Mike King

Hanging out with Jeremy Affeldt in St. Louis

Last week was pretty awesome.  My friend Jeremy Affeldt invited me to come over to St. Louis to  hang out during the Giants vs. Cardinals Series.   He put me up in the Westin where the team was staying across from the new Busch Stadium.  What a great park.  Here is a picture from my seat at the games.  Now I get the argument for a downtown stadium. 

It was cool meeting some players and watching two good teams play, which hasn’t happened much lately in Kansas City.  The best part was just hanging out with Jeremy during his two open times; 10:30 am to 2:30 pm and 10:00 pm to 1:00 am. 

On Monday night 2008 Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum pitched a nearly  perfect complete game, 2-hit shutout.  Randy Johnson left the clubhouse shortly after the game ended to avoid the crush of the fans and prepare for his 303rd win on the following night.  The Big Unit was cruising along with a 6 to 1 lead, only allowing a home run to the man who will  probably go down in history as the greatest baseball player of all time Albert Pujols.  I called Vicki and told her that Johnson was pitching so well that Jeremy probably wouldn’t get a chance to pitch tonight either.  As I was talking to her Albert Pujols hit a two run shot that is one of the longest home runs ever hit in the new stadium.  All of a sudden the score was 6 to 3.  The next batter, Ryan Ludwick hit a triple followed by Yadier Molina walking and Jeremy was brought in to pitch.  He walked Rick Ankiel, which loaded the bases with one out.  I thought this could turn out bad and ruin a good hangout time after the game.  Jeremy responded by getting Tyler Greene to hit into an inning ending double play.

Jeremy batted the next inning and almost punched one through the left side of the infield.  His batting average was 1000 and has been a statistic that has allowed him to drive everyone crazy with his zealous willingness to dispense hitting tips to the rest of the team.  His average was cut in half and he is now a mere mortal at the plate.  He pitched a superb 7th inning also.
He had a bunch more fans hounding him for autographs and pictures after this game.  On the way to dinner after the game we ran into Rick Sutcliffe who was in town to cover Wednesday nights game for ESPN.  Rick is from KC.  I had some scary experiences batting against him in my younger days and Rick’s daughter Shelby was involved in Youthfront.  Shelby just graduated from Harvard Medical School. 

On Wednesday night Jeremy came in during the ninth inning in a tied game and retired the side with two strike outs that made the hitters look like little league players and a ground out.  Jeremy got his 16th hold of the season and made his 35th appearance two stats that have him among leaders in the National League.

Yes, I am now a San Francisco Giants fan.

video

Here is a cool little report Jim Newberry, Director at Youthfront Camp South, sent to our staff.

I had just retired to my cabin last Thursday night tired from a long day when I was called to come to the camp office.  David, one of our cabin leaders, said he "had" to talk to me. I must confess I said to myself "this better be good."  Little did I know how "good" it actually would be… 

When I reached the office David was standing there with wide eyes and a wide smile.  "Jim, I just had to tell you what happened tonight."  As I have shared in previous letters, our focus this summer is the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the lens of the parable of the Prodigal Son.  One way we help campers live into this story is through daily "Experiences."  One of these Experiences includes each cabin having a clay flower pot.  At the beginning of the week they meet, talk about the beauty and purpose of this pot, and then they break it to symbolize our brokenness.  Throughout the week they slowly glue this pot back together.  By the end of the week, the pot is restored, but still cracked and clearly visible that it was once broken.  However, our cabin leaders remind the campers that the cracked pot CAN be filled with something beautiful and perfect which causes it to be restored to it's original intention. They then plant flowers in the restored pot and put it in a flower garden we created with all the other restored pots from the summer.

David shared this story / experience with the boys in his cabin.  Afterwards, 6 boys from his cabin came to him one by one to tell him that they too want Jesus to restore them.  Each of them became followers of Christ that night.  David said to me with a smile and tears "Jim, they just kept coming."  I had David share this story at the Parent meeting at the end of last week as he shared "I will remember this week for the rest of my life."

