The Parties have begun!

We had our first Christmas party at the Juvenile Residential Facility (JRF) this last Monday. I am very appreciative of all the volunteers we have. Some of the kids were a little hyper but then again, they are teenagers. Two of our volunteers fixed nachos, a type of meatballs, and some chocolatey kind of desert. They also fixed a gift bag which had a stocking cap as one of the gifts in the bag. It took no time at all before they were modeling them to everyone there.

We had some recreation time in the gym. One of the activities was pulling Santa (one of the kids) on his sled (a gunnysack) delivering his packages (orange traffic cones) while being pulled by his faithful reindeer (the other kids).

The Christmas karaoke time was hilarious. Some of the volunteers didn't appreciate the creative melodies as much as I did, but, the kids sure had a good time making up their own tunes.

Perhaps this year you might consider being a friend to a teen who needs someone to listen to them. Think about it.

Chaplain Visits

As I continue to meet with kids in the detention facilities it is encouraging to see their interest in spiritual things. At this point in most of their lives they are reevaluating the choices they have made in the past. Some of the kids I met with today have not been to court yet so they are very fearful of what the future may hold for them. The plus side is that they are, as I said, more interested in how to put their lives together using a biblical pattern. The downside is, as soon as the pressure is off, many of these individuals will go back to life as usual. So for the moment we will do all we can to make a tiny bit of difference in their lives.

Update

As I begin meeting the people who volunteer for the Juvenile Justice Ministry, it has been encouraging to me to see their level of commitment to the kids. We have volunteers who have been working with these kids 12 plus years.

I have been talking to a few churches in the community about starting programs for "at risk" kids. This program will focus on kids within the church's community who are potential candidates for the juvenile system. The goal will be to find individuals attending the church who are willing to be mentors to these kids.

Within the next several months I hope to be starting a class at the boys Ranch at lake Afton. This class will be a "values" based class. I hope to teach practical ways to establish a faith-based value system these kids can use to help them make better decisions.

Part-time at Youth for Christ

The first of November will be my first day at Youth for Christ. It will be only part time as I continue to raise funds for the program. If anyone has any ideas how to successfully do that in this economy let me know.

Thinking About Our Kids

I have been reading a book called, "Superpredators: The Demonization of Our Children by the Law". The book is drawing some analogies between:

• the increase of violent crimes committed by teens




• reports of increasing child abuse and neglect




• the increase of teen suicides




• the increased feeling of despair by teens

All of these facts cause the author to raise the question, "What is going on in our society to cause our children to become so discouraged?"

Making a Difference

I just read some interesting facts. Research shows that the more interpersonal relationships a person has after leaving jail, the less likely they will return to a life of crime. It appears that all you need is a little time to invest in someone's life to make a positive impact on our community.

Back to school!

I am headed back to Tennessee for another fun filled week of classes from 8AM - 8PM.