Guaymas Youth Center
The Lord has given us a vision for a citywide youth center for the young people of Guaymas and a regular youth event focused on ministry to this overlooked and undervalued segment of the population. We are convinced that the move of the Holy Spirit that the Lord brought us here to foster will largely happen through the young people and others who are not locked into traditional mindsets or bound by religious thinking. We feel the Lord is calling us to REACH these young people and help to RELEASE them into the plan and destiny that He has for their lives.
We envision a youth center which will:
- Meet a practical need here, as there is very little for the young people in this city of 250,000
- Be a safe place for young people to hang with their friends, have fun and talk - with a pool table, foosball table, ping pong, board games, music, chat areas with comfortable seating, a snack bar with tables & chairs; several computers to do homework on, and even perhaps a “graffiti wall” (monitored, of course) to inspire creativity and keep the graffiti off the streets
- Bring vision for something more than the cycle of desolation and devastation which is so often a part of Mexican life - offering things through the center like educational workshops, English classes, tutoring, days out (field trips), counseling, Bible studies, art and music workshops, and whatever else will give the young people an advantage in their lives.
- Be a “fishing pond” to get to know the kids and give them an opportunity to get to know us, so that Jesus can be shared through relationship
- Provide leadership training opportunities and experience for older Christian teens from different churches, as they help in the operation of the center and reaching out to their peers.
We already have a number of local people who have expressed an interest in helping with the youth center in various ways – as youth leaders, in leading workshops, providing baked goods for the snack bar, etc. We are currently renting a space on the main city bus route, and are currently in the process of remodeling it. The owner of this location is a precious Catholic widow who has given us a fabulous rental rate (about one fifth of the going rate) because she believes in what we're doing with her property and wants to help the youth of the city. In return, we are renovating her property to use as our center. We believe that the Lord will not only use this building as a place to reach young people, but also as a way to bring blessing, into her life. We still have a ways to go before we will be fully open, and things here tend to move slowly, but we are making headway! More youth center photos are available on the photo gallery page.
The other part of the vision the Lord has given us involves regular ministry events for young people. They focus on worship and challenging the kids to know/press into God in a deeper way, with emphasis on and room made for a lot of personal ministry. We are working on training ministry teams that can minister under the anointing and guidance of the Holy Spirit, to release the love and presence of our mighty God in a powerful way! We began a monthly event - called ¡Conectate! - at the outdoor gymnasium in September of 2008. In May of 2009, we moved the event into our youth center, and we're witnessing the Lord changing the lives of many young people. Local young people are taking increasing responsibility for the leadership of the event, and we're seeing a spiritual growth in many that is exceeding abuntantly above all that we could have asked or thought. Please pray for the increasing presence of the Holy Spirit!
How you can help: Unlike a church, we have no income from tithes and offerings to support the center. Also, the young people here have little money to speak of to contribute to the expenses. Buildling materials and utilities are more expensive here than in the United States, compounding the situation. But we know that God knew all of this before He asked us to do this, so He must have a plan for bringing the provision. We humbly ask if you would pray about whether the Lord’s plan may include you in some way. Thank you for weighing this with open hearts. Also, if you know of any churches that might consider supporting this project, either financially, or by sending building teams, resources, etc., would you please share with them about us?