Juvenile Justice Ministry

2011-08-01T11:57:00.004-07:00

July! [Click to read the latest]

2010-08-30T14:09:00.001-07:00

My heart is broken and tears stream from my eyes as I leave the detention center at Hampden and Wadsworth, people are rushing home from work and very impatient. I’m so lost in my thoughts at a light that I don’t turn when the light is shining green and a horn jolts me from my mental vacation. Every student I talked to today had a similar story, they either didn’t know their dad or their dad abused them or had some unhealthy relationship with them. Many of these students, sixteen or seventeen, are dads themselves and another generation on the path to not be around for their kids. I want to convey so convincingly that they have a Heavenly Father who has always been there for them and will never leave them or forget them. I want to reach over the table and give them a much needed hug [not really appropriate for a state juvenile justice system] and let them know that they have a friend who is always their for them and will always be listening.

One of the students I connect with just got a picture of his daughter, she is 2 months old now and the picture had to be taken when she was weeks old. She looks a lot like him, he is grinning from ear to ear and talking about how he is going to get out of the system and be the father he never had to her. He has plans to provide and goals to bring a solid foundation to their new family. I believe him as he talks with a new conviction to change because of the picture he holds.The sad part is, as I learn later from his case manager, his girlfriend gave their daughter up for adoption and the family that adopted her is out of state. He may never see his daughter again, and depending on who he puts his faith in when he is on the outs he may just turn back to his old way of living.

These students are shaped by their past and my hope is that they reshape their present lives through transformation through Christ to begin generations of families that love God, serve Him, contribute to their community which they live in, and become fathers that are intentional and purposeful to have healthy relationships with their children with the help of Christ.

2010-05-04T09:35:00.003-07:00

A video with Denver Area YFC [with City Life and Teen Parents]

2009-11-20T13:07:00.002-07:00

Many of the young people I work with have these incredible extremes in life. There home life is unpredictable, chaotic, and uncertain. Then they get caught making poor choices and move to this structured, regimented, and many quiet times with them in a room only hearing their own heart beat. I see these young people get tossed back and forth by the waves of life and they are unable to stand on their own two feet. But, over and over again I see them land on their feet, firm, solid, sure! When in the quietness of their room, they talk with THE ONE who saves them from this storm! It seems that when they are taken away from the noise, the storm, they have a clearer focus and direction! What they had been doing before is not working! They need a new leader, some one to give their life to! In those moments, Christ is so clear to them, He enters into their loneliness, their past...He becomes their HOPE! May Jesus calm the storm of our lives forever and ever! Amen!

2009-10-07T11:33:00.002-07:00

The following is an excerpt from our National President of YFC/USA after hearing me talk at an event to potential supporters of our mission!

22 phone numbers…

Gareth is one of our YFC staff that works in juvenile detention centers. Our program in those places is known by the title Juvenile Justice Ministries. Staff serve as chaplains… as mentors… as friends… and always as committed followers of Jesus with a heart to reach the least and the lost.

Last month, Gareth relayed a story to me. It’s an unfinished story. In fact, it’s messy and burdensome, and laced with relational risk. The story is authentic.

A young man (I’ll call him Jake) who Gareth connected with four years ago in a detention center was the focus of the story. This young man has been in and out of various detentions centers. Gareth has invested in Jake with few guarantees there’s been peaks and valleys that accompany a genuine relationship with a fractured soul. And yes, he’s been disappointed. But Gareth doesn’t quit. In fact, he has a log of 22 phone numbers that Jake has used over the past four years. Like a Rolodex for a single individual, Gareth maintains a database of contact information for Jake. With incredible tenacity, Gareth models love… unconditional love… forgiving love… hopeful love… pursuing love.

Gareth is young and talented. Far from naïve, he understands full well that the statistics are stacked against him, but he pursues and challenges and believes nonetheless. His disappointments (and there have been many) don’t make him callus or cold. Instead they produce the fuel God uses to ignite a powerful and relentless love which races into the brokenness with conviction and calling.

22 phone numbers…

Enough confusion and chaos to make even the most compassionate quit. But not Gareth. Because of The Ultimate Pursuer. Our model. The inspiration. God, through Jesus, pursued… to the death.

Messy, complicated, frustrating stories are no match for The Divine Deliverer. Not 22 phone numbers… never.

It is just one of the many reasons I am proud to represent this work – this pursuit – called Youth for Christ. Thousands of ‘Gareths’ press into the lives of young people and press on in relationships when most others would retreat.

¹¹Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. ¹² We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. ¹³For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. ¹⁴For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; ¹⁵and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

¹⁶From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. ¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ¹⁸All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

- 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 ESV

Your investment and partnership with us allows our staff to call one more number. In his quiet moments, Jake wonders… ‘Does Gareth really care?’ Because for Jake, that answers the question – does God really care?

And yes, God the pursuer really cares. For Jake, for Gareth, for you and for me.

Thank you for your support. We can’t do it without you.

Dan Wolgemuth, President/CEO

Youth for Christ/ USA

2009-05-26T10:59:00.003-07:00

Disciples on a journey, it is constant growth, sometimes with the necessities and other times without. How resilient are we when we don't have everything we need to grow? Water is a need, the right nutrients are a need, sunshine...well, you get the picture. The youth I worth with in the juvenile facilities are pulled from the "soil" of life when they are "dying" and are cultivated in rich soil of attention and treatment and loving adults. Then when they are healthy they are transplanted back into communities and life that can "grow" them into unhealthy very quickly, unless they have their needs met. One need we have found to be successful in lifelong "growth" is one loving adult mentor. I am so fortunate and humbled be be working along side of a team that believes in investing themselves into young people, because they are loved. One young man just graduated with his G.E.D. which is the result of new fertile soil his life is now growing in. Once starved for needs, he now has relationship with one loving adult mentor who is living Life with a capital "L"! This young man is living loved in the Father and it is evident on the inside and out! Thanks for being on the team a partnering with us to transform the lives of young people!

