For Him and Them by Dean Cowles, YPN President

A monthly message from YouthPartnersNET President Dean Cowles.

For Him and Them by Dean Cowles

June 2007

Get Your Feet Wet

June is always a busy time for YPN and our partners. You gift this month has been a great help to get the summer started off on a high and wet note.

The first Friday in June, Noah's Ark provided free white water raft trips for our urban youth leaders along the Front Range. It's a blast as we float, paddle, and hold on to our life jackets roaring down the raging Arkansas River. For most of our leaders, it's the first time they've ever gone white water rafting. Noah's Ark also gives our partners significant discounts if they want to bring their kids so if you'd like to bless and "baptize" a few inner city kids, let us know.

June is also the start of numerous summer day and recreation camps across the nation. It's a great joy to know that hundreds of grassroots ministries are alive and well in the neighborhoods and streets of our at-risk cities.

YPN

I just came back from one of those neighborhoods on the Westside of Buffalo. We held our Executive Director Leadership Training for our urban church partners in Buffalo and had a great time sharing, dreaming, praying, and laughing. I'm coaching Pastor Cap of Grace Community Church and I wish you could see their ministry. It's an old Presbyterian church which they are giving over free and debt clear to this new, young, urban congregation. They already have several ministries off and running - food, clothing, after-school tutoring, mentoring, summer day camps, bicycle repair shop and a soap business run by the youth, along with many other services. I drove around the "hood" advising one of the staff on starting a local thrift store.

Like Peter, your help has allowed us to go "overboard for the Lord"

Pastor Cap also took me for a day to Niagara Falls. I've never been there. It was awesome and amazing. Then he took me seven miles downstream to go jet boating on the river. We got into a large flat-bottom power boat that screams across the water at 50 mph. We ran up and down the rapids and had a great time.

Later this month, I'll be in Chicago meeting with our partners there and may just jump in Lake Michigan. I'm so thankful for your wonderful support. Like Peter, your help has allowed us to go "overboard for the Lord".

Keep your life jacket on! That's what Dwight L. Moody said; "We're a lifeboat, saving everyone we can".

For Him and Them,

Dean Cowles

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