Youth Explosion Celebration!!

We will celebrate our 10th Annual Youth Explosion October 12-13, 2013. This is our biggest youth event of the year.

This is a time of games, food, music, fellowship, fun, and spoken word, all while spreading the love of Christ Jesus.

Our Theme is BE AN EXAMPLE “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12

It is the prayer of our ministry that the children know that they can make a difference in this world. It is our mission that through witnessing we might reach those who do not yet know Jesus to be their Lord and Savior and continue to build the Kingdom of God!

This event is free and open to the public. To make a donation to our event visit www.gofundme.com/YouthOutreach

Engaging the children!

I am most passionate about my ministry and the work I do with the children. I take pride in helping them reach their full potential and strive for excellence!

It is important that we have positive activities available to engage our youth and keep them away from the negative.

~Empower: A Youth and Teen Ministry
Empower is a ministry where teen girls can fellowship and talk about the hard issues they face on a daily basis. This ministry is a forum to build them up and empower them to keep moving forward. This ministry stands on Psalm 139:14 “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made!”

~Reality Check
Reality Check is a group where there is a topic given and they can speak freely about said topic. We discuss things like Sex, Drugs, Peer Pressure, Suicide, Bullying, etc.

*In both Empower and Reality Check the children have taken a pledge to not judge each other or break each other's confidentiality.*

~Lock-In’s
Throughout the year we will host a Lock-In. This is a time when the children spend the night at the church and we have games, crafts, movies, food, all night long. We also have a lesson discussing a topic that is relevant to the lock-in.
This event is currently held 4 times a year, Easter, Back-to-School, Fall Fest (An Alternative to Halloween), and Christmas. Lock-Ins are open to all the children and we usually average about 40 children.

~Youth Bible Fellowship
Youth Bible Fellowship is held weekly for the children. This is Bible Study on a level they can understand. Following the study, the children are offered homework help, and given a meal.

~Other Activities
Throughout the year we hold other activities monthly. The activities include skating, bowling, movies, dinner, and Christmas Candylane at Hershey Park, Washington DC day trips to name a few!

Not Enough To Eat...

There are so many children that may not have enough food to eat. Sometimes school breakfast and lunch are the only meals they eat. Most of the schools have adopted healthier meals and also offer a charging policy for students who may not have money to pay for lunch. Some schools even send fruits and vegetables home with the children for the weekend to ensure they are at least receiving healthy food at home.

At my church, if we know a child is not receiving enough to eat at home, we will usually talk to the parents to assess their needs. Next a referral can be made to a local food bank to help this family with food for the month. We will also give them vouchers to local grocery stores so they get some food. If they do not receive food stamps, we will also help them complete an application.

Instead of throwing leftover food away it can be given to families in your community who are in need. So many of us are blessed to have more then we need, it is important that we not take our blessings for granted!

Reference:
http://cbsdfoodservices.weebly.com

Teen Pregnancy

If a teenager discloses to you that she is pregnant it is important to listen to her and not pass judgment. She is probably already scared, emotional, and confused about what to do. You should encourage her to speak with her parents and the father about being pregnant and what she is going to do. Let her know that she should not make any big decisions without talking to someone first.

There are many ways to go about telling everyone you are a pregnant teen. Planning what to say and keeping calm will help in the process. Some steps you could follow are:

• Talk to the father-to-be, and discuss your options.
• If you are nervous to tell your parents alone, confide in a counselor or someone you are close to who could help you tell your parents. Practice what you will say to your parents with them.
• Tell your parents. This will be hard and you may be nervous because you don’t know how they will react. Sit down with them and explain the situation. Give them time to process the news. Share with them your plans, for example, finishing school, getting a job, living arrangements, etc. If you don’t have a solid plan, ask them for help! They will most likely be upset and disappointed but it is important to keep open communication, and always do what is best for you.

If a young girl disclosed to me she is pregnant I would reassure her that she is not alone in this. I would stress the importance of getting help, and staying focused on what she needs to do. I would also encourage her to speak with her parents as they will most likely be her biggest support system.

Reference:
Alviti, S. (2007), “How to Tell Your Parents You Are a Pregnant Teenager”.
Yahoo Voices.

Reporting Child Abuse...

When working with children it is important to establish a relationship of trust.
I work with children in my church and community and they confide in me on a regular basis. I let them know that they can trust me however, they know if they disclose a threat or act of violence or abuse with me than I am obligated to report it. This is made clear to them when we first start talking. It’s important that they know that I want to assure they are not in any danger and to protect them.

If a child discloses abuse to you it is important that you:
• Listen carefully to what the child is saying and let the child know that you believe them.
• You should reassure the child that the abuse is not their fault.
• You should also let them know you will make a report about the abuse.

