The past month we’ve been working on creating our job descriptions with AYM, and as a team at AYM we’ve been looking at the programs, the website, and all the things that we’ve been doing, and aligning them with the values of the ministry. The mission of AYM is: “Empowering Apache Youth to Impact the World.” This may be seem to be an ambitious statement when one sees the condition and generational poverty on the Reservation. Our county (Navajo County) is #2 in the nation for Meth use among highschoolers. The conditions on the reservation create very bad living situations for the families there. From molestation among family members to violences, the weight of the condition has sent many people packing over the years. The teens there are used to people coming and going. As a relatively young Native Ministry, Apache Youth Ministries has the chance to do some things that haven’t been done before in Native Ministry. We have a chance to engage the youth and community with programs that open up the door for a lifechanging scenerio: relationships. In these relationships our goal is not just to give the teens salve to cope with their home situations or struggles among their peers; but a genuine relationship in which we can encourage, challenge and mentor the teens in the love of Christ. We have a chance to show Christ to them in such a way that it is not constrained by organized religion, but in a way that expands the organic-ness of following Christ in every situation of our lives through the good and the bad.
We’re excited for this summer. One area where AYM has had trouble in the past is continuing programs throughout the summer months. With short-term mission groups coming in, the ministry would often give all of its attention to those teams. This year Derek Westfall (AYM staff member), Marissa and myself, we are able to create a strong summer program that will enhance the relationships that we’ve developed over the year. From extending youth center hours to facilitating trips with the teens, our one-on-one time with the teens will be amplified into quality opportunities of nurturing the youth.