For Him and Them by Dean Cowles, YPN President

A monthly message from YouthPartnersNET President Dean Cowles.

For Him and Them by Dean Cowles

August 2008

Compassion Shakes Things Up

In case you didn't hear about the recent earthquake in Southern California, there's a quake of another kind going on down there. My ears perk up whenever I hear something like this going on in So. Cal. because my folks and my brother live down there and our oldest son Grant goes to college at Point Loma in San Diego.

Well, fortunately the recent earthquake didn't cause any fatalities but the compassionate quake is still being felt far and wide. Your gifts have made an impact on the San Diego area by helping us sponsor our "Building Your Boat and Keeping It Afloat" leadership training for urban ministry leaders.

Next month I will be going down there to teach our Executive Director Leadership Training. Your donations will help provide scholarships to several ministries in San Diego that are "shaking up" the area to reach children and youth for the sake of the gospel. Nate with Urban Youth Collaborative will host our EDLT training. This is one of the highlights of my year. I'm able to share my experiences and insights to help these young urban ministers deliver more "bang for the buck" in their community.

I met Nate while presenting a seminar at the Urban Youth Workers Institute in LA last May. Nate saw the potential and offered to organize this unique two-day training with his local network. He's that kind of community leader that has great respect and rapport with other urban ministries. He's the kind of citywide urban leader YPN is looking for to support and lift up. Please pray for this upcoming training in September and if you know anyone in the So. Cal. region, tell them to sign up on our website and join us for this great event.

Next month I look forward to telling you about the great things that happened this summer from our CityConnexx urban mission trips across the nation.

Thanks again for your faithful gifts that keep this movement going strong across America for our nation's kids.

For Him and Them,

Dean Cowles
YouthPartnersNET President

LIVE COMPASSION!

Your Donations at Work:

YPN is excited to issue a grant to our newest ministry partner: Urban Youth Collaborative. This grant will go toward their ongoing work with "outreach lunch clubs" on inner-city public school campuses. All together, they reach 700 students per week at 18 schools in San Diego with spiritual and physical food. They provide lunch, Bible study, and a local church youth pastor relationship. This serves as the first step to other available resources such as camp, church connections, leadership development, and tutoring. This program serves high school students (they also work at two middle schools) who often face economic disadvantages, broken family relationships, a lack of self-esteem, and fewer positive opportunities. Their students value the spiritual direction and personal healing that comes from encountering the power of Jesus Christ.

Prayer Request:

Please pray for Eduardo who we have come to know and work with in our outreach lunch clubs. Last week he told his youth pastor (one of our campus outreach partners) that he was planning to hurt his family and himself. Fortunately, he confessed this to caring adults who are guiding him through the process of repentance, forgiveness, and recovery.

Please pray for these kids!

• Visit the For Him and Them Archive