2009-01-22T09:09:00.005-07:00

So you know how they say God is good in the ups and downs of life?! Well this past week I have experienced that first hand! I ran my little Toyota Corolla into the back of an F-350 and the Ford truck won. All I could think about was the inconvience to all the travelers on the road, the guy I hit, the firefighter people, the paramedics, the police officer, and the first responder who all came to my rescue. Then I started thinking of all those that give to our family so faithfully and how I'm miss managing their sacrificial giving by getting into an accident. What truly humbled me was good friends who lent us their car for the week during our transition from crash car to different car. Then God's mercy and love entered my heart and the days to follow my actions and words.

Regret is a good teacher for me and I have learned so much about my Father during this, I've learned about myself, and other people! Much of the youth I talk with live with many regrets. Does it change their life? Their actions? Their hearts? Some can never forgive themselves. Some never ask for forgiveness for what they've done. Some have never received God's grace!

Later that week we receive a call from a good friend that asked if we had found another vehicle to replace the one I crashed. When we told her we were waiting to make a decision she replied with wait a little longer. Within 6 days we are in a new vehicle donated through this friend's church because of an email that went out from the pastor, who received an email or phone call about our situation! We do not deserve God's grace, that is why it is called grace, undeserved! And yet, let us not cheapen grace and take advantage of His death and resurrection. May we know Him more each day and love Him more each day!

2008-11-29T15:04:00.002-07:00

I've been working with a lot of gang members lately...listening to them and trying to understand why they "bang", a term they use when they are part of a gang. Recently I was having a conversation with the son of one of the originals of a prominent gang, which means this young man's dad started this gang here in Denver. He doesn't live with his dad and feel s like he has betrayed him, but loves his mom and doesn't want to disappoint her. If he lives the way his mom wants him to live he will not follow his dad's "way of life" and feels he will be letting his dad down. He longs for his dad to be proud of him and love him, but that means following the gang life, there is "family" there too he says. But he loves his mom and doesn't want to disappoint her! He wants to be himself but has a reputation on the streets and in jail already as the son of...he struggles between good and evil moment by moment everyday! I struggle between good and evil moment by moment every day! I love my family, pictured above are my sons! I love them so much that I will raise them as Christ wants me to raise them, wanting the best for THEM, not having them live for me their dad, but for Christ who is the ultimate reason to live!

2008-10-13T08:57:00.003-07:00

Have you ever been told you are not wanted? With a shrug and no emotion, (Nate) told me his parents had both said that to him. I'm devastated inside for him, he has put his walls, not feeling, not showing how he feels for fear of being rejected again. I lean over the table we are sitting across from each other and say, "God wants you, He loves you, he'll never leave you, he hurts when you hurt, and he longs to heal all of your pain!" Tears flow from once a hard heart, but the Holy Spirit has been working on his life long before I came into it. My Father wants to redeem all those that are defeated, broken, and hard-hearted! (Nate) has been pushing others way for fear of being hurt again. It will take time for him to trust again and he really doesn't even trust our friendship that has just started and doesn't want to get too close for fear that I will let him down. I let him know right up front that I will let him down, but his faith is not in humans but in Christ. My best friend, Jesus, has never let me down. Even when my perspective is messed up, Jesus brings me back to the truth that there is nothing I can do to make him love me more or less. He loves me because God first loved me! I cheapen grace when I think it is what I do that makes God love me. (Nate) has started a new journey of not being the victim of his parent's words, but walking in freedom of Christ's words!

2008-09-05T11:04:00.002-07:00

The picture above, a friend of mine took on his canoe trip, is the ultimate visual of peace and tranquility. All the young people I work with have chaos and the picture of their life is painful, volatile, and devestating. I've been reading Mother Teresa's biography lately and she dedicated her live to the sick, the orphans, and the widows. 9 out of 10 young men have not had a father in their life or a uninvolved father. The young ladies that are incarcerated have been left by boyfriends and have been widowed in a way, left alone to take care of a baby. We are broken individuals in need of the One who puts things back together! I'm grateful that the chaos created in young peoples lives that are incarcerated have been and continue to be transformed by the love of Christ. Thanks for being a part of this team. Continue to pray for youth in Denver and the front range of Colorado.

2008-08-05T10:37:00.004-07:00

Climbing up the class 4 scramble, hands and feet climbing over boulders and scaling rock, as the sun is setting I'm thinking, "What did I get myself into?". We were on the second day of our trip with at risk youth from Denver and had just talked about how important it is for each one of us to learn how to love God more and love others more as a result of that love for God and from God. One of the staff had taken that opportunity to speak into a young man's life and this young person took what he said wrong and took off and was standing at the top of the cliff pictured above. On my way up I'm thinking about my life's call, my family, I'm praying for the safety of this individual. Just that afternoon another kid had been kicked in the mouth and it messed up his braces and cut his mouth pretty bad. I couldn't help but think things weren't going well. Don't we pray more when there is crisis in our lives? Or when we are absolutely at the end of our rope? Or we are very aware that we are not in control?

