Happy new Year! It's now 2017, and the outdoors are white.

The youth are back to school, and it's also high time I sent out another update. As the snowfall changes the landscape, so too does the hustle and bustle of the town.

Speaking of changes, we've had some in our volunteer ranks lately. We've lost a few volunteers due to various things (life changes, starting college in the city, etc…) and we've gained a few as well. We have been staying open 3 days a week for this year but we won't have quite the same amount of flexibility that we had last year. Due in part to this and in part to a few other things, my focus for the fall has been on equipping and growing our volunteers and the quality of the program. It's a good thing to ask someone to get involved in a youths life; it's also a good thing to make sure they are set up for success in the process. I would like to share with you a few of the things we've been doing to help set up the drop-in for a better future.

This past November we had our annual volunteer retreat. It's a great event where volunteers and staff from YFC programs around Manitoba come together to sing, praise, learn, and enjoy ourselves. We had some excellent time to look at what we've been doing and how we can improve. We learned about being more intentional in sharing how God has worked in our lives, and I think there were some very good ideas thrown around in our circle regarding how to do that in Arborg. I look forward to seeing how our volunteers put what they've learned into action.

We have also started running regular monthly training sessions for our volunteers. We started these by going over the volunteer manual I've recently put together. We have and will continue to spend time on a different topic each month, with the focus on developing strong faith based youth mentors and volunteers. It has been a lot of fun and I look forward to seeing how this helps our volunteers continue to grow.

In addition to structure in the drop-in, Discovery time has been going well at the local Elementary school. This is a weekly event where some of the local church community goes to the elementary school and teaches bible lessons to the students. I teach the Grade 7's and 8's, and it has been a joy to work with them so far. Some of them I had last year and some are new students that were in the grade 5 & 6 class last year. It has been exciting to hear how word has spread. Other's have become interested in these classes. Instead of youth slowly dropping out, I am seeing more and more students interested and attending. It can get confusing though, I now I have 2 sets of twins in the class and it get's hard to distinguish them. We've been focusing on the 10 commandments over the fall semester. One of my favourite talks was on the commandment that forbids engraven images. We talked about the difference between an icon, and an idol. Questions came up like, 'why do so many churches have crosses in them and stained glass windows that show Jesus?' It was a wonderful conversation.

Something new that has been happening lately is that we've started a new program that sets up older youth with some of our head volunteers. Over the next year they work with those volunteers the same nights the volunteers work. The volunteer spends time mentoring them in the same way Christ mentored His disciples.

Prayer Requests

This year has been an interesting year. We have a lot of older youth heading out, graduating, and finding new places in life. At the same time we are seeing a new younger generation crop up in the grade 7's and 8's. Please pray for both of these generations that they will make wise decisions in their lives and continue/learn to lean on God.

Please pray for me as I continue to discover what God has in store for both myself and YFC Arborg. Prayer for Wisdom, vision, and a continued sense of urgency.

Please pray for a couple of new volunteers for the program. Ones that will find an excellent place here at YFC Arborg to grow and serve God.

Please pray for us as we continue our search for a Program Coordinator here at YFC Arborg.

I'll finish with a letter from Brynn Shore, a member of Arborg YFC's steering committee. Over the next little while I plan to include some words from the various members. Each one has their own perspective on why Arborg YFC is an important thing for them to invest in. Brynn has worked at Camp Arnes for the past couple of years and is presently running their Forge apprenticeship program. She has grown up here in Arborg and has a vested interest in seeing the town's youth succeed. Thank you for your continued interest and support of what's going on at Youth For Christ Arborg. I look forward to connecting again soon.

Jeremy Klassen ~ Director of YFC Arborg

Growing up in Arborg, I attended youth drop-ins at a local church and it was always a highlight. We couldn't get enough of Wednesday nights and would have loved to have a place like the Bridge that was open more often during the week. There is something important I have discovered about the youth in Arborg: It doesn't matter what type of program you run, or what the name is on the door, if you call it a place for young people, they will show up. Youth are always looking for somewhere to go and someone to talk to.

When the Bridge opened I was too old to be a participant, but I did help volunteer. Getting to know the kids there was a fantastic experience. Spending time watching them grow over the years into responsible young adults has been more than rewarding. One young man in particular comes to mind when I think of an example of the effect the Bridge has had. Through his time at the Bridge, this young man found people he could relate to and have meaningful conversation with. This gave him confidence and a sense of belonging. As he aged, he started taking more initiative and leadership in school and even started volunteering at the Bridge. It has been amazing to watch such a dramatic shift in someone's life. He changed from the shy, somewhat awkward boy that started attending the Bridge. I love being a part of a space that provides the safety and security needed for that kind of growth.

I know that the Bridge has been a major contributing factor to many young lives in Arborg. The best part is that it's just getting started. As a member of the Steering Committee I hope to see the Bridge extend its reach and start more programming with purpose. A mentorship program is something I see as not only beneficial but necessary; investing in the lives of young people is good business. By contributing my time and effort to the Bridge Drop-In Centre, I believe I am contributing to the future of my community. This is the way I have chosen to support The Bridge, but there are many ways to keep the Bridge a thriving and strong support for youth for years to come.

Brynn Shore ~ Secretary of the Arborg yfc Steering Committee

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Our mailing address is:Youth For Christ Winnipeg

333 King Street, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaWinnipeg, MB R3B 01N

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