It's All Smiles at Camp Sonshine!

Brothers Kerry and Deontrey pose with their counselor from Camp Sonshine. Over 30 City Impact kids are attending Camp Sonshine, a local outdoor Christian Camp all this week. The past two days have been jammed packed with fun activities such as swimming, water games, tractor rides, archery, crafts, campfires and much more!! Also many of us had our first banana boat. A what?? A banana boat is a banana with chocolate and marshmallows put on the campfire…gooey and delicious!

Continue to pray for GREAT weather. Besides a couple of rain showers, it has been wonderful. The kids are doing a great job of keeping good attitudes, even in the rain. That is what Camp Sonshine is all about!

R-E-D, Jesus Died for Me!

by Bethany Larson

A field trip starting with water balloons has to be good! As soon as the students of the elementary program unloaded the vans at Holmes Lake Park the fun and games began. The warm temperatures made the kids eager to be targets for the water balloon launcher.

The highlight of the day, though, was the Challenge Circle that Miss Ashley conducted. Ashley was an intern at an urban ministry in New Orleans, where they would use team games and cheers to preach the gospel. Today the kids got to experience a bit of it.

They were split up into four teams: Red, Yellow, Blue and Green. Each team had a cheer that they would shout throughout the games. An example of one of the cheers was: R-E-D, Jesus died for me. With the most enthusiastic voices and jumping up and down, the kids were yelling their praising cheers!

Along with the cheers they played many relay and team games such as bowling pin relays and bean bag toss. They had a blast cheering on their team and the other teams as well. It is awesome to see kids having fun being kids and learning about Jesus as well.

I was thankful for such a great day for a field trip, even though it was hot! We also have great staff and volunteers that keep things fun and organized. The kids had a great time and will sleep good tonight…or at least I will!

Just Being Nice

By Ondrea Goranson

One incident that brought great pride and joy to my heart occurred several days into the week at Southwood Luthern Camp. As I entered her classroom, I immediately noticed a girl from our program sulking in the corner. At a moment we had to ourselves, I asked her what was wrong. She pointed to a little blonde girl wearing a sparkly pink t-shirt and stylish Gap cap.

"She don't like me." she stated angrily. I had noticed the two girls exchanging unpleasant looks and commentary, so I inquired further as to why she thought they weren't getting along. "She don't like me 'cause I'm black."

I wasn't sure how to respond to this, being white, I can only imagine the pain of feeling that kind of discrimination, so I gave her the best advice I could give.

"You know what? Maybe you're right, maybe she doesn't have many black friends, but do you know that you could change that? All you have to do is show her how nice you can be." I was a bit surprised to see this girl looking at me sincerely, straight in the eye. She nodded as I continued. "If you think someone doesn't like you, just be nice to them, then you know that they have no reason to dislike you." I gave her a squeeze on the shoulder and sent her back in the classroom, hoping my elementary advice would have some impact on her. I said a quick prayer for her, that she would be able to use her strong personality to encourage rather than intimidate.

Later that afternoon I heard her talking to the little blonde girl, "Hey! Do you want to sit by me? Cute hat!" I sat back and watched the two engage in a positive conversation about the craft they'd made in class. In all honesty, I'd never seen her so outgoing and friendly to another student, much less someone who she thought didn't like her! I couldn't help but smile as the little girl looked taken aback by her compliments and the all important, female ritualistic invitation to the bathroom. Although the little girl didn't respond as positively as one would hope to her invitation, I couldn't wait to pull her aside and tell her how absolutely proud I was of her. As we stood in the hallway, I gave her a huge hug and held her hand. I asked her how it felt to "just be nice". She replied with a shy smile, as if she even surprised herself, and said "It feels good!” The rest of the week I noticed her efforts to befriend her classmate and I thanked the Lord for His loving-kindness, His love for this and how good it feels "just being nice".

