The Lost and At-Risk Youth
Posted on Monday, January 30, 2012 by
I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me.
I was in prison, and you visited me. – Matthew 25:36
As you probably know, God has placed a burden on my heart for two types of people: the lost and at-risk youth. This heart has been lived out in my service at LeaderTreks, Casa Viva, and now we recently celebrated our first year at Youth for Christ in Lincoln..JPG)
The Lost
During the past 12 months it has been great to see/hear/be a part of 32 kids becoming believers! Almost all of these kids participate in our Campus Life outreach programs at local public schools. Also, we have been in relationship with about 1,000 other students, most of whom we will continue to encourage on their spiritual journey. What a blessing it’s been to be a part of this mission and to share it with you!
At-Risk Youth
This past week I spent several evenings at the local detention center where we are launching a new outreach – Juvenile Justice. Clearly, students at the facility pulled on my heart-string for at-risk youth. And it was there, in the detention center, that I found kids who were the most open to talking about spiritual things. Within the first few minutes of the Bible study, the students were asking good, deep, and challenging questions… the kinds of questions that make it very clear, that while they are incarcerated they are seeking God. I am so excited to be launching this new ministry and seeing incarcerated youth come to Christ.
Prayer Requests:
• Pray that God would continue to connect our family to community here in Lincoln.
• Pray for James a detained youth who was asking some hard, soul-seeking questions at a Bible study inside the facility: “If Jesus was Jewish, should I be Jewish?”, “Do Mormons believe in Jesus too?”, “So, you are saying that Jesus is God?”
• Pray that the hearts of incarcerated students would be softened to hear the Gospel (3 nights a week the Gospel is preached inside the facility).