I get to the top and there is another peak above, but there is also two other ways to head. I stop and catch my breath and listen, I'm getting ready to yell out the young man's name and hear a sound of someone getting closer so I wait. I see him before he sees me and when he does see me I scare him unintentionally, but I don't think he expected to see me. I let him know I care about him and worried that the night on top of the cliff won't be very comfortable and we eventually head back down with light from one headlamp.

I learned a lot on this trip. Risks are a necessity to allow God to transform our lives, young people are longing to have us share God's love and show them what God's grace and mercy looks like, and you never know what God sees on the inside of these kids, but there is always hope!

The last night we are sitting around a fire and speaking life into each other. Just the other day they were fighting and arguing and tearing each other down. This night they are appreciating each other and saying how thankful they are to have gotten to know each other! I praise God for the work of Holy Spirit and the lives that continue to change for His honor and glory!

What is God asking you to risk to be more transformed by Him?

2008-06-25T12:21:00.003-07:00

I want to serve the best I can every day. God, my wife, my kids, my job, and others! I find myself serving youth's needs a lot in the detention center. The other day a staff person of the state asked me why I serve these kids. My answer was Christ served while he walked on this earth and I want to as well. You see, Jesus is our example of how to live. One of His last acts of service was to his disciples who walked with Him on this earth for three years. He lowered Himself to a servant, doing the job of washing his guest's feet...something none of the disciples would have volunteered to do in a million years. Sometimes we have to serve in ways that others would never do. Sometimes we have to give up our desires to do what He desires. Some people call that slavery...I call it true freedom! May we live to serve today!

2008-05-21T11:43:00.002-07:00

Frank was sitting in the corner with his back toward the rest of the kids that were serving time in jail with him. He was taking a "self time-out", it is a time that kids can ask for where they are secluded from the rest of the kids. He was wearing a black shirt, different from the green shirts because he was an upper level. Upper level status is acquired when an individual runs the program at the facility with the highest level of commitment and consistency. Also, they are positive peers to the kids and have the ability to lead. However, his attitude was poor as he sat in the corner looking at the wall hitting his forehead with the butt of his hand and clenching his fist into a ball and then opening them. His nostrils were flaring and he was not breathing normally, more short and shallow breathes through clinched teeth. I sat down in the corner with him and asked what he was thinking about. "Killing that kid!" he said as he indicates the kid by tilting his head over his shoulder in the direction where the kid was sitting. I asked why and the tears began to come. His girlfriend of three years (he is now just 16) is pregnant and is contesting that he might not be the father and wants the courts to do a DNA test. He tells me that it kills him to think that she was with another guys and when he was sharing this with a group of peers, one made an inappropriate comment that if I was Frank I would have done something to the kids I would have regretted. Frank is a big 16 year old and already wears the stress of taking care of his younger brothers, his girlfriend who was/is having his baby, and helping his mom out with paying the rent. "I just want to prove to everyone that I'm different, I want my actions to back my words up this time!" he says through his tears. Frank has come to that crisis of life and has found Christ in it. I believe in the potential of every juvenile, that through Christ they can change their lives, their family's lives, their friend's lives, and their community. There is always hope, even if your sitting in a corner, looking at the wall to preoccupied to see it!

2008-04-07T10:16:00.006-07:00

"The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy...but I [Jesus] have come so you would have life and live it to the full!" South Africa is full of death and disease, BUT the above picture is a place where those that have been left for dead find hope! I hear stories everyday of the enemy stealing, killing, and destroying! Even as I write this I'm hurting for friends of mine that the enemy is destroying! I hate the enemy! I despise his lies and false promises! We are in a war people! Some of you may be saying, "Whoa, Gareth what got you all fired up!?" I guess it is a day that I realize that my passion has to be visible and my desire, which I believe is God's desire, is for redemption of mankind! Christ has said that he has come so we would have life and live it to the full and yet I myself and many kids I work with accept this small part of life as the best we can do! No, with Christ we can do so much more! Will I trust Him? Do I believe I'm in control or is He in control! I surrender my life to Him today, every moment of every day. I thank you Father for being in the practice of Redemption! So many lives need that today!

2008-03-05T13:14:00.002-07:00

I've thinking about Peter's conversation with Jesus, after Jesus dies and comes back to life, when Peter is being forgiven and restored into the position of building the Church that Christ came to establish. Relationship was so important to Jesus and knew what he was doing when he spoke life and forgiveness into Peter and the potential he had and was going to fulfill being one of the founders of the Christian church. Pictured above is one of the first kids I worked with and he is standing next to my boss, Nathan Jones with Denver Area Youth for Christ. I met this young man over two years ago and heard his dream to become a contributing member of society. Those first conversations were the beginning of a relationship with Christ and the mentoring relationship Nathan has with him now. Speaking life into kids is something I want to continue to do as Christ did with Peter! As this man continues to grow with Christ, Denver Area Youth for Christ will be a support to fulfill his dreams in his relationships, the community he lives in, and his family!