Update- Part I

by Todd Bowman-Program Director

Exactly three weeks ago today, while speaking at a banquet, I shared a story about two young men who had removed from City Impact’s summer Teen Job Club program as a result of poor behavior. However, I had a plan, and I encouraged those attending the banquet to check our blog in three weeks to see if my plan worked.

Unfortunately, my plan has not worked – at least not yet. But the seeds have been planted, the soil has been tilled, and I believe it is simply a matter of time before both of them not only return to City Impact, but return successfully.

While I’m not yet ready to share my idea for these two youth with the world, I will say that it involves creating a culture of caring in our youth programs. It involves young people showing kindness and sacrificial love to one another. For a glimpse into what this could look like, I encourage everyone to read the July 7^th blog post entitled Sacrificial Love Among Teens by Erica Schmidt. It is a powerful and moving story about kids caring for kids.

Three weeks from today, I will be back with another update on the status of these two young men. I hope my news at that time is more positive.

A Change in Tune

by Bethany Larson

This week the elementary summer program has not been in session because many of our kids are attending Southwood Lutheran’s Day Camp all week. They have been busy each day learning new songs, making fishing hats in arts and crafts, playing water games outside and so much more! Each day as I bring kids home, it is a quiet ride as one or two doze off from their fun-packed day.

It has also been encouraging to see City Impact kids get along with the other classmates in their group. Some are in groups where they did not know anybody else coming into the camp. They have adjusted very well and have come to make friends with the other kids.

Wednesday night, the campers and their parents were invited to a campfire at Wilderness Park. I was honored to be able to take a couple of girls. The whole way to the park, at the park, and from the park they were singing the new praise songs that they had learned together! It was awesome to see and hear a change in tune from the hot-list songs on the radio they all know. They would belt as loud as they could, “Praise the Lord with a sounding trumpet!” Now, that is what I call praise!

Teens Enjoy Heartland Festival

Hot temperatures, long van ride and the late night were all worth it last night as some the teens from job club ventured to Omaha for the Luis Palau Heartland Festival. Arriving to see artist Jeremy Camp, we were awed by the thousands of people that came out to the Qwest Center Sunday for the event. After finding a spot to sit down and cool off, Luis Palau preached the message.

After Palau spoke, gospel artist Kirk Franklin took the stage. All on their feet, nine teens tore up the lawn last night as they danced

and praised the Lord!

On the way home, one teen described the night. “That is the best time I’ve had in a long time!” Amen!

Hearts Soften on Prayer Walk

by Miriam Heider

Tuesday we took the Job Club girls on a prayer walk. To be honest, I was a bit skeptical about how they would react. My girls in my 6^th grade Bible club are really uncomfortable praying out loud, and I assumed these girls would act the same way. However, I was greatly impressed by not only their willingness to pray, but their prayers as well. These girls are growing in their relationship with Christ. They are learning to talk to him and to care for other people, just like He calls us to.

One of our stops was the People City’s Mission distribution center. As we stopped and prayed for their specific requests, I felt that we should pray also for love and compassion towards people who are ministered to by the Mission. Christ calls us to care and love for the poor, the homeless, the widowed and the oppressed. That is where His heart is, and that is where our hearts should be as well. Isaiah 58:6-10 says,

“Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in the darkness and your gloom will become like midday.”

As I was praying with my small group, I was reminded of these verses, and how John Piper and John Perkins both refer to the poor’s need for respect and dignity. I prayed that we would learn how to show respect and dignity to the homeless.

After we finished praying, my group asked how we are able to do that. “Aren’t all homeless people just lazy?” one of my girls asked. I was able to share with them some of the reasons people become homeless, like unemployment or mental illness. I also told her some short conversations my friends and I have had with some of the homeless in downtown Lincoln. As I shared, I saw her heart soften and her perspective change. God loves all of us, whether we live in south Lincoln, or on a park bench downtown. Not only that, but He calls us to provide for the needy and the oppressed. I feel like this girl’s perspective changed and that God showed His heart for the poor to her on this prayer walk.

