EVERY 24 HOURS…
17, 297 students get suspended from school
7,883 students are reported abused or neglected
4, 248 students get arrested
2,861 students drop out of school
1,329 babies are born to teen moms
367 student are arrested for drug abuse
180 students are arrested for violent crimes
9 students are victims of homicide
5 students commit suicide
1 student dies of HIV infection
*based on calculations per school day (180 days of seven hours each) C Children’s Defense Fund
via Barry St. Clair’s “Jesus focused youth ministry”.
Yes, we know these are horrible stats but what are we going to do about it. We don’t need more programs. We don’t need more punishments. We need more relationships; Relationships that mean something; Relationships that are not manipulative but intentional; Relationships that lead to THE relationship with Christ. Not just to change behavior but to change the belief systems that affect actions. We don’t need a better acting world. We need a world transformed by the love of Christ fleshed out in His followers who trust His guidelines for a healthier, safer, fulfilling life.
What are you doing with your 24 hours?
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I had these emailed to me recently with some state specific numbers too… Most of the kids we have come to our youth group are either already in church or “searching” already. But some of the kids we have come to our youth group are so broken I frequently have to pray before each conversation with them. We live in a part of the country where evangelical Christians are the minority… big time. My daughter can literally name every christian in her high school… Sadly it’s not a long list, so they tend to band together. Our community is one where evil has flourished for a few generations… You peel back the pretty tourist laden setting and you find a deep rooted occult culture. Witch craft is very prevalent as are many other eastern and native American spiritualitys… We feel like we are on the front line of the spiritual battle with these kids and often ask God if he is “sure” he chose the right people. (Not that we are rally questioning him, but we do question our abilities…) We are just trying to love them and share Christ’s love with them… That’s the only place to start from.
What am I doing with my 24 hours? Loving them and praying for them…
This song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjAmdzsOR7w sums it up for me…
It’s hard to hear that about the lack of Christians in your community but part of me longs for that. That may sound odd…let me try and explain. Our bible belt community is so full of church goers that we are over run with Pharisees. People assume “everyone” is a christian. When you ask them what their spiritual beliefs are they respond with the name of a church building they some times attend a service at. SAD! I’ve found it easier to explain the need for Christ in the lives of those broken “bad” people than those who say with their words they need Christ but their actions say their “good enough”. There is a LOT more heart ache loving on the truly broken and I am honored to know you since you Are in the trenches. Thanks for being Christ in your community and not running from it!!!!
Just got a chance to listen to that song…Oh My Fruitcake! I’ve fallen in love with the message. I had to share it here in my little corner of the net for all my other readers! Thanks for sharing!!!
I don’t know how much of my blog (back story) you have read, but we move a lot. We just moved beck to Maine two years ago from a 4 1/3 year time in Tennessee. Before that we’d been here in Maine for seven years and I have to tell you after seven years here it was so nice to be in the Bible belt for awhile. I know what you mean about “Pharisees”, believe me we saw plenty of that, but when we first got there it was so nice. You feel like you can breathe there after several years here where the oppression is so tangible. It is easier to “be Christian” there but I must admit, it seems like spiritual growth happens faster here once someone truly turns their whole lives over to Christ. This part of the country (The Northeast in general, New England in particular) is such a mission field, but most Christians would rather go on “mission trips” to exotic locations and “church plant” where there is a ready made congregation.
On a totally different note, in some ways it is so much easier to tell who is and isn’t a believer here. The kids who come to youth group are either clearly saved or have never been in a scripture based church in their lives. A lot of the kids we worked with in TN grew up in 2nd, 3rd or more generation Christian households and a lot of them were “piggy backing” on their parent’s faith… The challenge to reach them is definitely tougher then some of our kids. (We had one that when he saw the nativity scene he had no idea what he was looking at or what it meant… He’s seen them before but just thought it was some kind of old fashioned Christmas decoration!) But our biggest challenges are the fact that “Christian” is a dirty word here and the fact that in a culture that teaches “tolerance” that does not extend to the Christians. (It seems like we are the only ones it is socially acceptable to hate here)
Don’t get me wrong there are lots of “churches” here, but if you visit them you would not know where you were. Most are either extremely liberal (the Salvation Message is never spoken in these places) or so married to their traditions that they have become legalistically religious and have lost all sense of faith. Those churches only appeal to the much older generation (60+) and are full twice a year.
The church we are in here would not survive down there… We are almost refugees. I would say it is most like the Vineyard church, but not really. We (my family) come from a Baptist back ground (most recently Southern Baptist) and our church has every background across the board, from far more conservative worship style then ours to extremely charismatic people. This balance all in one church would only work in an area like this… Down there we would all go to different churches, but here we need each other and those doctrinal differences that would separate us in other areas seem so much less important here.
Wow, that’s probably more than you wanted to know… Two things… Back at ya, Thanks for being Christ in your community too! And I am glad you like the John Waller song. Be sure to look up his other music… His “As For Me and My House” cd ministers to my heart frequently!
Thank you for sharing your heart! I love hearing more of your story. {I don’t get to read as much as I’d like in this current season of life}
I heard ya! The “mission trips”, “piggy backing” and dying churches unyielding to change for the overall call of the church: make disciples of all nations. This actually tugs at my heart quite a bit and makes me wanna come up there and plant!!!! My husband and I have both grown up Baptist and have only served in Southern Baptist churches. I feel ya on the necessity of “needing each other” so doctrinal differences SHOULDN’T separate us! I wish more Christians could be a united front. That’s a huge foothold satan has in this world keeping us from gaining more ground in this spiritual battle!!!!
Thank you again for feeling open enough here to share your story!
Thanks for the list of church wbesites. I’m finding more and more churches and finally coming into the 21st century as they should do.They may be surprised in a nice way by the interest they may generate.