You may have read about the recent Church Services being held by Kanye West.
     We've noticed that major media outlets are reporting on those services.
     As his new album "Jesus Is King" has risen to the top of the charts, so have the reports about church.
     Pardon our copycatting, but we figure its time to do some reporting of our own.
     The YWAP Directors have the honor of visiting a few churches during the course of a year. We'd like to give you a report on what we've experienced. Hopefully if you're looking for a decent Bible preaching church who puts God first, these reports will help you find one.

     Pastor Curtis Burch will never be confused for Kanye West, but his demeanor clearly makes it known that he believes Jesus is King! We first met him over a year ago through our good friend Christos Terzan, better known as Tarzan. Both of these men are the real deal, nothing hidden, all things transparent in a most humble sort of way. We didn't have the pleasure of seeing Tarzan on this trip, but we did experience the love of Christ through the folks we did get to meet.
     My wife and I arrived with our friend Miguel in time for the Service that began at 10:45 AM. The church folks had already served a continental breakfast from 8:00 - 9:45 AM followed by Bible Study, Sunday School and Youth Group from 9:30 - 10:30 AM. By the time 10:45 AM rolled around, these folks were energized and ready to roll into a great service!
     The contagiousness of the Holy Spirit began even before the Worship Team started. Just their attitudes of joy alone were enough to ignite a bunch of folks eager to put God first in their praise and worship. The tunes they sang were old hymns modernized and sung with a passion. Some of them stood out in my mind as I had sung them in my head as my wife and I went hiking in the woods on Saturday. Precious Jesus, Leaning On The Everlasting Arms, Come Thou Font of Every Blessing, along with a few other beautiful songs prepped us for prayer and the Word of God.    
     Pastor Curtis is a Bible based teacher and expositor - meaning that he takes the Truth of God's Word and digs deeply for revelation. He told us that there's room in heaven for everybody who follows Christ. Here are some of my thoughts as I listened to Pastor Curtis preach. They aren't necessarily what he said, but it is where God led me through what he said.

• Salvation is in a person not an event.
• Get to know God by becoming more Christ-like.
• If you're a Christian, get to know Jesus.
• He wants to reveal Himself to you so you can reveal Him to others.
• A dud named John said that if all the miracles of Jesus were written about, the whole world wouldn't have enough room to contain all the books that would be written.  

     The pictures below will fill you in on some of the Bible verses that Pastor used. If you're n the Tucson area, this church would be a great one to get involved in. They have a ministry opportunity for every age and they are growing. Their Celebrate Recovery Program is helping to redeem many lives. 
     The YWAP Directors brought some Jesus Wristband's for the youth and look forward to working with the Youth Ministry as they expand to reach more young people with the love of Christ. You can find these great folks at: Tucson Central Church 404 S Columbus Blvd Tucson, Arizona 85711 Get Directions (520) 326-1366 tucsoncentral.org     

     Young people at YWAP's Teen Action Night come for fun, friendship, food and to learn a few life skills. 
     We do our best to plan a lesson that focuses on life issues common to all teenagers (and all of us too!)
     All people have a desire to understand the meaning and purpose of life.
     Purpose can be defined as the reason something or someone exists. 
     There is a purpose for everything and everyone ever created by God. For the next month and maybe more, we'll examine why we were created. We'll also study ways that God is giving us tips on what our purpose for Him might be.The picture's below are from our last lesson.
     Thanks for joining us. Jesus loves you and so do we.

     You already know that teachers need a lesson plan for their students.
     While that's a good plan, it's only part of a good education.
     A lot of learning happens when we give teens the chance to ask questions.
     Planning an open topic night at Teen Action was a great idea and they loved it!
          Deb Sudyn is a volunteer mentor who came up with the idea for an Open Topic Night. We did have a planned Leadership lesson on Resilience that was incorporated into the evening. Deb and a young man named Robert did a great job facilitating the teaching and Open Topic discussion.
          Thank you to all of the great YWAP Mentors at the Bread of Life. Teen Action Night is a wonderful success because of your integrity, compassion and love for God and young people. 

