At Long Last, A New Beginning

As of January first I am actively working as an area director for Timber Bay.  Our territory will be the towns of Maple Grove/Osseo, Minnesota.  There will be young people from perhaps Rogers, Corcoran, Champlin, and Plymouth who may come in contact with us as those towns are near by.  However, our main focus will be Maple Grove/Osseo and their junior and senior high schools.  Our ministry will work with youth from 7-12th grades.  Currently we are in the process of making contact with school counselors, representatives from the police forces, and area churches.  This is all very exciting.

In the past year I have been focusing on the support raising side of the puzzle, the critical element needed to put "boots on the ground."  Thanks to many wonderful people we've reached critical mass and am now able to move forward.  Support raising never ends.  It is a process.  Contacting new people and maintaining contact with those who currently support Timber Bay will be as important to the ministry as breathing is to life.  I enjoy this aspect of the ministry very much.  It is not hard to talk about young people who are in need.  I look forward to our support base growing along with the population of youth who attend our programs.

The development of volunteer staff is now beginning.  In the past year I've spoken with a number of adults, from college age on up, who have a heart for at risk youth.  We will be contacting them in the near future, filling out forms, doing back ground research, and interviewing in detail.  It will be exciting to see what the Lord brings to the ministry with regards to volunteers, their spiritual gifts, and passion for at risk youth.

Off we go!  Moving from strength to strength, with hope and prayer.

I wonder who that first young person will be?  Please pray for that specific youth!