2008-02-06T09:58:00.001-07:00

I do believe that the local church is the hope of the world. After all, that is why God sent His Son, to redeem us to Himself and perpetuate that relationship over and over, making disciples of Him. But, let's redefine church, is it a place for a bunch of people who are in this spiritual journey together come and get "fed"? Is it four walls? Is it a place to get or give? Or is it a bunch of messed up people struggling to know Him better and wherever they are in life, job, relationship with others, just abiding in Christ and saying, "Surprise me, God!" and then responding as He would have us respond in love and truth? It doesn't have to have a program name to it or be represented by a parachurch or church name? Meeting with delinquents and continuing to pour into them to become disciples I find that they talk to me a lot about their "doing" and I try to talk with them about their "being". It is good to pray (they always say every night), it is good to go to church (four walled building), it is good to read the Bible, but all of that is semantics if Jesus does not transform our moment by moment thoughts, words, and actions so that we exude the very spirit of Christ with people! May we work on BEING more than DOING and out of BEING we will be THE church! Some of my fellow colleagues joke with me about what I say I do now, I've been released from organized religion to be a youth pastor to THE church not just a youth pastor at A church. The above picture is a skyline of Denver, a city where I'm serving as a youth pastor and currently serving as a chaplain with Denver Area Youth for Christ and starting up Wilderness Experiential Ministry! The church IS the hope of the world, be a part of the solution, not part of the problem!

2008-01-20T22:49:00.001-07:00

I have found that anything beautiful has to go through some pain or difficult time, the contrast makes it more beautiful. I work with many youth that deal with pain...their drug problem, or self harming behavior, their violence, or assaultive attitude is because of pain or loss in their lives. In order for a butterfly to survive out of the cocoon they have to go through the painful process of getting out of the cocoon. When people ask me how God could be loving when they've never known their father or he was abusive or nothing goes right in the world. I simply answer that God's story is bigger than my story. And whatever pain I experience is supposed to make His story more beautiful! May God be near in your pain and as you make it through ask how He wants you to share with others, His story!

2007-12-06T11:34:00.001-07:00

Merry Christmas! I know that you are supposed to say all the things you are thankful for at Thanksgiving, but for me Christmas is the time that I remember what I'm MOST thankful for. I am forever saved because of my Saviour who was born. We celebrate Christmas to remember His birthday and the beginning of a relationship with God because of his substitutionary atonement! I'm thankful for the team that works with me through prayer, volunteering, donations, and support! I'm thankful for my wife who is my best friend and helpmate! I'm grateful for the opportunity to be dad and pour my life into my family because of the perspective I gain in ministry. No matter where you are at in your spiritual journey or your life, God sent His Son to have a relationship with you! The Holidays are happy because of Jesus.

2007-11-06T12:06:00.000-07:00

I am always redefining the youth's perception of the church and who Christ can be in their lives. When they find themselves behind these fences and move into crisis mode they are grasping at anything that will relieve their conscience and sometimes that is prayer or reading the bible. Many times it involves going to church or confessing. They are always wanting to DO something to make things right. They are surprised when I say there is nothing they can DO to make God love you! It has already been done! The formula for checking the boxes to make them feel better doesn't work. Instead, abiding in Christ and focusing on being with Him is the path I ask them to follow. So, there isn't just a box to check, "yep, I prayed today!" It is giving complete control to Him and allowing Him to step into all their pain, their brokenness, their family situations, and yes even their court dates! The most spiritual thing I can do each day is choose. Every moment of every day I depend on Him for my thoughts, words, and actions...I choose Jesus, not a formula or a religion, but a relationship!

2007-10-02T07:49:00.001-07:00

When Christ was talking to Peter after his resurrection, Peter felt like Christ had lost trust in him. Jesus asks him three times, "Do you love me?" And each time Peter answers yes he is more and more adamant. You see, I don't think it was Jesus not trusting, I think is was his way to remind Peter what he was called to do. Each one of us have purpose on this earth. We are not called to eat, sleep, repeat. We are called to continue to build the church. I continue to remind juveniles of their purpose on this earth and how they can transform this world we live in. Each one of them have their doubts, but just like Peter, Christ is there to remind them through me, "Do you love me?!" Continue to pray for Denver and the youth that will transform this world through their relationship with Christ.

2007-08-02T09:51:00.001-07:00

The pictures above are from a mission's trip to South Africa. Zac is in the top picture, this is the first time I am able to show a picture of this student, where as before he was a part of the state system. I met Zac at a Youth Services Center or Detention facility where I'm the Chaplain at. I believe in meeting youth where they are at in their spiritual journey to allow Christ to transform their lives and become contributing members of society. Zac gave back to the community by pouring his life into children and youth of South Africa. He told his story of turning to relationships and substance abuse to fill the void in his life, but all he needed was Christ. We are fulfilling the call God has given us with Wilderness Experiential Ministry. Zac is just one story of God's redemptive spirit. Continue to pray for him and South Africa, both stories continue to be a spiritual journey that He cares about.

2007-07-05T22:25:00.000-07:00

The name of the program I work with as a part of Denver Area Youth for Christ is above, Youth Guidance. Sometimes I feel like that word guidance is a daunting task. Today I met with a kid who is going home in two days with no sign of remorse for his actions...in fact I will probably see him again next week for the same thing. He is in a gang and regularly pursues violence with his rival gang, that brings him "cred", others in his gang thinking more highly of him because he has hurt someone from the other gang. These young people operate with their own rules void of the laws of this society. The detention center was just a hiccup in his plan, it just prolonged something he was going to do anyway. As I was talking to this kid I was trying to figure him out. It is in part about reputation and pride, but it is also about feeling like he is belonging and needing affirmation of his existence on this earth. I could try to convince him that his purpose was greater than taking down a rival gang member, but his actions were governed by a life he felt he already knew and he could only live. When asked if his life was a good example to his two year old sister, he replied..."She is going to have to learn about the "real world" eventually." May the power of the Holy Spirit and my Heavenly Father who has been working on his life a long time before I became a part of his story, transform this young man into His image and allow him to change lives, not for the worst...but for the transformation of Denver! I only planted the seed or maybe watered it...I trust in God for the rest.

