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After having served God as youth pastors for the past decade in Pinellas County, we felt specifically called by God to change our direction by following a vision for a mentor-based ministry for fatherless and at-risk youth.
Kids can be fatherless both in the literal and spiritual sense, and although our focus is to build a ministry around those with no male parent at home, it will not be limited to them. In our experience with the Juvenile Justice System, we have found that a common thread joining most of these offenders is the lack of a father. We will go into their community, their schools, halfway houses, and Juvenile Detention Facilities, ministering to these at-risk young people as well as to their families in their homes.
Our ministry has begun at the Charles J. Britt House, a juvenile detention facility here in St. Petersburg. Although ministering to these young men is quite a departure from our initial vision, we feel very strongly that God is leading us and blessing us in our ministry to them.
We have initiated a Sunday morning bible study/worship for these young men called GPS (God’s Perfect Solution). This also refers to the GPS system so commonly used these days and a reference to the fact that God always knows where we are and is ready to meet us there. The young men have taken ownership of this group, and we have seen some very positive results. We feel very strongly that having this group on Sunday morning will help familiarize these young men with a lifestyle that includes Sunday worship.
In conjunction with our GPS group, we are also developing an aftercare program called RYC (Remodeled Youth Connection), which will be an alumni group patterned after the “Anonymous” movement and will be available to young men who have been released to gain support from each other and us on a regular basis. This is an extremely critical component in our ministry to transform the lives of these young men.
We are building a network of churches and ministries in the areas where these young men live so that they won’t face freedom alone after months of incarceration. We are also in contact with their family members and provide a caring hand to hold.
But we can not do this alone. As Matthew 9:37 states, “the harvest is plenty but the gatherers are few”. There are so many kids that need our help, and too few Christians who have a concrete vision of what they, as individuals, can do to help them. But you can help. As we try to support these faculties – the youth and staff members - you can help prayerfully and financially. We ask to be included in your prayers every day. Ask your friends, co-workers, and church families to pray specifically for this ministry. This is an immeasurable tool that is under utilized. We feel like God has blessed us repeatedly in our quest to serve Him and to serve young people. We would appreciate it if you will join our Prayer Team. Please email us and let us know you are praying for us.
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