A letter to this year's Wise Guys

Today at a city middle school awards ceremony, Tyler handed out certificates to the 40 boys who completed Wise Guys this year. For many of these boys, wisdom is a foreign concept! We are grateful for the opportunity Tyler has to speak into their lives, and pray that God will continue a work of wisdom. Here is the letter Tyler wrote to them:

To the honor of .... on your faithful completion of Wise Guys. 

Wisdom is within itself perfect and yet those of us who pursue it sometimes fail. Wisdom seems so intangible and yet it is present in every decision we make. We can ignore it, scoff at it, and pretend it doesn’t exist and yet our deepest desire at the end of the day is to not be found a fool. Wisdom is not far from each of us but yet it must be pursued in order to be known. Wisdom cannot be bought and it cannot be sold, it is not exclusive to the rich or to the poor. Wisdom does not leave us when we make a foolish decision but rather remains with an outstretched hand to help us to our feet. A wise man looks for the hand and lays hold of it but a fool rejects humility. Through the completion of this course you have shown a desire to be a man of excellence and for that I applaud you and hope that your future is filled with great happiness and success.

Sincerely, Tyler Worley

Kids on a Mission! Introducing Mission: Reading

Calling all kids (and parents, grandparents, and mentors) ... we have a mission for you this summer!

Mission: Reading is a simple project intended to accomplish a couple of things:

1) Give kids a way to help other kids in Springfield hear about Jesus and have great summer and afterschool programs to go to

2) (And this one is sneakier) Help kids read more over the summer

To get started, here are some FAQ’s and answers.

How does Mission: Reading work?

It’s pretty simple. Kids are challenged to set a goal of how many pages they think they can read in a summer, and then get people to sponsor them. Each week they can check in with the point person at church with how many pages they’ve read. There’s a bookmark to track their progress and their sponsors.

Where does the money raised go?

All the money kids raise will help other Springfield kids through Springfield Christian Youth Ministries (SCYM). It will fund programs for city elementary and middle school kids like Camp Boost Summer Reading Clubs, STARS Afterschool Programs, GirlPower, and Mentoring.

How much money should kids try to raise?

$25 helps support one kid for one month in the programs above, so that would be a great goal to shoot for. If kids are really ambitious, they can go for more. And if kids have trouble finding sponsors, SCYM will work to find sponsors for them, too. Oh, and SCYM is also working to find business sponsors to match whatever the kids raise, so the dollars they raise are doubled!

When is the money due?

August 31. You can turn it into your church point person in the envelope. Cash or checks are OK, just make checks payable to SCYM.

What age kids can be involved?

Really any age! Anyone who is excited about being involved is welcome to do it. Kids who can’t yet read themselves can have an adult read to them and count the pages.

I don't have young kids; can I still be involved?

Yes! There are a few ways. You could help get your church involved (we'd be glad to get you all the materials you need.) You could sponsor a reader if you know one, or you could sponsor one or more through SCYM at $25 each. Or you could be a matching sponsor at $100, $250, $500 or $1,000, to help match the funds the kids are raising. To find out more about being a matching sponsor as an individual, church, or business, click here. 

 

Can kids still do it if our church isn’t involved?

Sure! They can keep track of their progress themselves, or have an adult help them.

Will there be any fun prizes for kids who participate?

In October SCYM will be holding a really fun event called “Celebrate Kids!,” and we're inviting all the kids who participated to come together (with their families) for a dinner, door prizes, games and fun activities. We’ll celebrate what our kids have done together to help others!

How do I get started? 

You can find and print off everything you need to get started right now! There's a bookmark for kids (we recommend printing it on card stock, but paper will work in a pinch), cards for kids to hand out to their sponsors, and an FAQ's sheet which contains the information you just read. We'd also be glad to put a packet in the mail to you, if you email us at SCYMinistries@gmail.com.

Sponsor kids to read this summer

Did you know that a child who is reading at grade level by 3rd grade is unlikely to ever be involved in the criminal justice system? And did you know that one of the best ways for kids to improve their reading is simply to read more?