2007-06-21T09:38:00.001-07:00

The above pictures are of a camp we just spoke at, meeting students where they are at in their spiritual journey away from their normal routine of life to allow God to transform their lives so they can transform their communities. It has been eleven years since I had been back to this camp, it was were I was called to work with youth! I spoke to 16 - 18 year olds from all over North Dakota. I was surprised to hear a broad range of stories from students. I spoke to the student that has been allowing Christ to lead their life and they are continuing to love Him more and know Him more each day to the student who has been in and out of detention centers, struggling with drug and alcohol use, and hurting because of pain and abuse in their past. Please pray for FAHOCHA Bible Camp as they continue to allow Christ to transform kids lives all summer. Thank you for supporting us as your missionary this summer. Please be praying for these students as Christ lives in and through them daily.

2007-05-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

There is something about a child's smile, their laugh, that is completely void of the junk we as adults carry in our lives. The following is a story a counselor unfolded for me at the juvenile justice facility I work at as a chaplain.

When kids bang (They recognize that they are part of a gang) they feel like they don't have a choice to not go back to that life. One of the youth in this program feels like that, he talks about "faking it, to make it". When a kid talks like that, they do what they need to, to get through the program, but have no intentions on changing once they are on the outs. I usually see those kids back in the justice system soon after they get out. This youth has told me that he feels like the gang is the only thing he knows, so his life got a little more complicated when he sister came for a visit one day with her daughter (his niece). The counselor told me that the sister put her daughter in her brother's gang tattooed arms and for thirty minutes this hard, tough, gang banger wept. I don't know if it was the way this infant intently looked at his face, how her tiny fingers were wrapped around his finger, or how he knew he has to choose; that produced this emotion but he was a mess. After the family left that night the counselor used the teachable moment to help this 16 year old to make some commitments. "Do you want you niece to worry about getting shot in a drive by when she is visiting your home? Do you want your sister to not allow her daughter to be over at your house because of what she could get into, drugs, parties, seeing something she shouldn't? Do you want your family to not have contact with you because you choose to hang out with your homeboys?" This young man has to make a choice, and his niece was the catalyst to flip the switch in his mind. In the middle of his mixed up world of violence, sex, and drugs is this innocent, pure, helpless child and he has the choice.

We have a choice, the most spiritual thing we can do every second of the day is choose. Will I honor my Savior with this decision or will I move further from Him? May we serve Him second by second every day choosing the HOPE He brings.

2007-04-13T11:47:00.000-07:00

The first time I met this kid he asked if I could marry people as he is walking to class. Obviously he had something on his mind. As his story unfolds, he has a "lady", a girlfriend, on the outs, but he wants her to be his fiancee. Many times these kids in the facility want to get the women they feel connected to on the outs to settle down, the problem being they are usually 15 or 16 years of age. His "want to be" fiancee is the daughter of a prominent minister in town, she has his baby who is now 25 months old. This youth is heavy into gangs and has the "X's" on his knuckles to prove it. But the flip side is his compassion and care for his family, he loves them so much and is deeply saddened when a visit doesn't work out for his mom to see him, after all he is 16 years old. He talks about his sister who is handicapped, her arms and hands forever in the "position" of a crab. His sister drinks her food through a straw and is now at a mental capacity of a 9 year old, but can not speak. He says, "I pray everyday that God would allow me to take the place of my sister, I wonder if she is mad at me because I can walk, talk, and eat and I'm in jail." This kid is searching desperately for happiness in life and could go the route of his fiancee and their child or, if things "fall out" with that, the way of his gang which is the only life he knows. Pray with me for this young family as they are apart right now and for this young man who says he truly wants to follow God's direction.

2007-03-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

I had conversations this past week with four of my former students that have come out of the local church I've been in the past seven years. It has been a blast mentoring students and seeing God grow them into the person that God wants them to be. I just got off the phone with a young person that is now in my life because of my work with WEM and DAYFC as a chaplain in Denver Youth Corrections. Our conversation was centered around the trip we are taking this summer to South Africa. He expressed his excitement and how fortunate he felt to be included on this trip. He was on home pass and will have those each weekend until his release in May. I count it a great honor to be involved in these kids lives and continue to ask God for strength and mercy every time I'm in conversations with them. May you find something worthy of your time this week and invest your passion into it.

