Pray for the Violence

This shooting over the weekend happened not too far away from Aim Right -- in a parking lot, in front of businesses, on a sunny Saturday afternoon.  The victim was only 23 years old.

That location is a popular spot for families or youth to pass by to pick up a pizza, since Little Caesar's is nearby.  In Staff Meeting this afternoon, we prayed for a request that a teen had written at Teen Night on Friday.  It was about drugs and violence.

I know children who are growing up without fathers because they were killed in shootings, most likely as a result of getting into destructive habits and friendships too deep and too early.  That is a tragedy that continues to affect their lives today.

Evaluate Your Teaching

In preparing an article for our upcoming newsletter, I have been doing some fascinating reading by Corrie ten Boom.  In her pre-Holocaust days, she started and led clubs for largely unchurched teen girls. While much of the club time was recreational or educational, a period of time was also devoted to what she believed was most important -- the spiritual. 

Corrie and the other club leaders would gather for leadership training and critique each other's telling of a Bible story so they could become more effective in their communication of truth.  These are the kind of questions they would use to "grade" each other:

• Was the Gospel clear?
• How was her first sentence; did it attract attention?
• Was there humor?
• What help was there for the girls this week?
• What importance did the story have for eternity?
• Did she describe colors, movements?
• Did she draw clear pictures with good illustrations?
• Was it an inspiration for action, for faith, for endurance?

Corrie and the other leaders recognized that many girls came not to hear the Gospel, but to enjoy the fun activities, and they only had minutes to hold their attention. 

Recently a child confided to me about another child, "You know So-and-So only comes to church because of the snacks!"  That is probably true, and I welcome these insightful questions as helpful evaluations of my teaching.  Perhaps you will find them helpful as well.

Note:  Questions are taken from In My Father's House by Corrie ten Boom 

April First Friday

"Enjoy the spirit and culture of downtown Phoenix as you mingle with thousands of other residents and visitors. Tour art galleries, venues, and related spaces from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. every First Friday of the month."

The event described above (First Friday) is within walking distance of Aim Right and is our "competition" for the attention of teens once a month.  Sometimes we have planned special outdoor events with guest speakers or music, but there still remains a fair percentage of teens who try to sneak away to go down the street.  That is a problem when we have provided transportation for the teen, and their guardian believes they are in our care, not downtown in a crowd of thousands

So....what to do?  The past two First Fridays, Teen Night has relocated to Peter Piper Pizza.  No one has tried to sneak away, and they certainly have not complained about the food! 

After pizza, it was time to work off the calories with a hike up North Mountain.   The mountain has a wide, paved trail to the top and is accessible after dark.  Even those who weren't sure they could make it to the top did, and those who were initially a little apprehensive about hiking in the moonlight quickly grew used to it.

Maybe we'll try this combo again!

The Life Book

Have you heard of The Life Book?

It's what several teens have been studying on Monday evenings. Produced by the Gideons International, Part 1 of The Life Book is a "quick re-telling of the first part of the Bible." Part 2 is simply the book of John. What makes The Life Book unique is its size (5" x 5") and creative layout. Sprinkled throughout the white space of the pages of Biblical text, various fonts are used to display comments and questions from 4 students and 1 adult, "Uncle G." Here's an example: Read The Life Book

A typical Monday evening group at Aim Right can be quite diverse. There's the guy who'd rather be out playing basketball. There's the girl who can't seem to control her giggling. There's the teen who spent the day in juvenile court. There are ones who know several Bible stories; there are those who are learning them for the first time.

At every moment of the teaching time, are they attentive?  Not a chance!  But the 6 or 7 minutes when they are really tuned in, questions flowing, you know that wheels are turning, and the Spirit is working.

Spring Break Week & Kids Klub Easter Event

Caleb e-mailed me some photos he took on last week's hiking trip in Payson with several teen guys.  I'm sure this made for some great Spring Break memories!

  

During Spring Break, I enjoyed spending time with these lovely little ladies, visiting the Children's Museum of Phoenix.

Another Spring Break event for teens:  Minute-to-Win-it games

For our Kids Klub Easter event yesterday, the children gathered in the auditorium to learn the "real" story of Easter, then headed outside with their classes for a Scavenger Hunt based on items in the story of Jesus' death and resurrection.  Then they traded in their Scavenger Hunt finds for a prize -- a goodie bag and an ice pop!

Many in the Aim Right "family" are gathering in Phoenix, coming from near and far, to celebrate the marriage of Mario and Dora this Saturday.  Mario and Dora met through attending Aim Right programs, and their wedding party includes their mentors and several former interns.  We rejoice in their desire to begin a God-centered marriage and pray that He will bless them with a beautiful wedding day and a beautiful relationship for years to come.

Feed My Starving Children

This is Spring Break week for local schools, and Caleb planned some extra activities for the teens throughout the week.  One addition was a trip to Feed My Starving Children in Tempe on Tuesday evening.  Aim Right took a group of 15 volunteers who joined other local volunteers to package around 42 boxes of food to be distributed to needy individuals around the world (FMSC sends food to nearly 70 countries).

Part of our group's duties was measuring specific ingredients and then bagging them.  Into each bag went a combination of dried veggies, soy, vitamins, and rice.  FMSC had prepared a cooked version of the bagged mixture so participants would have an idea how the ingredients would taste when eaten by the recipients.  I understand that it got mixed reviews.  It's hard when you're competing with Jack in the Box and McDonald's!

Auction Report and some Sobering Stories

This blog should begin to receive more attention now that the auction is over, and the office computer is back from the repair shop.

Since this is the Valley of the Sun, I would typically report to you that God blessed us with a beautiful, sunny auction day. This year, however, Phoenix experienced a two-day dip in temperatures, along with heavy rains and wind. The blessing, though? The heavy rains and wind came on Friday, with Saturday only damp and chilly, a few sprinkles here and there. It may've been a less-than-perfect weather day, but we saw God's blessing, too, in the generosity of the many faithful auction bidders who came. Proceeds totaled over $20,000! The top selling quilt was this one, which brought $1,300.

While I don't have a photo of it, perhaps one of the most surprising sales was a vintage children's car that brought $425.00. A small child could sit in the car, turn the pedals, and make the car go. I was told that two grandmothers purchased the car and split the cost between themselves. The car's donor had rescued it from a trash pile and cleaned it up a bit, but never imagined it would fetch that amount!

This week has been one of reminders of why we are here and why we are called to work with youth in the heart of Phoenix.  A 14-year-old girl, a good friend of several teens who regularly attend Aim Right programs, was murdered by her mother's boyfriend.  In this news video, the teen who does most of the speaking is one we know.

 

You can read or view more here:  Friends, Family Gather in Memory of Slain Phoenix Mom, Daughter.

As if that news isn't enough, the small group of girls I meet with on Thursday evenings had much to say about the police drug search that went on in their school yesterday (located right across from Aim Right).  According to them, students were patted down and searched, with around twenty 7th graders found with drugs in their possession.  Police are still on the lookout for two 16-year-old's who have been a main drug supplier to the students.  I find it interesting that none of this has been reported in the news, since I recently heard a feature on the news about one suspected inebriated student in a suburban neighborhood school.

Those who know the names of the dealers are afraid to "snitch" to school or police officials, fearing the consequences if someone should find out they did the telling.  In a culture of fear, darkness, and evil, God help us to:

"take up the shield of faith [to] extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit...praying at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication."  Ephesians 6:16-18