November 2010 Newsletter

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December Newsletter 2009

“let the children come to me”
Chris Ward joins YFC to focus on elementary schools

I was walking the school hallways with Chris Ward, new staff member at YFC. She had just gotten a taste of YFC life with Randy Rains at the Farmington Middle School, where 60 students gather every week for SOS Bible Club. All of a sudden a class room door opened and a girl burst out, running to give Chris a big hug. “I remember you!” she said, and began rekindling memories. Chris’ 22 years of experience as a former teacher, combined with a deep desire to see kids come to a living faith in Christ, made her a great candidate for a job that focuses on starting a mentoring program and campus clubs in four area elementary schools.
Let’s take a look into her job: It’s 3.30 pm and a group of 3rd and 4th graders is ready for the Bible Club after a ‘long’ day at school. I look around me at the group of kids and together we dive into God’s Word. I couldn’t help but notice one kid who did his best to sit as close to me as possible and seemed to eat up every word I said. While the other kids did their crafts, memory verse and ate their snack, Chris redirects him my way. We talked, just the two of us, and he starts telling me how he has recently lost his dad. He had brought his Bible, and showed me passages out of the book of Job that he had underlined. We talked about how he could bring the pain in his heart to His Heavenly Father; the one who would never leave him! As we talked, his eyes became filled with hope and joy, and I felt I was able to bring some comfort his dad would have wanted to give to him.
I looked around at the other side of the room where Chris was watching us while leading a group of kids with their crafts. I could see tears of joy in her eyes. I can’t wait to see what the future will hold for her as she connects compassionate folks with hurting kids all across the Parkland area. May she hear from Christ himself :”I remember you! You did it to Me”

“it takes all of us to impact our community”
Local Church reaches out at the skate park

Pastor Mike Harrison had been looking for ways to see his congregation reach out to the community. When presented with the opportunity to invest in the youth at the skate park it seemed that God had orchestrated things. Church members Todd Varhalla and Jeremy
Davidson, who in their professional career both serve in the public school system, had been looking for ways to do more for the (at-risk) kids they worked with. Youth Pastor Mike Minghi only lives a couple of blocks away from the park. The team of three men can now be found
on Monday nights teaching the Alpha Course, a course explaining the Christian faith. They’ve shown that God isn’t in a ‘box’, where you spend an hour in church or at a Bible study, but that it affects every moment of your life—including your time in school. They have since heard from several people (including parents)
how much their presence at the skate park has shown the kids and the community that they truly care. Theyshared their personal testimonies and will bring some of their own kids with them to show what a father looks like. They are not afraid to touch ‘hot’ buttons like boy/girl relationships and the rampant pornography that has infiltrated the internet. The church is looking at hosting a lock in for the kids this winter. They can be found praying at 6.45 every Thursday Morning.
Mike Minghi, Youth Pastor at the church, talked to one of the skaters on his way home. This young man had questions as he had seen the imperfection among Christians and asked Mike whether he should believe any of it. Mike told him that not our religion, but Jesus is the way into heaven. They opened the Bible together as Mike explained the Gospel. They prayed together and this young man decided to become a follower of Christ. According to Hannah Kissinger, YFC staff at the park, this talk made a big difference for him.
I am encouraged as I watch this team and this church embrace the skaters. It wasn’t too long ago that the board of YFC decided to pursue a strategic shift: Instead of YFC staff doing the bulk of ministry, we would look at new ways of multiplying our efforts by engaging the local church and community in ministry. Watching this team teach kids about Christ, and seeing the changed lives as a result makes me dream for a future where many more kids could be reached in accordance with Jesus’ prayer: “The fields are white unto harvest. Pray therefore the Lord of the Harvest that he would send laborers into his harvest field”.
Would you help us make that dream a reality through your continued prayers, giving and volunteer help? Thank You!
November 2009
P.O. Box 765
Farmington, MO 63640
(573) 747-1705
IN THE PARKLAND