Not I, But Christ

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

As discussed in my previous post, an impacter is one loves sacrificially, is others focused, and is one who serves.

The central question now is how can we as adults teach youth that we serve others not through our own efforts, but through dependence on God and His Holy Spirit living within us. One simple way is to change the language of our curriculum. For example, instead of a nametag saying –

I Am An Impacter –

it might be revised to read

– Impacted, Now Impacting

More important, however, than the language used on a nametag will be the discussions that happen every day between adults and youth regarding the process by which any person is truly able to sacrificially love others. These discussions will center around one of the greatest mysteries of Scripture – Not I, But Christ.

How many Christians will spend their entire lives never knowing what it means to live a life of submission and dependence on Christ? How many will never fully understand the reality they are a new creation as a result of Christ’s resurrection? This is difficult doctrine even for adults. But at the Impact Learning Center, this amazing truth will become a part of our daily language, reflection, discussion, and understanding.

Recently, during the fourth day of City Impact’s summer Teen Job Club program for 7^th & 8^th graders, I asked the students what percentage of the actions and talk among youth at their school reflected kindness. The answer was about 10%. When I asked them what percentage of the actions and talk among youth at their school reflected sacrificial love, the answer was less than 1%.

The need to help our nation’s young people become focused on caring for one another is great. The challenge in developing materials and programs to help accomplish this purpose is even greater. At City Impact, using our strengths to sacrificially love one another is slowly becoming a part of our DNA and an attitude that infects everything we do.

Sacrificial Love Among Teens

by Ercia Schmidt

One of the boys in Job Club is really struggling. He’s having a hard time adjusting to the structure and he doesn’t like the discipline system. He doesn’t like doing things he doesn’t want to do, and he doesn’t like being told what to do. Because of a previous episode, he had to spend one whole day in Reroute (2 hours and 15 minutes of program). Knowing that he was going to have a difficult time just sitting there, Mr. Todd asked if any of the other kids would want to sacrifice their time in the classroom to go sit in Reroute with him. The objective of this was that the kids would encourage their peer and let him know that they cared about him and wanted him to be a part of the group again.

So many willing hands shot up in the air! Nearly every student was willing to show kindness and sacrificial love to their classmate that day in Job Club- the very thing we’re challenging them to do. It was so awesome to see one student walk out of the room, return after 10-15 minutes, another student walk out, return, and so on. By the end of the day, many of the kids had spent a portion of the day lifting him up with their presence and minimal words. It was such a beautiful thing! These are the moments when I know we are making an impact and the Holy Spirit is penetrating hearts. May the Lord continue working in the hearts of the youth of City Impact!

CI Youth Wins Award at KAA Camp

by Ashley Larson

KAA camp was an incredible blessing for the youth and adults alike! My husband and I were in KAA 1 with the youngest group and we loved watching CI's youth interact with others their age from all across the nation. One of the most rewarding memories I bring home is watching Addison receive the "I'm third" (Jesus First, Others Second, I’m third) award. This award is only given to one boy and one girl in each camp who really understands and exemplifies putting God first, others second, and themselves third. This means that out of hundreds of youth, Addison got the attention of many leaders by being a servant of God. Addison was an example not only to the other youth but also to us. On the last day she came running up to me in tears and said, "I've been reading the bible for a long time, but I have finally learned how to hear God speaking to me while I'm in the word." Her excitement and emotion was beautiful. My time at camp was blessed by just watching her grow and also encourage others around her!

Mentoring Program in the Works

by James Pruch

This summer I'm working on the development of the new mentoring program. As I have been making brochures, interest surveys, and looking for field trip ideas, I am getting more and more excited about this program. I see all of these things coming together and I know that a child's life will be changed when a mentor invests into his or her life. We will see youth's strengths being discovered and put into practice. The results will be seen long after I'm gone from City Impact, but knowing that what I'm creating will give a young person hope is so satisfying. Knowing that God is going to use this program to change lives is comforting, encouraging, and humbling.