May 2014 Newsletter

Speaking into Kadence's life (wearing black hat)
as he is moving in the next few weeks to Virginia.

Typically when students roll into the month of May they are jovial with the thoughts of summer around the corner with school no longer in session and plenty of fun and commotion together during their free time. Military teens have a different take on the summer. This time of year usually is the peak of the moving season for our families therefore cleaning up housing, packing, leaving great relationships and trying to find new friends, researching a new home and school for the family along with many other details currently occupy many students’ minds. A shocking fact within our community exists that the average number of moves for our students typically is four and much more if they are in their later years of high school.

A glimpse of our phenomenally huge crew of
high school students on their last Club night of
the semester together where we are their 'refuge'
each week!

Seniors love this time of year because it’s the culmination of all of their hard work and efforts for the past 12+ years of schooling. Perhaps it is different for our military high school seniors because they have finally found roots and a community they can identify and therefore this moment is quite bittersweet for them. They get to graduate with people they have spent more time with and their identity hasn’t had to change for some time. Their next steps are easier to see because they are settled into a home state or location and their college might be within a drive to reach. Still, the end of school shines yet another farewell moment they have made before.

In talking with one of my mentors who have shared moments with me in person or on the phone, we got to discuss the ‘why’ our kids keep showing up to Club. Bottom line – what gives?!?! There was one word that resonated with us more than anything else. Club provides our military teens something no other place does – a REFUGE from the normal life with no judgment but total inclusion of who they truly are in their own world. They don’t have to have the military life figured out. They don’t have to be the latest and greatest at everything they do. They just come and are KNOWN. When they walk up to us while outdoors, they’re celebrated, cheered on, high-fived, hugged or called out in anticipation of their arrival. They MATTER here.

The middle school crew praying over students who are
leaving our family this summer.

It all brings us to how we show our youth the impact of leaving with a legacy. In a straw poll I did on our final Clubs of the semester, I asked our students how many of them would just pick up sticks and move on without saying much of anything to people they left behind. An astounding 90% or more raised their hands. They’d never been taught how to care for one another or even show how someone has made a difference in their lives before they leave to another place. Therefore, we showed them how it was done. The last week of Club we spoke into our students’ lives who were preparing to move to another military location sharing with them (one at a time) what we loved about them and how they brought their own ‘flavor’ to the Club family. We took intentional moments to pray over the youth who are moving along with our outgoing high school seniors. Tears were shed and truly deep and honest prayers were shared in the room when our students were allowed to voice their hearts.

My moment to show my great thanks to Chaplain LTC
Greg Walker and his wife Roxanne for all they have done
supporting us as they head to Fort Bragg, NC. 

We’re winding down here as we usually do each school year so our leadership team can rest and all of us can plug into graduation ceremonies, award banquets and farewells for our students and their families. Interestingly enough, I glanced back at a year ago where God had the ministry headed and it was unreal with what has happened over the last 12 months. In May of 2013, we had our biggest crew of 50 youth (combined) and we finished the 2013-14 school year early this month with record groups at Fort Stewart and Hunter. The middle school group was 29 and high school group was 47 at Fort Stewart and our Hunter group blasted off at a recent game night with 27 students! What a culmination of a school year where God brought the harvest!

So many thanks to each of you as we take these moments of rest before summer begins,

Prayer requests:

·         Our partnership with the housing authority blossoming through the summer.

·         For new leadership to come into the fray as other leaders move and depart.

·         My upcoming wedding in July to Amy and the pieces come together smoothly.

·         For our teens attending middle and high school camps in June and July.