2007-02-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

I don't know if your mind thinks like my mind does, but I usually am all over the map where one thing I see reminds me of this one thing that reminds me of the other thing and I start talking about it, totally randomly and my wife doesn't follow me at all...until I back up and explain how I got there. Well, this happened this morning when I woke up, it was foggy out which is strange weather for Colorado in the winter and that led me to the time I was solo camping in the back country just north of Santa Cruz, CA and I was praying and fasting before my first son was born. I guess that was my way of dealing with my nervousness of being a new father and hear from God what he wanted for my family. That thought then led me to how my perspective on life changed after our first child and that led me to thinking about students and how we can facilitate that perspective change to allow them to grow in character and integrity. Which leads me to the picture above, you see an experiential team building exercise that creates conflict and break down in trust. The goal of the group is to hold the tent pole on their two index fingers, the pole only resting on their fingers at all times...they must be touching the pole at all times and lower it to the ground. Usually what happens when I put the pole on their fingers one side starts going up, immediately, and then the group starts yelling at the side that goes up, people get defensive, communication breaks down...thus the conflict. The point of the exercise, in my opinion, is not to get the pole to the ground, but for the group to value each other regardless of what is going on. So, in the middle of struggle and conflict they can show love and communicate in a way they would want to be communicated to. Conflict is a part of life, we can not avoid it no matter who we are and if we can learn to turn conflict from negative into healthy conflict we have begun to grow in our relationships with each other. When the students I work with in detention centers start to get this, they start to understand God's unconditional love and treat others they way they would want to be treated. Their perspective changes which results in growth, spiritual and personal. It is so powerful! [I do not know the originator of this exercise above, if anyone knows let me know so I can give credit to the right person for this incredibly effective tool.]

2007-01-19T00:35:00.000-07:00

Perspective should change us…when we were once naive to how we were living, but then come to understand or understand in a new way – we should change, right?! I wish perspective could stay as fresh as when it first illuminates the need to think about things differently in life. But it usually wears off when normal routine kicks in. How do we stay that raw, that changed [in our minds at least]? I believe that in that moment, our most vulnerable state of mind – we can make decisions and commitments that can truly changes us to be the best individual possible on this earth. I have to have hope that these instances of change happen enough in my life to grow, mature, and be a more loving individual.

Today, I gained perspective…on life, the need for love, the frailty of life, how we are not in control. And nothing I do, no matter how significant, can change a student’s life…only Christ is the hope they need. Frank is on suicide watch – he has been swallowing pencils, they don’t have any other way of hurting themselves. Some try to use their shoe strings, so they get these orange slip on shoes they call, “Bob Barker’s”. They even use erasers to burn their skin, until staff find out. Home-made tattoos using a pencil lead are common, they will even bang their head against their bed or wall just to feel the rush of pain, the adrenaline rush is their fix to fulfilling their fix, at one time on the “outs” they used drugs, alcohol, or sex. They are in a room with only their very deppressing thoughts and a staff person checks on them every 2 minutes. The most a psychologist does for the kid is talk about their self-worth…nothing about living for a higher calling. This calling that echos in eternity with a future, living for more than yourself...living for Him who has changed our lives forever.

I am helpless, I can do nothing, I can’t say anything that will help…so I pray, I ask for Christ to give peace the we can not comprehend why we feel it. I ask for comfort, as if God was in the same room, wrapping His arms around him. I can’t…I can’t even hug him, I can’t pat him on the back…I have to stand outside the door, cold talking through a shatterproof glass window. There is nothing I can do. We are not in control of this life, He is and that should comfort us…that should change things – perspective, it should change us. It SHOULD change us!

2007-01-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

None of us have it all together, and when we start to think like we do something usually happens in life to show us we don't. We are never in control of our lives...we all mess up. The above picture is of the snow storm that hit our town this past month. The weather is something we are not in control of...many travelers were stranded away from their families on the most traveled holiday of the year. Not in control of their own destinations or itineraries. But for me, to not be in control is relieving because I know the One who is in control. I thought I'd give you a snap shot of what I do at the detention center, if you want to be caught up on WEM you can visit www.experientialministry.com. As I walk in the facility every week, I hear kid's hopeless stories after hopeless stories. They are not in control of their lives and now they are surely not in control of their immediate future, that is up to the courts. Many of these kids are character deficient where they can manipulate situations in their best interests with staff and the facility and me. They have the perception that they are in control, but when you hear their stories, they begin to unfold lives that desperately need God to be the leader of their life. One kid was put in isolation, a empty room about 4 feet by 4 feet, he was threatening suicide and knew how he would do it...the thing is he was crying out so much for attention and his life is so screwed up, he knew that was the only way to get someones undivided attention without having to share. He is so starved for love...love that only Christ can offer, heal, and bring transformation into his life. I talk to so many kids, simply offering them hope, whether we are meeting one-on-one or playing basketball in the gym during their free recreation time. We are all messed up and hurting whether we know Christ or not, but those of us that allow Him to have control...have all the hope in the world!

2006-12-05T10:51:00.000-07:00

I was with a friend this weekend who came into town and has a love for the wilderness like I do. We were talking about what we have experienced with God when we are away from everything (email, phone, busyness of the city). My son and I were sitting eating breakfast at his favorite restaurant that has a slide, before heading to school, and I have a habit of asking him questions about life and I asked him what his favorite thing to do for fun was. He answered riding bizicles (bicycles), although he has never ridden a bike. Then he asks me the same question, he is thoughtful like that. I told him I like hiking and being in the wilderness, to this he throws back his head and laughs and says, "You're silly daddy". Many others have had that same reaction when I have told them where God is leading me in life. I truly believe God is allowing me to have the most fun I could have with Him by taking at-risk youth into the backcountry away from the normal routine of life and allowing their crisis of life to collide with Christ love, acceptance, and mercy! I am grateful that God is allowing me to be apart of what He is doing in Denver.

