I just left a great meeting with Mary Glenn from Kingdomcauses in Alhambra. She has been networking with local churches, city leaders, and local business people in Alhambra for the last couple of years. She truly has a heart for the city of Alhambra. We were discussing what are the immediate needs and concerns in the city of Alhambra.
It was amazing that what Pablo and I had heard from local young people. She had been hearing from churches and even a survey that the local library had done. Kids have no place to go. The city probably has over 5,000 kids in junior high and high school, but no community center to hang out in. The city has no active mentoring program for young people either. The city probation officers and school social workers are overrun by kids wanting and needing someone to talk to, a person that will value them and point them in the right direction.
As we talked, we all saw a clear dream of a place kids could hang out after school and meet people who care about them and want to see them suceed in life. We saw a mentoring program for adjudicated youth that as they are released from juvenile hall. They are directed to a program that will help them navigate themselves back into society. We saw a place that bands and hip hop artists could record albums. We saw a place that valued youth and would allow them to express themsleves. I was so excited. I saw a glimpse of the Kingdom of God. A place of inclusivness and a place that true incarnational ministry could happen, as Christ became flesh and lived among us. I saw a place that followers of Christ could live among young people and help transform their lives.
If I may ask, I would ask that you pray. Pray for Mary Glenn, as she will be the lead person to gather six different churches to begin to dream this dream together. Pray for Pablo, Tim Logan (a high schooler that I love to get mixed up in my dreams), myself and other people from the Gathering (our faith community) to better understand our role as servants for the Kingdom of God. As we follow Mary into this endeavor, we pray that God would clear the way for a miracle. Pray also as i draft a proposal to the police department to attempt to create a trial run of a mentoring program for adjudicated youth, God has a heart for those that the world has given up on. Jesus spent his time having meals with tax collectors, prostitues and zealots. I pray that we could potentially throw the type of party in honor of kids who need another chance and that they would be able to see the Kingdom of God as something to join and revolutionalize thier lives and their community.
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