     You sometimes have to wait awhile to sense the presence of God.
     When folks get together in one purpose of seeking God, He shows up.
     As worship hearts rise in communion, the Holy Spirit falls upon the unity of believers.
     People who are serious about their relationship with God get to know Him personally.
          First Saturday Live at The Bread of Life Church in Buffalo is a special evening open to everyone whether you believe in God or not. Folks who have a faith in Christ are invited to participate in a number of ways that give evidence of God at work in their hearts. Song, dance, poetry, flags, and art are a few of the ways of expressing God's handiwork in us.
          Young Tato is the YWAP Director of First Saturday Live. Here is a comment she made after the last First Saturday on 11/2/19, "The Holy Spirit fell on everyone when we sang the last two songs together."
A video from the even can be seen by clicking on these links:
First Saturday Live Video #1
First Saturday Live Video #2
            As you look at the pictures below created by human hands with animation, imagine God at work in His creation around us. Fire burns away the chaff of our sinful choices as we turn to Him in repentance. Lightning is a moment of sudden change. Leaves fall away and drop dead even as the spring of new life rises up within us. Focus on God, get to know Him.
          The next First Saturday Live happens on December 7, 2019. If you would like to be put on the email list for First Saturday, please respond to ytato@gmail.com.
Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
Jesus loves you and so do we.    
(PS. Please be sure to "LIKE" our First Saturday Live At The Bread Page.)                    

     Young people have lot's of questions.
     When you give them a chance - they ask questions!
     After some exercise, they'll have a chance to choose their topic to talk about.
     Pursuing knowledge is a good first step in gaining valuable life wisdom.
     It all happens on Thursday night, 11-7-19, 6-8 PM at The Bread of Life Church 1638 South Park Ave, Buffalo, NY.
​Teens 12-18 yrs, boys and girls are invited for some friendship, fun, exercise, food and leadership based on teachings from the Bible. 

     Young guys and young girls mature at different speeds.
     When Space Thursday comes around once a month, we separate the guys and girls.
     Allowing ourselves space to grow helps us appreciate each other more.
     People who know what a friend they have in Jesus will be better friends.
Here's a report from YWAP Space Thursday Mentors Becky Rogowski and Evelyn Guash.
     The gentlemen watched a video of the Seattle Seahawks players called, Making of a Champion on You Tube. They were given the salvation message and discussed testimonies on the video. Here's a comment from the YouTube Channel, "Eli Scott 4 years ago "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty..." 1 Cor 1:27 (Nkjv) ... I amazed how God uses the NFL to His glory; and He has the right to use the NFL and any other means by which to get the blessed Gospel Of Jesus Christ out to the world." (Copied & pasted as written.)
     Here's what Miss Evelyn had to say about the space the ladies enjoyed, "We had a great meeting with the girls. I see how God is doing a work in their hearts and they are truly taking it in. They are sharing alot and forming the sweetest sisterhood.?? 
     My title was "What A Friend We Have In Jesus"
     Scripture came from John 15:13, Proverbs 18:24, 1Corinthians 15:33, and Roman's 5:8. I started with how we will never have a greater friend than Jesus, He laid down His life and suffered and died for us. No other friend loves us enough to do that. He's always present and available to us. The best friend that we could ever ask for.
     Too many or the wrong friends will lead us to trouble. There was alot of talk about "bad company". In closing I told them that Jesus died not just for perfect church folks, even our parents can leave us and not be there to support us, but Jesus loved us and thought about us 2,000 years ago and gave of Himself for us.
That's love, that's a friend!?"
     That's a great Space Thursday for teens! Thank you everyone who helped to open the doors, put up volleyball nets, serve food, show a movie and give a great message. We appreciate you. More importantly: Jesus loves you and so do we!