2006-11-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

Imagine with me Christmas Day or Christmas Eve whenever your family celebrates and opens gifts. What is the feeling in the room? What are your emotions? Expectant? Excited? Anxious? Can't wait to see the reaction of the person you gave a gift too? Imagine that gift that you are giving in love because you care about that person, with no strings attached and given with the best intentions. Now imagine that person refusing to receive that gift. How would you feel? What is wrong with them? And they try to communicate to you that they don't deserve it and they could never repay it or live there life change because of it. How would you respond? Would that seem outrageous to you? As I was talking with a student, from the juvenile justice facility this past week they knew the gift was there but they refused to accept it because they didn't feel they could live up to it AND he hates hypocrites. I agreed with him, BUT I'm a hypocrite and so is he, if he was honest with himself. We try to live our lives as followers of the WAY, with Christ living through us. Christ asks us to depend on Him for strength. As you open gifts this Christmas, thank Him for His gift and supplying everything we need. In this season if giving and receiving, please remember, with me, to communicate this gift that we have in Christ.

2006-11-07T10:26:00.000-07:00

I got a phone call early Saturday morning. "I'm out!" It was a young person that just got released from the Juvenile facility. "How does it feel?" I asked. "I'm never going back again," he told me. I caught up on some details about his release and how long he is on ankle monitor and his next steps...and then we prayed together. There is something about a student who realizes they have been granted grace and mercy, they walk in that new forgiveness with greater confidence than even I do. I'm following up with him this week and inviting him to our student ministry [www.thegaragesm.com], he has to get it cleared with his parole officer since he is on ISP (intensive supervisory parole). Please pray for this student and for our continued efforts to disciple him. Also, pray for two other students I'm trying to get a meeting with at their placement now that they are out of the facility. Mountview Youth Services Center is pictured above.

2006-10-31T09:45:00.000-07:00

There is something about surprises that make the heart beat fast and bring an excitement of newness. The above picture is our October surprise of snow, everything is whiter, smells cleaner, seems fresher, and is a lot more fun. My sons and I were in the back yard playing in the crisp, clean snow. Our morning was filled with much more joy and excitement because of the snow. The young people I work with at the detention center usually are deep in routine at the facility they are locked into. Much of the routine is to guarantee control and safety, but there is one group that happens during their mundane routine called the challenge course. For those unfamiliar with challenge courses, it involves wearing harnesses, connecting to ropes, and completing objectives 40 feet off the ground. The surprise many of these young people experienced was jumping from a platform high off the ground to catch a bar hanging in the air, much like a trapezee performer. Many of these tough, unreachable youth shed that exterior and admitted they are afraid, I saw humility in them for the first time. We live our lives everyday under the guise that we are in control, but in all actuality, God is in control and our surprise is that He cleans our life of all the junk and filthy and makes it white as snow. Please, remember today that your life is in His hands, you can fight that every day or allow Him to lead your life.

2006-10-15T16:09:00.000-07:00

The grassroots efforts of WEM will be with troubled youth or at-risk youth. The goal is to be a court ordered deferment or diversion program. Some people have asked me if we are doing trips this winter. We could fill our calendar with trips with youth from other student ministries or youth in crisis, but our desire is to work alongside the state and fulfill a need they have. To see a similar program visit www.9news.com/wildernesscamp. We are continuing to gain momentum in the juvenile justice facility and youth are being changed by the transforming "good news" of Christ. I want to thank the volunteers who give of their time to the facility and throw themselves into loving these youth that many don't take the time to care for. Our foundation will be working with youth from detention centers and the possibilities are endless from there.

2006-09-30T17:11:00.000-07:00

Team is so crucial in God's story. There was a reason for the twelve that walked with Christ, God intended for us to do life together. As a chaplain at Mountview Youth Services Center I am a part of the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) and Denver Area Youth for Christ (DAYFC), I have the priviledge of being on two extrodinary teams. Mountview Youth Services Center (MVYSC) has given me a office and I'm helping lead groups on Tuesday and Thursdays. DAYFC is bring me on part-time as the Youth Guidance Chaplian at MVYSC. All of this to say that this adventure starting almost a year ago is now in full swing. These two partnerships are huge for the success of WEM and where God is leading me and my family. Thank you for your prayers and support. Please visit the website by clicking on the link to the right if you have not learned what WEM is about.

2006-09-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

You know how we need validation in our lives that we are doing the right thing? WEM has been a risk for my family and I to head down this road of working more intently with at-risk youth in the juvenile justice system. The first student showed up in our student ministry this last Wednesday. He simply said, "Thanks for inviting me." As I continue to work with the youth at MVYSC, we are infecting them with a faith that gives them hope in this world that we live in. We are touching lives and youth are being changed because of Christ.

2006-09-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

Many of the youth at the detention center use their past drug usage as bragging rights. I was just hanging out in one of the pods that holds up to 20 youth in the facility and they were talking about thier pasts. I asked them if they regret what the have done, many do, but a few would say that as soon as they're out they start using again. I realize that we are creatures of habit, my desire is to communicate hope so they do not have to be a part of their negative influences and behaviors. Every time I meet with youth I let them know that I believe in them and that more importantly God believes in them and loves them more than I can even love or care for them. Would you join me in praying for these youth at this facility and partner with me to free God's hands to allow change to happen with these youth.

2006-08-31T10:16:00.000-07:00

"I'm going home today!" says one of the youth at the Detention Center. I hear that a lot as a chaplain, they say that with such hope in their voice and eyes. They head out of the facility with the best intentions to stay out of the negative relationships and behavior that got them in trouble in the first place. Today, I believe this student...his faith in Christ has changed him, he has a good plan, and he has a good family. I met with this youth on the "outs" this week. He has committed to asking Christ to live through him every day, he has my phone number to call when he feels like he is slipping. As I talk with him, I see a physical change in him, Christ's power has freed him from his addictions! I thank my God everyday that He is still in the business of doing miracles. I'm thankful that He allows me to be involved with what He is doing here in Denver.

