Sports Camp Scores with Teens
For the better part of a year, students from across America were told to keep their distance — a tall order for adolescents and teens on the threshold of self-discovery. Formational relationships, steppingstones to adulthood, were suspended in the wake of COVID-19. For urban youth, particularly vulnerable to broken homes, truancy, substance abuse, gangs and […]
Not in Vain
The following is an excerpt from a recent letter written to the Agape Center staff in Chicago. It’s from Ronald, a former 7th grader in their S.A.Y. Yes!® after-school program, where inner-city students are mentored in a safe, nurturing environment: “As I sit here reading my Bible, I can’t help but think about you and […]
The Inside Game
Sports engage young people of the inner city in productive, character-building activity. They learn discipline; they discover their talents and develop their skills; they learn teamwork. Young men who are involved in sports have the potential to become positive leaders and influence generations. But to do this, they need God. They need to understand that […]
Fruit from Faithfulness
“The Agape Center? I used to go up there when I was a kid!” I heard similar exclamations shared over and over, whenever our staff and volunteers advertised for our after-school program, S.A.Y. Yes! Centers for Youth Development®. As we engage parents and neighbors it’s clear that our Christian community center has a legacy. For […]
Raising Up Young Men
In April, five hundred volunteers came to the warehouse in Minneapolis to help pack Easter Bags, an outreach tool used by our church partners. Among the volunteers was Jacques. Jacques grew up in a broken home in East St. Paul. He became acquainted with the inner-city ministry of Cru® more than half a decade ago […]
Fruit That Multiplies
The Agape Center, host of the local S.A.Y. Yes!® Center for Youth Development is a community staple in the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago. With the start of a new school year, children from the area will find not only homework help, but role models, snacks, and the loving care of mentors and volunteers — some […]
The Sprout of Sown Seeds
As another school year comes around the bend, we look forward to what God will do in our partner ministries’ S.A.Y. Yes! Centers for Youth Development®. These centers come in all shapes and sizes, but commonly they provide a safe place after school for kids to get a meal or snack, help with homework, and […]