness (Acts 4:12). That is truth.

Kids Club - April 20



Here's a glimpse of yesterday's Kids Club. Fortunately, it's not yet reached the point of despicable temperatures, and it's still fairly pleasant for the kids to play outside before and after Kids Club.

 

 

Leaders like to have fun, too!

 

The songs have grown more familiar to the kids, and a lot of them like to participate as "leaders" on the stage.

We talked about God's Word being a light for us (Psalm 119:105) and gave out glow bracelets at the end.

Thoughts from a Seed Planter

In this post, intern Aleisha Boley shares about her girls discipleship group:

Have you ever done something in your life that when you first had the idea, it looked so exciting (maybe something like a Pinterest craft)? "That thing would just look so cute sitting in your living room!" So you start buying and collecting the things you need to make the project. After about a couple of weeks, you realize this isn't just a little project anymore. It's a big one, and there is so much more to it then you thought!! But after all the hard work, the results were worth it, and now you have this cute thing sitting in your living room.

The beginning of last month, I took on something that at first looked really exciting; then after I said I would do it, reality hit, and there was a lot more to it then I thought. On Thursday nights, I started a teen girls Bible study. When the first night came around, I was a little stressed out. I mean, I was going to teach these young girls about things that I'm still learning every day! The evening passed, and all went really well! The girls talked, and we had some good discussions. I went home that night and thought to myself, "Why was I so stressed about the whole thing?" I realized it was more about making sure everything was perfect and that I looked like I knew what I was doing. But it's not about that; it's about loving these girls and showing them that I care about them and their lives. They just want someone to hang out with and talk about what's going on with their families and school. They want a friend.

 

It's been a month now that we have been getting together. I see progress in these girls. When it's discussion time, they really like to talk about what they just learned and ask questions. Every fourth week, I take them somewhere, and we have a fun day. Last time I took them shopping to the mall, and then we went to Peter Piper. I know it's not a Bible study, but sometimes doing things like that  can create good conversations about why I do some of the things I do--like why we pray for our food and what should they do about the boys they like (there are a lot of conversations about boys....I forgot how much elementary girls like boys!). It's so fun getting to know little things about the girls--their favorite food, color, and their dreams.

 

I'm so glad I choose to do this, And I'm really excited to see where these girls' lives will be when we are done. It might not be a big change, but just to plant a little seed in them will be a start. I'm praying that God will keep working in these girls and show them that He loves them, and He's got a great plan for their lives if they choose to listen.

It's not about the equipment



We have a little friend who lives nearby who absolutely loves coming to Aim Right. He is an only child (quite rare in our community) who lives with his grandparents and mother, and I believe he gets rather lonely. He is here anytime the doors are open -- and even when they technically aren't. He has learned that if he knocks, we will open the door and often give him a snack. :)

 

Yesterday our little friend stopped by after school with this message: "The school is having a carnival tonight, and I just wanted to let you know that there may not be very many kids at Kids Club." We thanked him for being such a good informant and, of course, gave him a treat.

 

He was right.  Our usual two van loads of children was only one, and the bus was not very full either. It's not often that I am finished with the van route early enough to play with the children before Kids Club, so I considered it special to be able to do that yesterday. Little chalk artists were painting the basketball court, a large soccer game was in session, and various ones played with the Frisbee and hula hoops. 

 

Anything that is played with here is played with hard. Sometimes I look at our pathetic equipment--bent hula hoops, balls that keep losing air, and nubs of chalk--and feel badly that I haven't gone shopping to replace the items.  I realized while playing with the kids yesterday, though, how much they just crave someone playing with them and giving them attention. That's really all they want.

 

 



 

This photo almost makes it appear that our bus has arrived at a tropical location.  Nope...it's just dry-heat Phoenix!

 

Time for Another Update

Aim Right currently has 3 small groups that meet weekly. These groups are focused on mentoring and discipling teens. One of the resources that is being used is UYWI's Discipleship Toolkit.  It is free for anyone who will commit to meeting regularly with a young person or small group for one year.

One aspect of discipling urban teens in highly transitional communities is that the relationship and the process may be shorter than you would like it to be. Some teens move away. Some teens run to the darkness rather than the light. That is tough for an urban youth worker; we want "our" kids to do well, to have a network of Christian influences around them.

Check out the video!


UYWI Discipleship Toolkit Promotional from UYWI on Vimeo.

 

Aim Right's annual Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser for Teen Camp will be held at Sunnyslope Mennonite Church on Saturday, May 7th.  The meal will be served from 5:00-6:30 PM. Cost is a donation. Come enjoy great food for a great cause.

 

Menu:  Baked Spaghetti, Spaghetti with Alfredo Sauce, Garlic Bread, Salad, Drink, and Dessert.

 

We are grateful for the hard-working kiddos at Light in the Valley Chapel in Sugarcreek, Ohio. They had a Verse-a-Thon and raised over $2,000 for Aim Right, designating the funds for children's programs and Vacation Bible School.

 

Finally, please pray for protection over our campuses. Twice this spring, our downtown location has been vandalized. Our shed was broken into, with lawn equipment stolen. Recently, a woman was thwarted in her attempt to break into the house on the property; she already had a criminal record and was taken away by law enforcement.

 

We want the excitement to center around discipleship and prefer boring when it comes to property issues!