     YWAP Directors get to visit quite a few churches so we thought we'd share our experiences with you.
     We visit some churches on a regular basis and one of them is Church For The Nations in Flagstaff.
     After one visit to this church, we knew that we'd be returning many times and get actively involved here.
     Pastor Daniel Williamson and his wife Allison are the leaders of CFTN Flagstaff. Daniel is a great Bible based Teacher. His messages are engaging, informative and applicable to our everyday lives. The church service is unlike most churches, there are no announcements. The service is all about God from start to finish. The opportunity to sow into the church is given during worship. They don't pass a basket up and down the pews. Giving is voluntary and happens along with the opportunity to receive Communion. Folks come forward to the altar while the Worship Team continues to lead. The whole service is focused on God and being in His presence. 
     In his current teaching series, Pastor Daniel is urging folks to become Game Changers. He uses Bible verses throughout his message. He feels for people in a deeply compassionate way and builds a relationship through God's Word. Here's a great Game Changer nugget from last Sunday, (10-27-19)
                                "Not that God takes your enemy away,
                            but that he enables you to see beyond them."   
     If you're looking for a church in the Flagstaff area, we strongly encourage you to check out CFTN Flagstaff. We were met by smiling people n the parking lot and welcomed with more smiles every step into the building. They asked questions about us showing a genuine desire to get to know us. That's refreshing, many churches focus on telling you what they do, these people want to know what they can do for you. It's a special church with special people.
     On Sunday mornings they serve a free community breakfast at 9 AM. Prayer starts in the Sanctuary also at 9 AM. You can come and have someone pray for you or just come to pray and spend focused time on your relationship with God. Sunday morning Service begins at 10 AM. The church is involved in several other ministries which we're still learning about. You can learn more about them on their About Page.
CFTN Flagstaff     
755 North Bonito St. Flagstaff, Arizona 86001
Get Directions
(928) 714-1170
Send Message
cftnflag.com

Why did the rubber chickens stay in bed?
     They were afraid they'd be mistaken for turkeys and end up as a Thanksgiving meal.
                                 Please save the rubber chickens!
     Mrs. Triggs, Director of None Like You and her army of volunteers are planning on serving about 4,000 free turkey dinners. The only problem is that they're short 20 turkeys. 
Time is of the essence and rubber chickens don't have a lot of meat on their rubber bones. Can you please help rustle up a turkey or two? Tomorrow, we believe the turkeys can be found if you would say these words to everyone you meet, "Hey buddy, can you spare me a turkey?"
     You can call Mrs. Triggs at 716-533-9753 to get turkey directions. You can cook a turkey, buy a turkey or send a couple of bucks so somebody else can buy a turkey. 
Thanks for your help.
Jesus loves you and so do we.
#savetherubberchickens #nonelikeyou #ywapbuffalo #ywap4God #JLYASDW

    YWAP Teen Action Night 9 Minute Speaker for October 17, 2019 was Kevin Zephaniah.
       With a dynamic delivery, he kept the audience of teens fully engaged with wide open eyes and ears.
         As he gave them some powerful life advice in between contagious smiles, Kevin gained their trust easily.
           Plant yourself like a tree and stand for what's right! - A powerful word from a compassionate leader.
     Kevin grew up in a neighborhood where there was a heavy gang presence. He maintained a strong character in the face of temptation. He made a decision to not compromise his values no matter what.
     Here's a few of the heart nuggets that Kevin passionately sowed into the hearts of his young audience:
     "Your resilience lies in your confidence and belief in God."
          "Choose to do the right thing."
               "You're never alone. Use your strong intuition and strong faith."
                   "You have to know what's right and what's wrong when your parents aren't around."
                         "Make a decision to do what's right ahead of time."
                              "Plant yourself like a tree and stand for what's right."
     Thanks Kevin for delivering a lifetime's worth of wisdom in just a few minutes.
​You can watch the short video of Kevin's inspirational life advice by clicking on these links for Facebook or YouTube.
     Thank you Barrington Ricketts for sending Kevin our way. If you know any other speakers with 9 minutes to spare and a passion to share wisdom with teens, please send them our way.
Jesus loves you and so do we.
#teenaction #ywapbuffalo #ywap716 #ywap4Truth #ywap4God #JLYASDW

     Young people are seeing a different side of a Police Officers role in the community.
     When the Buffalo Police Cars showed up at The Bread of Life, they were there to pick up teens.
     A lot of folks who get rides in cop cars end up in jail.
     Police involved in Community Engagement work are different, they take a bite out of crime by serving.
     The Buffalo Police Community Engagement Team took young people from YWAP’s Teen Action Night to a Buffalo Sabres hockey game last Saturday. They picked the teens up in their squad cars and drove them from The Bread of Life Church in South Buffalo to The KeyBank Center.
​     The Sabres won the hockey game. The teens got to drive in the police cars with the officers, were treated to a snack and all arrived home in a police car!!!
     Fostering respect in a community through service creates honor and dignity one young person at a time.Thank you to all the members of Buffalo's Police Community Engagement Team.
#teenaction #ywap4Truth #JLYASDW