Maybe you want to know about Paul and Jessica Shriner
Jefferson County is located on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state and is currently the only parachurch ministry on the peninsula targetting teenagers. Kids from Port Townsend, Chimacum Quilcene, Port Angeles and Sequim have all attended camp with us and have had meaning opportunities to experience Jesus Christ on regular basis.
How do we do reach teenagers:
Pray – The beginning of everything that we do when working with teenagers is to pray. To pray for the teens and to pray for the work that is done with Teens!
1. Contact work – We go where kids are and do what they do. A lot of time is logged at the High School getting to know kids and what those kids care about. Once that is established, we spend time at band concerts, and sporting events, and pick up games. We go where kids are, we meet them on their turf and we reflect the love of Jesus Christ while we are doing it.
2. Club – Creating a safe, relevant, fun place where kids can be kids. The goal is controlled chaos. Talks are entertaining and short and always focus on unraveling something about Jesus Christ. If a student comes for 8 weeks in a row, they will get an entire gospel presentation tracking the person of christ, sin, the cross and the resurection.
3. Camp - One of the distinctives about Young LIfe is the camping ministry. Our county goes to Wildhorse Canyon in July each year and joins roughy 600 other teens all experiencing the best week of their life.
4. Campaigners – A small group bible study that meets weekly, for kids that want to know a little more or go a little deeper. This is a great transition point to get kids to church.
5. Church – On the peninsula, there aren’t a lot of opportunities for the “tweeners.” After a student graduates from high school, they no longer have Young Life to sustain them. So, in our community, the “church” can love these kids fro their whole life.
Prayer – We started with prayer, and we end it all with prayer. It is the only tool that we have for protection in the journey.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Todd and Jessica Sloan // Jul 12, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Hey Paul and Jessica,
If you have a minute, please say a quick prayer for wisdom for us as we are attending our first YL committee meeting to see how we might be able to give of ourselves (time/resources/talents/money/etc) to the YL team here in McMinnville.
Blessings to you both, and, congratulations on having your fourth child!
–Todd and Jessica
2 Jennifer Milligan // Dec 10, 2010 at 7:12 pm
Hello. I am from Cornelia Georgia and I am interested in your missions in Washington State. I was wanting to join up with a group for maybe a week this summer and I would like some information on how and if I would be able to do this. God bless and I hope to hear from you soon.
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