2006-08-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

My heart aches everytime I drive away from the Denver Youth Services building I am a volunteer chaplain at. As I drive home to my comfortable suburban home I remember all of the youth I had conversations with that day. One youth, we'll call him Clint, says he has no one...his dad died a year ago and his mom is in jail. He says all he has is his gang to go back to and that is the reason he is in this facility in the first place. He is broken and empty, nothing matters to him anymore. That is a scary combination on the outside when you don't have a care in the world. I'm thinking about how God has called me to the "fatherless" and how He can heal and mend broken hearts and spirits. I ask him how much he talks to God and he say not enough. I share with him that God is there when it seems like no one else is there for him. "People will always let you down," I tell him. "But God will never let you down or give you more than you can handle." He has a court date coming up soon and he is asking to get into a placement [a house for youth seeking emancipation]. Every day I will speak hope into these student's lives and know that God is working on their heart! I am called to youth and will follow that call with purpose and intentionality!

2006-08-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

I sat across from a student the other day as he shared how his life has been stripped from him. I have heard so many stories from students in my past and I thought I have been shock proof, but nothing prepared me for what unfolded in our conversation. He was almost mechanical as he shared it, emotion was void from his voice. It was almost like he slipped into a different part of his brain as to keep his emotions from colliding with the reality of his situation. I can not share the details of this student's situation, but he is now states away from his home, his family has disowned him, and he hates his best friend who he blames for taking his life, as he knew it, away from him. I don't have much time, but to communicate to him a love that goes above all situations that happen here on earth. And a God who has a design for him and Hope for him. This student is still very angry and extremely lost, but I believe in a relationship that can restore his life and bring "real truth" into his chaotic situation!

2006-08-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

One of the things we do at WEM is create opportunities for ministries that focus on youth to have experiences that can change their lives. These experiences are created through rock climbing and asking questions from the experience that relate to their spiritual lives. The topic of trust came up in this one day rock climbing trip. How do you trust God when bad things happen? One student on this trip had been let down in a previous rock climbing experience and it hurt him and damaged that trust. Another student had a good friend that believed in Christ and sacrificed a lot to follow Him that had died in a drowning. How does rock climbing relate to this?

A student has to trust the rope set up and the person belaying the climber [keeping them from falling]. When a student goes through this experience 30 feet of the ground it tends to affect them more than just sitting around a circle and talking about trust. On the field or in this case on a rock they hit those emotions and a heightened mental thought process and they are opened up to so much more transformation. God works in incredible ways when we are focused on learning from Him and growing in Him!

2006-08-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

Three days, two nights, four lakes, thirteen miles, one million mosquitos later we are back at the vechile legs aching, back sweating, scratching our bites, and thankful for an incredible weekend. It was WEM's first unofficial trip with at-risk students. At-risk defined are youth that have been in the juvenile justice system, have had drug use, or dependency/behavioral problems, or have a broken family or a parent that is incarcerated. We learned a lot on this trip while hiking, sitting by the lake eating our "just add water" meals. Our pasts were talked about and how that affects are future, goals were set...like no more dirty UA's [urine analysis with drugs or alcohol in it].

God was the topic of discussion especiallly with some of the scenery that we were experiencing. How could all of this just have happened? WEM is about speaking hope into student's lives and believing in them because of Christ who lives through them. Our spiritual life is a journey as we continue to walk with Christ and work on our relationship with Him. So many at-risk youth are on a continuing process with their faith and figuring out what life is really about. Our goals were met, getting away from the routine of life, dedicating our thoughts to making choices that will have a positive influence, and changing our negative behavior into leadership skills that will produce positive behavior.

WEM is continuing to pursue official recognition from the juvinile justice system and will continue to be a safe place for youth to feel like they belong and are believed in.

2006-06-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

_Ode to my Father

...studies have shown, and statistics prove that a positive adult male influence is crucial for the success of young people. My life is a true testimony of this statement. On this Father's Day I want to honor my dad and celebrate him and his influence in my life. As I have dedicated my life to be a positive influence in young people's lives, my father has been a key to this call. His constant love for his Heavenly Father and keeping that relationship as his first priority was evident in his love for mom and our family. I want to thank my dad for his provision, guidance, and direction in my life. I am stronger in my faith, have a genuine love for my wife, and a solid foundation in raising my children because of my dad's example. As I continue to dedicate my life to youth and guiding them to find "true North", I will continue to be reminded of my father and his love and care of me.

2006-05-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

As a student pastor for the past 10 years I have found that experiences are key to a student's growth, maturity, and character. Becoming a chaplain at a local State-owned Youth Services Center (juvenile detention center), I have learned that students in crisis are in a perfect place to make a decision to change their negative behavior and turn it into positive behavior. They want to become leaders in this city, with integrity and character. These students have seen the consequences of their actions and have grown from them. We aspire to provide experiences through wilderness trips to allow students to make this discovery and change negative habits into life giving habits. They will learn respect for others in community, taking care of others needs, and to see themselves through others eyes that believe in them. Wilderness Experiential Ministry is in it's infant stages and will start by taking trips with Denver at-risk and/or detained youth. We are currently raising funds for this endevor. Please visit the website on the right side of this page to learn more. The above picture is a sunrise from the top of Mount Bierstadt, 1 of 54 fourteen thousand foot peaks in Colorado.