Greetings!
Marion County Detention Center (Indianapolis)
The Marion county detention center houses between 100-140 troubled youth every day. Although some of them have been charged with major offenses, many of them find themselves there because of minor offenses. In the past a juvenile offender would be released in a matter of days for a minor offense. Today it is much more typical to see a teen in the detention center for weeks instead of days. Why the shift in length of stay? It's not because the offenses are greater but because the homes they come from are worse. You see the home they come from is not fit to return to. A teenager may spend lots of extra time in the detention center waiting for a place to go other than their own home with their own parents.
Parenting Training
You know how the Lord sometimes leads in ways you don't understand? Well, on a cold day in December I felt led to stop in at the Marion County Detention Center to see if there was anything I could do to help these kids. I walked in without an appointment and met with Tonya Hill, the director of volunteer services. Tonya is a wonderful Christian and I shared with her my interest in helping reach these troubled youth. We both have laughed recently about how I walked in off the street and offered to help and how today Tonya keeps adding to my list of things to do! I serve as a Chaplain, visiting regularly during parent visitation. I meet parents and offer encouragement one on one. Also, we have launched the PANIC (Parents of Adolescents Need Instruction and Care) ministry there. We offer a parenting workshop the second Thursday night of each month. There are great needs in the homes of these troubled youth and this is my way of trying to reach them. Pray for God to change parents one by one.
Man Up! Conference and Bible Study
On August 9 we are having a conference on Biblical manhood at the Marion County Detention center for teenage boys. The conference is called Man Up! The idea thrust of the conference is to teach and challenge these young men who are at great risk of heading in to their future with no clear foundation to understand God's plan and purpose for them to lead as the man God created them to be. As an extension of the conference I am beginning in August a Man Up! weekly Bible study in the detention center which will continue throughout the fall semester. Pray that these young men who are lacking in solid male role models will connect with these Biblical truths and establish the Biblical foundation for manhood! One teen who has been in youth detention center for quite some time said recently, "I wish some men would come here and teach us how to be a real man, because I have never been taught that."
Good News Youth Center
On Mondays I now minister at Good News Youth Center in Indianapolis. This past Monday I preached to around 50-60 youth there. My ministry with the youth center just started this past week and I will be there every Monday teaching, preaching, mentoring and connecting with the youth. In January we introduced a segment of the youth there to my High Impact Teen Devotional Journal. Our goal this September is to provide 50 High Impact Teen Journals to the youth center. I will be there to do weekly follow up with the teens to make sure they are understanding what they are reading in the scripture and making the application to real life. If there is one guarantee I could give these youth that would completely change their life it would be this. I guarantee if they choose a relationship with Jesus Christ and commit to a relationship with God's word, their life will change completely! A teenage boy came up to me on Monday and said, "I started using the High Impact Teen Journal in January and I love this journal. It has really helped me understand the Bible. I love this and use it all the time." A girl walked up who is from the inner city and said she has seen his journal and wanted one since January. I told her I am working on a project to get one for everyone who wants one by September.
PANIC E-Newsletter
Over the last few years God has opened doors to not only minister to youth but also minister to parents. Since I have worked with teens for all of my life and now have three teens of my own, it's been fun to reach out to parents and share what God is teaching about parenting teens. I have started a PANIC E-Newsletter that goes on via e-mail to several hundred parents and youth leaders. Pray for this to be another extension of ministry that reaches parents and youth.
Fountain Square Area Parent Initiative
This Saturday there is a special initiative in the Fountain Square area of Indianapolis to introduce families to resources available to them. I received a call from the person in charge of this neighborhood festival asking if I would come and meet parents and offer my ministry to them. After seeking to learn more about the area I found that this neighborhood ranks highest in central Indiana in at risk youth, school drop outs, poverty and more. I will be there for a few hours on Saturday meeting with parents and really seeking out what doors God may want to open to use me there in this mission field area of Indianapolis.
Boone County area Bible study and PANIC Newsletter
After school starts I would like to establish a relationship with local media, churches and business to produce a newsletter to minister to youth and parents of Boone County. I'll give more information in the future as the details develop.
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