The Fellas
We make up a unique squad, those who are reaching out and discipling the teens from Herman. My friend Jesse has made a close connection with the guys we call "The Fellas." Dan, Mike, Brandon, Tysean, and little Theo are your typical punk kids in the hood. Also consistent with our personalities is my tendency to connect with the semi-crazy ones like Tyler, Sam, Chris, Jamar, and Christian. No offense guys if you are reading this, but you know I'm right. Meanwhile, Julia and Hannah do an amazing job with the teen ladies, but that is way above my pay grade. Maybe I will have the chance to share more of their stories in the future.
We love these kids, and that is counter-cultural enough. Many of them go home to crazy sad situations. When we took them out to Camp Patmos in September, that was the furthest many had been away from the city. Cleveland is what they know. I think of Nautica especially who lives in fear in the East 30th Street projects. Others like Jazz and Tysean seem to not be eating regularly. I am not aware of one of them having a father who is involved in their life. I am hard-pressed to find someone who actually cares, and so these young men and women have no reason to know or pursue anything different for their futures.
The goal here is not make inner-city black kids into suburban white kids. That would be stupid and a lateral move at best. No, God wants to form His image in a spiritually lost and dead generation. These teens are part of a tribe and culture. God has given us as His messengers an opportunity to speak life into that darkness. We hope and pray in the power of the resurrection.
John 1:5
"The Light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it."
We love these kids, and that is counter-cultural enough. Many of them go home to crazy sad situations. When we took them out to Camp Patmos in September, that was the furthest many had been away from the city. Cleveland is what they know. I think of Nautica especially who lives in fear in the East 30th Street projects. Others like Jazz and Tysean seem to not be eating regularly. I am not aware of one of them having a father who is involved in their life. I am hard-pressed to find someone who actually cares, and so these young men and women have no reason to know or pursue anything different for their futures.
The goal here is not make inner-city black kids into suburban white kids. That would be stupid and a lateral move at best. No, God wants to form His image in a spiritually lost and dead generation. These teens are part of a tribe and culture. God has given us as His messengers an opportunity to speak life into that darkness. We hope and pray in the power of the resurrection.
John 1:5
"The Light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it."
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