Training Strategies
So far this year, fourteen school children have been killed in Philadelphia alone.
That was a sobering statistic laid upon the over 800 attendees, by Dr. Dean Trulear, the Senior Pastor at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Twin Oaks, PA, during Friday's opening general session at the 2004 CompassionWorks conference, Dare2Dream, held at The Adams Mark Hotel. However, the overall message, as well as the driving tone and approach to the conference, were definitely of hope and dreams. Reverend Trulear then followed with, "we need to know that there is a safe place for us and our children!"
CompassionWorks2004, its attendees whom are devoted to urban youth and children's ministries, and its sponsoring organization, YouthParnersNET (formerly Compassion USA), are believers that the way to create this safe environment for our youth and children is to build-up our churches and ministries within our urban neighborhoods and for our at-risk youth.
Those that believe the power of church ministries helps to build stronger and safer communities are supported by the research and advise of the experts. Apparently, the work of urban and youth ministries not only contributes to the decline of crime and an increase of hope within and among our at-risk communities and youth, but research also demonstrates that having just the presence of a church building in a neighborhood, with all else being equal, is linked to decreasing crime within urban communities.
As faith-based initiatives go, urban and youth ministries may go a long way toward demonstrating real results. Thus, the purpose and focus of this conference and of YouthPartnersNET is to help build the leadership and effectiveness of our churches, our faith-based ministries, and of their leaders to create not only safe communities, but also more prosperous communities with hope for the future.
The primary theme of this year's conference, which was passionately reinforced by other speakers such as Isaiah Mercadas (executive of the Latino Leadership conference), Bart Campolo (of Mission Year in Phila.), and Phil Jackson (founder and president of Bringndafunk Communications, and host and M.C. of the conference), was that of daring to dream and to dream big. Participants were instructed to do so because ultimately dreams change the world. But every urban youth/children's worker participant in attendance was then encouraged to take responsibility for following the dream.
These messages further invigorated the participants throughout the conference, as their passion, beliefs and faith were on clear display through their eager reactions and their lively worship. Many participants, including Eloni Akpan of Wilkins Avenue Mennonite Church in Baltimore, MD, commented that their purpose is to build-up the kingdom of God here on earth. Cristol McCray, JoAnn Davis, and Daniel Roberts, together from Washington D.C., emphasized that everything they do in their ministry, and everything that happens to us, is for a reason – by the grace of God, our Creator – and that ultimately the dreams they follow are in reality God's dreams. And, as Cristol added, "we need to let the world know about it!"
CompassionWorks has been holding this conference here in Philadelphia for thirteen years running, and this is the only conference of its type on this subject and of this scope. Compassion International, a noted and highly successful Christian charity devoted to the eradication of poverty and the causes of hopelessness among children and youth around the world, recently transformed their CompassionUSA ministry into the now independent YouthPartnersNET (YPN). YPN now sponsors and organizes these CompassionWorks conferences every year.
The Reverend Dean Cowles, president of YPN, comments that encouragement, fellowship/networking, and education/training are at the heart of this conference and of YouthPartnersNET. The "Dare2Dream" conferences throughout 2004 are being led by Phil Jackson, of Bringndafunk Communication ministry, with his innovative message of speaking to the hearts of urban youth through the use of their own culture, language and music. This theme was evident throughout the conference with its unique brand of spirited worship and enthusiastically received combination of hip-hop and urban music and language.
Translating dreams into successful action remains the next challenge for the participants as they leave the conference. But based on the spirit of the crowd and the numerous testimonies gathered from those in attendance, many are leaving here feeling not only more invigorated about taking this spirit back into their ministries and communities, but also to applying the many concrete actions they learned during its practical, intensive workshops.
And many hope to return for next year's conference on March 4 – 6 here again in Philadelphia. As Tim Adams, from Abundant Life Church in Cambridge, MA commented: "Like a car, sometimes we [urban and youth workers] can get stuck in the mud. These conferences are like a truck that pulls up behind us and gives us a nudge and gets our momentum going again. That's what this has been like – that little push from God."
To learn more about YouthPartnersNET or future CompassionWorks conferences, or to find out how you can help or contribute, contact YPN directly.
Scott W. Martin (freelance writer) scottmartin14@comcast.net 856-582-7666
