3 Things

1.  Here is Aim Right's latest newsletter (click on the image to read it):

2.  Some of us attended this seminar yesterday evening.  A blog post by one of the speakers will give you a snapshot view of the problem we discussed:  Is the Way We Are Doing Youth Ministry Empyting the Church? 

3.  Several youth are attending the Acquire the Fire conference this weekend.  Please pray that God will move in the hearts of teens!

A Different Kind of Black Friday Message

The predominant message for Black Friday seems to be "Get out and shop!"  In whatever you're doing today -- working, relaxing, or yes, even shopping -- may these words challenge you to "Get out and make a difference for Christ!" 


We need to be involved with the world around us, because we live as Christians with a worldview which is in conflict with the worldview of the society we live in.  We should be constantly, winsomely, lovingly pushing Christian truth into the public square.   - Chuck Colson


When He saw the throngs, He was moved with pity and sympathy for them, because they were bewildered (harassed and distressed and dejected and helpless), like sheep without a shepherd.  Then He said to His disciples, The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few.  So pray to the Lord of the harvest to force out and thrust laborers into His harvest.  -  Matthew 9:36-38 (Amplified)

Happy Thanksgiving!

"I thank my God...

because of your partnership in the Gospel." 

Philippians 1:3, 5

Teens Have Been Learning About...

• Getting rid of the things that have been holding them back from going forward in a relationship with Jesus. 

On Friday evening, Caleb encouraged youth to write down an aspect of the past that they are putting behind them.  Those small notecards were put into a bonfire to symbolize teens' decisions not to dwell on the past any longer.

• Building a relationship with Jesus.

Yesterday's Bible study focused on how solid human relationships are formed, with parallels to how a relationship with Jesus begins and grows.  Teens identified some key components of a good relationship, like communication, respect, commitment, and love.



Caleb talked about getting to know God through reading His Word, spending time talking to Him and seeking Him, and being at a point where you're ready to say, "Yes, I want you in my life, Jesus."  Some have already made that important decision; others are still pondering.

P.S. You might notice that in the second photo, there's a white poster on the wall with a cylinder partially filled in with red ink.  To date, teens have raised over $60 to contribute towards gifts for the poor through World Vision.  The goal is set at $400, which means the pickle jar "piggy bank" needs to grow quite a bit more over the next few weeks!

Hispanic America: Faith, Values, & Priorities

The Barna Group recently released this report:  Hispanic America:  Faith, Values, and Priorities.  

Why conduct an in-depth study specifically about Hispanic Americans?  The Barna Group's website reports:

Hispanics represent nearly one out of every six adults in the U.S. today and demographic projections show this segment is likely to grow in the coming decades. By 2050, it’s predicted there will be no ethnic or racial majority in the U.S. and Hispanics will make up 25 to 30 percent of the population.

In the coming decades, the values, beliefs, behaviors and worldview of Hispanics will increasingly affect the fabric of American life. Understanding the Hispanic audience and their impact is important for anyone interested in reading the times and carefully engaging with cultural and sociological trends.

The complete study is available for purchase through the Barna Group, but "Infographics" like the image above are available on their website and cover a variety of demographics. 

The study revealed that respondents' top concerns for Hispanic youth are dropout rates, drug and alcohol abuse, and teenage pregnancy.  Those are certainly challenges we see Hispanic families facing every day!

From 40 to 125 - This is how the Pantry grows!

Last month when The Mobile Pantry was on site at Aim Right for the first time, around 40 families came to get food.

This morning, 125 families were served, with around 6,000 pounds of food distributed!  Despite the delayed arrival of the food truck, volunteers worked quickly to sort the food so it would be ready to give out by 9 a.m.

Some of this morning's selection included cauliflower, broccoli, melons, potatoes, and bakery items.  Yesterday evening, one of our Kids Klub attendees asked, "Will you have Pepsi again?  My mom is planning a party for Saturday."  She was remembering that last month, Pepsi was one of the "bonus" items you could select, in addition to the fruits and veggies.  Can you imagine the crowd if Pepsi were a staple each month?! 

It Isn't Just Mesa: Teen Marijuana Use

This article describes an epidemic among teenagers that isn't occurring only in Mesa.  One of the reasons why teens struggle so much to resist drugs like marijuana and spice is that they are so widely available in their schools, on their streets, and from their friends and acquaintances.

In the article, David Shuff, director of guidance for the Mesa Unified School District, noted that just a few years ago, alcohol was the most popular drug of choice of students. That has changed now, to marijuana, and its synthetic form known as spice.

David said:  “We are seeing more marijuana than alcohol. A lot of that was fueled by spice. Synthetic drugs have become accessible enough that it’s probably in some ways easier for a kid to get spice than cigarettes … If a kid is busted for marijuana, it was probably spice. We’re seeing it used interchangeably.”

How does spice affect teens?  Emergency room physicians are reporting a variety of symptoms, from hallucinations to elevated blood pressure, inability to speak, agitation, and the list goes on.  Symptoms vary so widely because the ingredients in a batch of spice are unregulated and change as the manufacturers attempt to keep it in a "legal" form to sell over the counter as incense.

For additional information on drug use among teens (especially marijuana), click to the National Drug Control Policy Fact Sheet from 2011.

Light Up the Night Festival

While we typically host a fall festival for our Kids Klub families on a Wednesday evening in October, it isn't very often that that Wednesday actually falls on Halloween!  We knew that two scenarios could be possible: (A) many families would already have other plans for the evening, and attendance would be sparse, OR (B) many neighborhood families would be out and about anyway trick-or-treating, and we'd have a large crowd.

What's your guess? 

our theme for the evening:  Jesus is the Light!



Considering that Buzz Lightyear (aka Stephanie) and her assistant  (Rachel) had a steady stream of guests for nearly an hour at the food tent, and the 120 hot dogs were gone, gone, gone.....

It appears that scenario B won out!

  Caleb played the deejay throughout the evening.

A big favorite of everyone -- cotton candy!  I don't know that Laura ever got a break; there was always a group of folks in line for some sugar on a stick.

We also gave out over 200 sparklers.

What did we hope to accomplish with an event like this?  We prayed that God would bless us with good interactions with the kids' families, and I believe He did that.  Many children came with parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles.  Aim Right alumni stopped in, and even several teens found it exciting enough to want to be there for the evening.

A big thanks to all who volunteered to help us "Light up the Night!"