I think I might be crazy. As if I didn't already have plenty on my plate with reviewing items for TOS, running a two a week cooperative, joining a prison ministry team, and all regular homeschooling and housework stuff......now I have also started a youth service group for the teens in our area. For the longest time I have wanted Grace to get involved in some type of ministry or volunteer program. Since she is only 13 there are not a lot of opportunities out there. Once I joined the prison ministry team I felt encouraged to do something with the teens in our community. I sent out an email to our cooperative and homeschool group parents telling them what I had in mind. So far I have 14 families of teens interested in participating. Next on the agenda was scheduling and finding a place to meet. We are blessed to have a community room at the local library that will let us meet at no charge. I took a survey and it looks like two hours every other Wednesday afternoon will be the official meeting time. All decisions will be made by the youth with adult supervision and guidance. Some of the areas I will have them look at are:
- Adopt a grandfriend
- Adopt a stream
- Childhood obesity - walking club
- Walkathons for charity
- Trim a mitten tree for underprivileged children
- Literacy
- Homelessness
- Soup Kitchen
- Habitat For Humanity
- Pet Food Drives
- Grow a garden/food pantries
- Special Needs
- nokidhungry.org/goorange
- Food drives for local food pantries
If any of my readers have hosted groups like this or worked with one, please let me know of any advice I might need or any good ideas. Please pray for us as we get off the ground. After our first meeting I will post how it went.
2 comments:
This sounds a great idea, good luck. I volunteer in a couple of local prisons by running a literacy programme. I find it very rewarding and certainly meet an interesting bunch of characters! FCC
Diane, those are some amazing ideas for your teen group. I don't think you are crazy, I think God doesn't place things in our hearts that we aren't capable of doing. I can't wait to see all the great things you come up with!
Post a Comment