Recently I had a chance to talk to some young people at 71Five about the claims of Christ. The discussion was a no holds barred Q&A session lasting about an hour and half. The questions came primarily from an atheist point of view and it was incredible to hear what these kids are dealing with! Later, I connected with the same young people and was surprised when a young girl Sarah said frankly “Oh Shane, I believe in good and evil. I’ve seen some real evil before!” We had a great conversation where she told me about some of her experiences with darkness and the occult. I shared with her about how Jesus can set her free from all darkness regardless of past ties. Sarah said she wanted to follow this path and wanted to start reading her Bible!

 

It’s wonderful to share Christ with kids who have “intellectual“ questions as well as with kids who are looking to be set free from darkness and the occult. Thank you for bringing this great Hope into all circumstances and situations, no matter where our kids find themselves.

 

We meet new faces weekly at 71Five and first impressions aren’t always pleasant. Youth often come with preconceived notions of how this “club” works. There will be authority, rules, and the whole “God” thing. Along with the preconceptions, they’ve already decided they will be rejected and labeled as one of “those” kids. My first impression of Taylor as he entered the room reminded me of Taz from Looney Toons. Throughout the next hour, my initial observation was verified. After addressing him about several instances where boundaries were pushed, Taylor was beckoned to the “principle’s“ office. I confronted Taylor about the “chaos” that surrounded him and how I know there’s pain bottled up in there. He agreed his behavior was chaotic and was quick to respond with the habitual “sorry.” I told him I appreciated his apology however the next time I wanted it to come from his heart; I wanted to have a relationship with him, one where he cared for me as I have cared for him. I ended the conversation with “I can’t wait to get to know you better and I’m looking forward to you returning next week.” I sealed our meeting with a hug before he walked away mystified by the ‘irregular’ encounter.

 

At 71Five City, when a student is called to our “principle’s” office, they are shown the basic principles of God’s way as mentioned in Hebrews 5:12 (milk vs. meat). Thank you for bringing hope to kids in words and actions they can understand.

 

A few days ago, I got a text from a student who comes to the Phoenix/Talent club. He asked, “Do you know how to fix a broken relationship?” The situation was from a couple hours earlier where he and his best friend ended their friendship. After he cooled off a bit, he realized ending the friendship was not what he wanted even though they’ve been fighting a lot. I was surprised to find out I was the first person who came to mind when he was trying to get advice. You see, this young man and I are very different, coming from different backgrounds and perspectives. It’s been tough building a relationship with him over time.

 

Trust is foundational to a relationship. The problem is, trust can be hard to establish when the kid has been hurt and their trust has been broken. This young man has seen his parents going through a divorce. Divorce is hard for a kid; it makes relationships scary to the point they’ll end them before they get hurt. I don’t know of a better feeling than when I realized this kid trusts in me enough to ask for advice. He doesn’t even trust in God yet, but… he’s taking a step in the right direction. You provide the trust that leads to hope. Thank you!

 

“OK, What’s next?” David asked. He was excited to help prepare dinner for our Teen Night at 71Five City in West Medford. This was a total turn around from the David I first met. He came into Station 71Five with his face almost completely covered. His eyes were barely visible between his mask and his hair hanging low over the front of his head. He kept his distance and when I tried to make conversation he would respond with one-word answers. A few weeks later we had a dilemma, the person scheduled to make dinner for Teen Night cancelled. We had to act fast. so I asked David to accompany me to the store. Something amazing happened. On the way there he started talking and continued while we shopped. The conversation went on as David stood next to me helping me cook. At the completion of each task he asked, “OK. What’s next?” He transformed into a talkative teen who was having fun while serving. This excitement flowed for the rest of the evening.

 

As I drove him home he said, “Tonight was fun. What are we doing next week?” Thank you for giving David a place where he feels safe to transform.

 

In 71Five VoTech, being open and straight forward about Jesus or religious content can be challenging and elusive as we focus on teaching vocational skills with a set curriculum. So, many times we’re looking for creative situations to share Jesus. One day in class I was working with a student and she wanted to listen to music. I tuned into a local Christian radio station to which she said, “Oh, that’s Jesus music!” I immediately said a quick prayer thanking Him for opening a door and proceeded to have a conversation about Jesus. We don’t always get very far in conversations, but I’m reminded that I’m responsible for planting seeds and trusting the Lord that He will cause the growth.

 

Thank you for providing a training facility where skills can be given to better their future and relationships build trust leading to hope. And “Yes” we will still be playing that “Jesus Music.”

 

A few weeks ago I asked Kevin who’s an outspoken atheist, why he didn’t even want to consider there might be a god. He soon opened up and told me he’d prayed to God once and God didn’t answer him. I asked him what he prayed about and he didn’t want to answer at first. After some further reflection, he decided I was safe and shared that he’d prayed for a certain girl to be his girlfriend but the girl ended up not liking him. It opened the conversation to the possibility that God sees a bigger picture than Kevin, and a “No” in this instance, might have been a good thing. Kevin still doesn’t believe in God, but we took a step in the right direction thanks to him trusting that I was a safe person. 

 

We see small strides like this all the time with the kids at Youth 71Five Ministries. It may not feel like life transforming moments, but over time, these kids keep taking baby step after baby step closer to Jesus. This happens through trusting relationships with caring volunteers and staff who constantly tell about God’s love for them. Over the course of time, we see kids come to know Jesus. Often, it’s at events like summer camps where kids first profess their faith in Jesus, but it’s the simple conversations and the trust built with leaders that gets kids to camp. Want to make a difference in kids lives by being a trusted adult who points kids to Jesus? There are many ways to get involved. Please, call us at (541) 779-3275 or visit www.71Five.org and make an eternal difference in kid’s lives.

 

I’d like to share with you a letter I received from one of the youth that was lodged at the Juvenile Detention Center.

 

 

 

 

When he says “You Guys” he means YOU! Thank you for your partnership in this ministry, sharing true hope with kids in difficult places…and for providing all of the food.

 

 

I recently bussed 4 kids from their school to one of our elementary clubs. On the ride over I asked, “How’s School?” and received the typical “Good” and “Fine” answers. Digging deeper, I asked what their favorite part of school was. There was a silence, and then Jayden said “Recess!” The others laughed and agreed, all but Sammy, the smallest of the bunch. She responded with “Not me, I hate recess!” She shared how she has no friends and sits all by herself at recess and lunch time. Then, with a jump in her seat, she said “But this is my favorite part. Club! Because I get to play and have snacks!” It was a bittersweet moment as we arrived at her favorite place, Club! 71Five Club isn’t just a place “to go”… it’s a place where many young people find refuge, acceptance, and loving adults who genuinely desire to come alongside them and do life together, even if it’s just playing the game “telephone”, like we did that day!

 

You provide youth clubs, activities, camps, and more throughout the year where kids can come as they are and build trusting relationships that lead to hope. Thank you!!