International Justice Mission in the Philippines

Russ and Megumi Bermejo work for IJM in the Philippines to free young girls trapped in the sex-trade industry. Russ and Megumi focus on the aftercare of the girls once they are rescued from the heinous world of child prostitution.

Several months ago, Russ contacted me about his aftercare work with the girls. Russ had read Presence Centered Youth Ministry and felt that many things I wrote about in the creation of environments for transformation would help the young people he was working with experience spiritual healing and shape their Christian formation.

It has been cool to interact with Russ through the internet. Russ states, "I envision certain dots between youth ministry and our aftercare work here, and with some thoughtful design and enhancement, something very powerful could emerge that would help the aftercare community worldwide."

I really believe Russ and Megumi are on to something very important. Pray for them and the young victims whom they work with. Check out this video

My Refuge House Prayer Room - Project Ideas from E Russ on Vimeo.

Alumni Celebration

Our Youthfront/KCYFC Alumni Celebration was (proclaimed by a group of alumni as) EPIC. More than 500 alumni gathered at Youthfront Camp South. From the time the first guests arrived on Saturday afternoon until the last one left at 11:30 PM, it was non-stop hugging, story telling and celebration. Our co-founder Vidy Metsker was a real encouragement to all. Our staff was amazing as always in their radical service. I was exhausted, after the adrenaline from the celebration subsided. Blessed and fulfilled is the best way to describe how I feel about this event. I can only imagine how this will build to the next gathering two years from now. If you are connected to the story of Youthfront/KCYFC you will want to check out the Alumni site and check out some of the pictures here and here and stories here.
 

Packaging Meals

VIDEO OF PACKAGING MEALS

Media Coverage

We are getting significant media coverage for Feed the Hunger...

 

Alumni Celebration

One more shout out for those of you who read this blog and are a Youthfront Alumni.  We are expecting to party with 700 plus alumni this weekend.  It's not too late to participate.  No cost.  Register here.

Jeremy Affeldt and Feed the Hunger

Jeremy Affeldt, Pitcher for the San Francisco Giants and an outspoken follower of Jesus Christ, understands the importance of connecting good works with the proclamation of the Gospel.  Jeremy was recently featured in the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper for his work and support of rescuing children from the sex-trade and bonded-slave labor industry.  The Affeldt’s have kicked off the Feed the Hunger initiative with a gift of $15,000.

Jeremy writes, “Mike and I have been good friends for over 5 years now and his willingness to disciple me in the love of Jesus especially through humanitarian efforts have been eye opening to Larisa and I.  He was huge in turning me in the direction of Not For Sale in San Francisco to help in the fight against sex slavery.  My love for “the least of these” has increased more and more over the five years I have spent with Mike so when he gave me a call explaining the Youthfront Feed the Hunger initiative Larisa and I talked about it for no more than 30 seconds and knew it was a must for us to help out with. 

God has given us so much over the years and we truly feel that He directs us to areas where He would want us to give back.  What an exciting time this is to see young adults striving to be like Christ and I truly believe that the hand of God will show mightily in this time.  Feed the Hunger initiative is Jesus walking among us!”

A Big Announcement

Every day, more than 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes.

Every 3 seconds, someone, somewhere, dies of hunger.

One-third of the world’s population is starving.

More than 10 million people will die of starvation this year and more than half of this number will be children.

“The LORD blesses everyone who freely gives food to the poor.” Proverbs 22:9

Youthfront is excited to launch a new initiative called Feed the Hunger.  The Feed the Hunger initiative will provide nutritious food for people (primarily children) who are suffering starvation.  Feed the Hunger will also engage young people in Christian Formation that embraces the importance of faith embodied through action on behalf of the marginalized, vulnerable and oppressed.

There are two types of hunger Youthfront is addressing:
 
•    First - the hunger for food.  This is a basic human need that when not met will lead to starvation and ultimately death.  This is a tragedy. 
•    Second - the hunger for God and being in relationship with Jesus.  Satisfying this hunger is essential for spiritual health.  This appetite should grow as we pursue God but it will never be fully satisfied until we see Jesus Christ face to face.