This summer we're launching a new initiative to raise the tide for kids in Springfield. It's called Mission: Reading (you can read all the details right here, especially if you know any kids who could be involved!) The short version is, we're challenging kids to read this summer and at the same time raise funds to help other kids in Springfield.

While we're challenging kids to raise funds to help other kids, we want to challenge the rest of our community to do the same! We'd like to raise another $6,250 to match what we're projecting the kids will raise.

So how about it? Want to get behind our city's kids, give them encouragement to read, and support them as they raise funds to help other kids attend a summer reading camp or an afterschool program? Whether you're an individual, family, business, or church, you can help!

Here's how to donate. You can make an online donation here, and before you submit your donation, click "add special instructions" and enter "Mission Reading."

$25 will sponsor a student who may not be able to raise their own funds.
$100 will match what 4 students raise. (High Five Sponsor)
$250 will match what 10 students raise. (Round of Applause Sponsor)
$500 will match what 20 students raise. (Three Cheers Sponsor)
$1,000 will match what 50 students raise. (Standing Ovation Sponsor)

If you're a business or church and would like to print an invoice, you can print the form and all details for giving here. All business sponsors will receive promotional opportunities (detailed in that form) in SCYM mailings and at our fall Celebrate Kids! event.

Also if you're a business, why not think about inviting your employees to sponsor a student for $25, and then matching what they contribute? It's a fantastic way to encourage the kids in our community, while raising the tide for many kids at the same time!

Mission: Reading -- it's one more way YOU are "helping kids crush the odds with the love of God" through SCYM!

Calling all teachers! And people who love kids.

Hey teachers! (Non-teaching friends, there is info for you too, just skip ahead.)

Camp Boost is a partnership between Springfield Christian Youth Ministries (SCYM) and Clifton Avenue Church of God. It’s a daily, “Vacation Bible School”-style reading boost for children ages Pre-K through rising 6th graders. It meets 10:00-1:00 Monday-Friday, July 29 to August 2 at Clifton Avenue Church of God. (We're also working with High Street Nazarene to hold another Camp Boost from July 8-12, but that one is being staffed with friends at HSN.)
 

We are seeking 7 volunteer teachers comfortable in a faith-based setting, for one week. Here is what you can expect:

• Class size limited to 12
• Fun reading club curriculum developed by Wittenberg University education faculty
• Assistants in each classroom
• Daily Bible lesson
• 1.5 hours of classroom time daily 

Non-teaching people! If you enjoy kids, or are good at making or serving food, or good at registration, we need your help too. Would you like to be a classroom assistant, a food preparer, a "go-fer," or a registration assistant? All hands are needed!

We know summer is a great time to relax and maybe the idea of "one more thing" like Camp Boost sounds too draining. But we can tell you truthfully that the people involved in last year's Camp Boost went away energized, recharged, and refreshed! We heard lots of comments like, "I can't wait to do this again next year!" 

For more information, call us at (937)325-183 or email us at SCYMinistries@gmail.com. 

7 Things to Pray for Springfield, for Kids’ Sake

In honor of the National Day of Prayer tomorrow, it's a great time to examine how we can pray for Springfield and specifically for kids. Would you join us for one week this month praying for God to move powerfully in our city to rewrite kids’ stories? Here are seven things you can pray for.

1. Dads who stay: Pray for flourishing father/child relationships that will help children reach their full height

2. Moms who value themselves: Pray that moms will establish foundations for healthy families by the men they choose

3. Peaceful homes: Pray for families who communicate and talk out problems; pray against domestic violence

4. Hope: Pray against the shame, defeat and hopelessness that poverty often brings

5. Churches that love: Pray for churches to seek out the lost and hurting in their neighborhoods, and to embrace and love the families they meet

6. Drug-free neighborhoods: Pray for drug dealers to go out of business and for crime to drop dramatically

7. Schools that don’t give up: Pray for persistence and encouragement for those work in Springfield city schools