Behind the iron doors
Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2014 by
Every Wednesday this summer, two teams of Campus Life staff went behind the iron doors of the juvenile detention center to run club. We embraced this unique opportunity to build relationships with groups of kids who are currently incarcerated for anything from skipping school to assault with the hope that once the students are able to go back to school they can hear the words “Campus Life” at their school, recognize it as something that they have participated in before, and hopefully be drawn to get involved in their school’s club. This is such a powerful opportunity, and initially, there was a bit of an uneasiness toward the whole thing. We didn’t know how the students would respond to us. All it took was that first week to be put at ease as we found out that despite anything these students have done, they are still kids. They were laughing and engaging in our games and opening up and sharing during our discussions. One girl, who we were warned about earlier as “having a really bad day” brightened up as we walked through the door and afterward told us how we are “the highlight of her week.”
More kids like this can be impacted when we all play a part in reaching lost teens in Lincoln. You can choose to volunteer, give, or pray to support Youth for Christ's ministries in Lincoln and the surrounding area. Campus Life, Teen Parents, and Juvenile Justice are essential ministries to reach Lincoln's teens.
Give > http://give.lincolnyfc.org
Volunteer > http://www.lincolnyfc.org/get_involved/
(As always, we try to use pseudonyms and alternate photos to protect the identities of our students.)