“If a brother or sister lacks food and one of you says, ‘go in peace,’ and yet do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?  Faith if it has no works is dead.” James 2:15-17.

Youthfront is partnering with Outreach, Inc. in this collaborative initiative. The mission of Outreach, Inc. is “to provide safe water, food, medical care and education to children in need, focusing on developing countries to make a life-changing impact for current and future generations.” 

 “It was important for Youthfront to find a partner for this project that engages in a comprehensive and sustainable approach with those whom they serve.  We are not interested in providing a ‘token’ meal. The quality nutritious meal consists of a mixture of rice, soy, vegetables, and a full daily supplement of vitamins.  Outreach, Inc. is an organization doing an amazing job of feeding hungry people (predominately children) around the world.” Mike King, Youthfront President.

The Feed the Hunger initiative will provide a way for youth to become aware of the problem of world hunger and get involved in doing something about it.  Special attention will be made to helping young people understand the importance of proclaiming the Gospel along with embodying the Gospel, not only “over there” but also where they live, here and now. Churches and youth groups throughout the Midwest will be participating in raising money for the meals.  We will also actually package the meals for distribution to those in need.  The cost of this initiative is approximately $.40 cents per/meal. 

“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth…” 1 John 3:17-18.

Feed the Hunger facts:

o    Feed the Hunger was launched at Youthfront Camps - June 2009.
o    Feed the Hunger is a project for the church in Kansas City, the bread-basket of the world, to embrace as a blessing to those who are hungry.
o    Outreach, Inc. provides food supplies, packaging materials, shipping and distribution while Youthfront provides fund raising, labor, storage, education, facilitation of the packaging process, the training and discipleship of young people involved with Feed the Hunger.
o    Most of the meals are being delivered to the established mission of Outreach, Inc. in Central Africa while a portion of meals will be sent to Youthfront’s mission in Croc, Mexico, and other places of desperate need.
o    The quality nutritious meal consists of a mixture of rice, soy, vegetables, and a full daily supplement of vitamins. 
o    The cost of the Feed the Hunger initiative is approximately $.40 cents per/meal. Only .40 cents per meal covers the up-front costs of purchasing the raw food ingredients for the meals, packaging materials, transportation, shipping and distribution of meals to those in need.  This price also covers the cost of mobilizing individuals, organizations and churches to provide education, spiritual formation, food and a plan to provide hope to people who routinely go without food.
o    Feed the Hunger also addresses the Christian Formation of those involved in order to shape young people in what it means to faithfully live and serve in the way of Jesus Christ.
o    You can participate through your financial contributions and by organizing groups to prepare and package meals. 

Feed the Hunger website

Amazing post from Seth Godin

Very interesting post here by Seth Godin.

What?????????????

I wish this were a joke.  Sigh.........

Merton Quote

'What do I fear most? To forget who I am, to be lost in what I am not.'

Thomas Merton, Journal 1966

Torture

One of the more profound texts I studied at Nazarene Theological Seminary was Cavanaugh's Torture and Eucharist: Theology, Politics, and the Body of Christ.  William T. Cavanaugh is a professor of Theology at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN.

I've often reflected on this work in the context of the current debate concerning torture.  My people (Evangelicals) hold some very troubling opinions about the role of torture in our world. 

"A survey of 742 U.S. adults released April 29 by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found 62 percent of white evangelical Protestants said torture of a suspected terrorist could be often or sometimes justified to obtain important information.

By contrast, 51 percent of white non-Hispanic Catholics, 46 percent of white mainline Protestants and 40 percent of the religiously unaffiliated held that position.

Those who attend religious services at least once a week were more likely than those who rarely or never attend to say torture is sometimes or often justified in that scenario -- 54 percent to 42 percent." Sun Sentinel.

I was happy to find Cavanaugh weighing in on this issue in this article.

Cavanaugh believes that the Eucharist is the heart of Christian resistance to torture and terror.  Cavanaugh believes that Jesus Christ calls us to truly love and identify with the enemy, the victim.  This teaching of radical orientation to the Kingdom of God life versus a life orientation to a Christianity submitted to nationalistic ideals is something I wish I could say I have truly embraced but I'm ashamed more often than not that I embrace an American agenda instead of God's Way.