It is important that you do not:
• Make promises you can’t keep.
• Push the child into giving details.
• Ask direct questions about the abuse, as this can be harmful to the investigation. (KidsFirstInc.org, 2013)

The child being abused may already feel scared, angry, and ashamed. Hearing about the abuse may make you feel angry, frustrated, and disgusted, but it is important to remain calm. As outlined in Principle A: Beneficence and Nonmaleficence and Principle B: Fidelity and Responsibility, you must strive to benefit the child and do good and not harm. It’s important to act in a professional manner and to safeguard the welfare and rights of the child. You have a responsibility to make sure you do what is in the best interest of the child (Fisher, p.25-26).

When reporting abuse I give the child the opportunity to share with their parents (if they haven’t already). I make myself available to be there with them as an added support. If they would rather I make the report, then I would do so. I am sure to report it to the authorities as well, so a full investigation can be completed.

In Pennsylvania, the mission is to prevent child abuse and neglect of children from ever happening. If a report must be made it can be done by contacting ChildLine. Their mission is to accept calls from the public and professional sources 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Cultural sensitivity and courteous demeanor will be displayed at all times to all callers. ChildLine will provide information, counseling, and referral services for families and children to ensure the safety and well being of the children of Pennsylvania (Department of Public Welfare, 2013).

References: Fisher, C. B., (2013). Decoding the ethics code: A practical guide for psychologists. Third Edition. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.

http://www.kidsfirstinc.org/reporting-abuse/what-to-do-if-a-child-discloses-abuse-or-neglect-to-you

http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/forchildren/childwelfareservices/calltoreportchildabuse

Stop the Bullying!

There are so many children that are faced with bullying each day. Bullying can be physical, verbal, via the internet, etc. I’ve learned that children who are bullied sometimes find it difficult to speak with an adult about what is going on. When discussing bullying with my youth more than 75% of the children have faced bullying of some sort. Of those 75% more than 50% of the children shared they do not have a parent/guardian they feel comfortable discussing this with. When asked why they don’t discuss it with an adult, one boy shared because he was taught if someone hits him he should hit them back. He shared he is not comfortable fighting and didn’t want to get in trouble when he got home for not fighting back. Another child shared she doesn’t tell her mom she is being bullied because she knows her mom will go to the school or to the other child’s parents and it will make the bullying worse, so she just keeps it to herself. During the discussion a child shared that she used to be bullied and now she is not because she “will just beat them up”. So in turn she became a bully.

APA Code of Ethics General Principle B: Fidelity & Responsibility (Fisher, p. 26). It is important for me to build trust with the child; this helps them to confide in me. At the same time a leader I believe it is my responsibility to inform a parent when their child is being bullied or is bullying someone. When meeting with the child I encourage them to speak with their parents and make myself available to be there as support.

It’s important to be careful when addressing an issue as serious as bullying. Principle A: Beneficence & Nonmaleficence reflects an obligation to do good and avoid harm (Fisher, p. 25). Bullying is a sensitive issue. When handling accusations about a child being bullied or being the bully the parents should not engage in negative behavior or become a bully themselves. Ethics Standard Code 3.01 Unfair Discrimination, 3.03 Other Harassment, 3.04 Avoiding Harm (Fisher, p. 94-96) must all be practiced when working with a bully. This person should not be discriminated against, or harassed based on information known about them, the goal should remain to do no harm. If it becomes difficult to work with them then they should be referred to a different provider, 3.06 Conflict of Interest (Fisher, p. 115).

This is Bullying Prevention Month and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) is providing resources and information to teens, families, educators, law enforcement, and mental health professionals on how to recognize, deal with, and prevent bullying (NCTSN, 2013). There are some many forms of bullying. It is important to be educated on bullying and prevention so we can do our part in putting it to an end!

References: Fisher, C. B., (2013). Decoding the ethics code: A practical guide for psychologists. Third Edition. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.

http://www.nctsn.org/resources/public-awareness/bullying-prevention-awareness-month

I love the kids!

My blog will share some of the joys and challenges of working with teens and adolescents. I will talk about why I love this population and what my goals are in working with them. I have been working with the children in my church and community for over 15 years.

It is so rewarding to see a child's face light up when you take an interest in their life and encourage them that they can do anything or be anything they want to be! I love when they share their dreams and goals! Some of the children come from broken or drug addicted homes. Some of the children are told they are never going to be anything in life. These circumstances don't stop them! The drive and determination they have is exciting!

My goal is to open a program for teens and adolescents that will provide recreational activities and academic support. The focus is to empower them to continue to strive for excellence and be all they are destined to be! This blog will look at the ethical considerations of working with this population!