In late April, a group of nine teens from "The Other Way" attended the 5th Annual Where U At? urban youth conference at SpringHill Camp. 

This year's conference was particularly special for one of our L.I.T.'s (Leaders In Training), Katey Schleinz (pictured below, center). Having attended the conference for the first time in 2009, Katey knew that three of her friends could benefit from the life changing worship and teachings.

"I first got them started up in youth group and when the conference came up, they decided to come," says Katey.

"Katey invited me to 'Where U At' and I'm very thankful that she did.  Being there made me realize that there is more in this world than texting and being on the computer. It helped me become closer to God and it made me think more about my lifestyle," commented one of Katey's friends. "I had a lot of fun and I would definitely recommend it to others because it helped me change my ways!"

We praise God for Katey's leadership and her initiative in welcoming friends to experience the Where U At? conference this year.

Sunday, May 16, marked our first annual Westown Adventure offering friends and supporters of "The Other Way" the opportunity to learn more about how we walk alongside our neighbors, particularly in the summer months.

Guests were introduced to programs like the Youth Employment Service, Summer Leaders in Training, and the Garden of Eatin'. They also had the chance to walk through all of our facilities including the Family Center.

Approximately 200 people attended the event, including over 75 that had never attended an "Other Way" event before. We were blessed with beautiful weather, a great turnout and very encouraging feedback.

You can read more about the event in recent articles on The Rapidian and on Rapid Growth Media.

Finally, we want to give out a huge Thank You to all our event sponsors:




 

September 22, 2010 marks the beginning of the 2nd Annual ArtPrize competition in the City of Grand Rapids. Dubbed a "radically open art competition" that is "part arts festival, part social experiment", ArtPrize offers the world's largest prize for an art competition!

After witnessing the incredible impact of the event in 2009, "The Other Way" has registered as a Venue for this fall.  We have several outdoor options available and are currently seeking artists to work with. 

One exciting option is the "rim" of our Food Pantry, which is highly visible from Fulton Street and could be used for a mural.

You can find out more about ArtPrize and "The Other Way" as a venue by visiting our Venue Profile here. Contact Sandy if you have any questions.

Each Monday morning, our staff has the opportunity to share and pray together at the beginning of our Staff Meeting. We'd love to have you join us in prayer, thanking God for some of the great things going on in Westown as well as bringing some of our concerns before Him.

Here are some of our most recent praises and petitions:

• We're thankful for all the work groups and volunteers who are helping to spruce things up this spring. 
  
• We praise God for the teens who were able to experience the Where U At? youth conference last month.
  
• We praise God for beautiful weather and a great turn out for our May 16 Event.
  
• We ask God for encouragement and guidance as we work with our Summer Staff to prepare for another busy season!