Cavanaugh writes, "Torture is both a product of—and helps reinforce—a certain story about who “we” are and who “our” enemies are. Torture helps imagine the world as divided between friends and enemies. To live the Eucharist, on the other hand, is to live inside God’s imagination. The Eucharist is the ritual enactment of the redemptive power of God, rooted in the torture, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ."

I pray for and desire to engage in Christian Formational Practices which will shape me to live inside God's Way for our world.

Rustin

My friend Rustin Smith wrote an insightful post on an issue that many people have with the "church" not being sensitive to their pain and needs.  He quotes Peter Rollins and reminds us not to be idealistic about what the church "should do" but implores us to remember to care for each other - person to person.  Read the post here... please.

Press Release: Youthfront and Barefoot Partnership

 

Press Release:
Youthfront, Inc. of 4715 Rainbow Boulevard, Shawnee Mission, KS 66205 and Barefoot Ministries (Nazarene Publishing House) of 2923 Troost Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64109announce a collaborative training and publishing initiative.  This partnership is designed to expand their collective youth ministry efforts throughout North America.

This collaborative training initiative and publishing partnership comes after several years of working together to more effectively assist local churches throughout North America.  It is the desire of both Youthfront and Barefoot to inspire, challenge, train, equip and resource youth workers with a theologically robust, philosophically sound and culturally relevant ministry approach that brings youth into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.  The training initiative will feature an expansion of Enroute youth worker training, the release of Reveal, along with other training modules already developed and being developed.  Barefoot and Youthfront have worked together on publishing projects in the past, such as Sacred Life: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life.  They will be developing new resources in the future through this partnership. 

Youthfront, Inc. has engaged in revolutionary youth ministry for 66 years and believes that a collaborative initiative with Barefoot Ministries will expand their passion to train, equip and resource youth workers as they remain committed to their mission to bring youth into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ through camps and retreats, student and youth worker events, missionary endeavors and leadership development in Kansas City and throughout North America and Mexico. President and CEO of Youthfront Mike King says, “For several years we have enjoyed an alliance with Barefoot.  This decision to become more intentional in how we work together will enable both organizations to further our Kingdom objectives.  We will be better working together on our mutual initiatives than we would be working independently of each other”.

Barefoot Ministries has been publishing books and resources for 8 years through its parent company, Nazarene Publishing House a 100-year-old non-profit company.  Barefoot seeks to expand its ministry impact in the local church throughout North America with the addition of a training division that will seek to carry on the commitment to train and resource churches with even more tools and ministry helps in order to reach middle school and high school students with the gospel. 

Chris Folmsbee, current chief ministry officer of Youthfront, Inc and former president of Sonlife Ministries, will become Senior Manager of Barefoot Ministries giving attention to the accomplishment of the desired outcomes of this collaborative training initiative as well as the ongoing mission and vision of Barefoot’s publishing efforts.  Folmsbee will also continue to help shape and provide leadership to Youthfront and its ministry objectives.

Agents of Restoration

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

God created all things and “saw that it was good.”

“Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image, in our likeness…” Genesis 1:26. 

“So God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them…” Genesis 1:27.

God created human beings in the image of God and declared this creation “very good.”  This truth revealed in the Creation Narratives of Scripture should not be diminished.  Too often, we have attempted to begin the Story of God at work in the world with the account of the fall of human beings into sin and disobedience.  No doubt, sin is a part of the human story.  We are broken people but we are still created in the image of God.  

God’s Will is that the world return to God’s Shalom through restoration and redemption.  When God’s people live out their identity and calling to represent God and act as agents of God’s love the world is blessed.  God brings redemption through the work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  God provides life for those who trust in Jesus Christ who lived and died for us.  The world hears this Good News when we proclaim it and the world see’s our beliefs when we live out the message and mission of Jesus Christ.

God designed us to be human beings. The salvation offered to human beings through Jesus Christ’s Incarnation, Life, Death and Resurrection brings the process of healing, forgiveness, redemption and restoration.  Yes, we are broken.  Yes, teenagers are broken but God is in the business of restoration and healing.  Even more compelling is the reality that God calls us to become “agents of restoration.”

