Since 2015, Urban Hope Indy has been meeting with groups of disadvantaged youth to provide encouraging words and hope for tomorrow. While our primary emphasis continues to be “one-to-one” youth mentoring, our group mentor activities serve hundreds of children each year–most of whom are awaiting a one-to-one mentor match. Our group mentor events were developed to serve large groups of youth, so I have sensed a need for something a little different–a smaller group gathering that could bridge the gap between our large events and a one-to-one relationship with a mentor.
I didn’t know it back then, but this was the beginning of a youth leadership initiative that would share success and wellness principles with teens in a smaller group environment. While The Friday Thing attracts 45 to 60 youth on a Friday night and has the feel of a festival with food, music, games and fun, the small group I had envisioned would look and feel polar-opposite. Would any of our youth be interested in a quieter sharing/discussion group that addresses leadership and success principles? I really had no idea.
So, in February, I began asking some of our teen boys if they would be interested in participating in a group like this. Honestly, I was hoping to find maybe three or four teens to accept my invitation. As you can imagine, distractions for them exist at every turn. But to my surprise, nine young men accepted the invitation!
This past March, we began our “Mission Driven Youth” initiative, a 12-week course to provide crucial opportunities to young men for personal growth, community engagement, and skill development. My hope is that the young men enrolled in this new program will become peer youth leaders at our larger Urban Hope events. The long-term goal is to continue to develop our youth in way that prepares them to become positive role models and future leaders in our community.
Our curriculum includes weekly topics such as: “determining truth,” “the importance of a healthy self-image,” “the value of a positive mental attitude,” “healthy relationships,” “fruitful decision making,” “effective conflict resolution,” “life visioning,” “SMART goal setting” and “living with a sense of urgency.”
Completing a 12-week course is a challenge for sure, but the group is off to a great start! We already have three weeks of good meetings and some really great discussion under our belts. AND we experienced our first group outing, rooting our Indiana Pacers on to a resounding win over the Charlotte Hornets. Go Pacers!
Toward the end of the course, each young man will be writing his life mission statement. Yes, we will be having fun, but we will also be getting serious about our lives. The questions are tough: What is my purpose? What is living a mission driven life all about? But the answers are worth pursuing.
Please pray for these young men. I’m extremely proud of each of them. Their potential is to the moon.
Grace & Hope!
Jonny Ray,
Exec. Director