In Luke 4:14-21, Jesus proclaims that the inbreaking Kingdom of God and the GOOD NEWS promised by the prophet Isaiah is now being fulfilled through him.  This GOOD NEWS according to Jesus would be about:
•    Preaching the good news to the poor
•    Proclaiming freedom for prisoners
•    Recovering sight for the blind
•    Releasing the oppressed and
•    Proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor

If our Gospel is only about protecting young people so that they will be safe, good kids who avoid trouble, don’t use drugs or get pregnant, get good grades and go to college so they become outstanding Christian citizens – then our Gospel is not God’s Gospel and our so-called Ideal Christian Life is not the radical call that Jesus Christ issues forth for us to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow him.

The call of Jesus Christ to follow him as God’s agents of restoration and cooperate with God’s plan to unfold the Kingdom of God and a return to Shalom on EARTH as it is in HEAVEN is the kind of adventure that will inspire the imagination of a young person to totally abandon themselves to the holy life of all out allegiance to our great GOD.

This mission is about so much more than designing everything we do to get a teenager to pray a token prayer of salvation so we can boast of a statistic and pat ourselves on the back for winning teenagers for Jesus.  It is so much more.  Yes, salvation is freely provided by the Lord Jesus Christ, alone. but it is not CHEAP.  Broken young people are redeemed by Christ and begin the process of being made whole when they apprentice themselves to the Master Jesus and pursue life with God.

When some heard that many of our Youthfront students were engaged in an active involvement to end human slavery they criticized that this was a “social gospel.”  Very sad commentary on the state of Christianity in North America when we discount one of the very things Jesus said we should be about – “proclaiming freedom” and “releasing the oppressed.”  Others felt like human slavery and trafficking is something happening in Third World countries and we should be focused on something more relevant.  If you have been following the news you know that the Kansas City Star broke a story revealing a huge human trafficking ring based right here in Kansas City had lured hundreds of foreign workers into conditions that made them modern-day slaves.  It is such a sad story and it happened one mile from Youthfront’s offices.  We have helped provide resources for these exploited workers.

We are more committed than ever to challenge young people with the truth that they are uniquely created in the image of God and that while they are broken they can be made anew through the salvation provided by Christ Jesus.  We will fire their imagination to consider their identity and calling to participate as God’s Agents of Restoration, which is a compelling story to find themselves in. 

Pictures of the day

Great day...

Today was a wonderful day.  I picked up Mike Russo (youth pastor) this morning at the Roasterie in Brookside and headed to Youthfront Camp South.  It was hard to leave South at the end of the day.  We got to hang out with several teen staff, three who Mike serves as their youth pastor.  I had at least ten youth pastor friends there with their students.  I loved listening to what God is doing among their students and the enthusiasm the youth pastors had for our program.  All summer we are digging deep into Jesus' story of the Prodigal.  Interacting with these Scriptures happen in a variety of ways that include experiential learning.  We talk about the brokenness of the Prodigal Son and the reality that while we are created in the image of God (imago dei) we are in fact broken and need to be redeemed and made anew through Jesus Christ.  On the first night each cabin breaks a flower pot to illustrate the brokenness and throughout the week the cabin works together to restore the pot and redeem its purpose to contain flowers which the students plant and add to a new Sacred Space.  Every experience throughout the week is profound and powerfully illustrates the truth of Jesus' story of the Prodigal.  Here is a video giving a glimpse into the broken flower pot.

Goings on around Youthfront...

Lot's of great things are happening in and around Youthfront.

Progress on Cabin 16.  We really needed Cabin 16 for middle school kids this summer but we have adopted the PayGo plan.  Back filling around the foundation happened this week. 

                                                    Next step:  Rough-in plumbing in the basement floor and then pouring the concrete floor.  After that ... wood can start going up!  The walls have already been built and are in storage.  Pray for more finances, donated labor and materials to come in.

Another week is underway at Youthfront Camp South...

Another week is underway at Youthfront Camp West