YWAP NEWS - Youth With A Purpose

HOW DO YOU STOP FEELING GUILTY? YWAP Teen Action Lesson 2-20-20

2/27/2020

Young and old all know the pains of feeling guilty.
When we make bad choices, they come back to bite us.
After awhile of carrying guilt, it becomes an unbearable burden.
People who release their guilt to God experience freedom.
This weeks YWAP Teen Action Leadership Lesson is about guilt; how to get rid of it and how to avoid it. The handouts, Bible verses and teaching videos can be found below. Please contact us if we can help you.
YouTube- "How To Stop Feeling Guilty"
Facebook - "How To Stop Feeling Guilty"

YWAP empowers people to become collaborators in a community effort to create a better world for children and their families. Investing in youth is a preemptive strike against sexual abuse, drug addiction and human trafficking. At Teen Action Night young people 12-18 yrs. old gather for fun, friendship, food and a leadership lesson from the Word of God. Sometimes we play volleyball, basketball or hang out in the craft room. It happens on Thursday nights from 6-8 Pm at The Bread of Life 1638 South Park Ave. Buffalo, NY. Our new program is called “Strong Men Great Dads.” A fatherless generation is lacking the knowledge of a Father’s Love. Our goal is to help guys become Christ-centered men who respect women and accept the responsibilities of becoming a dad. The YWAP Directors serve in Pastoral Leadership by ministering to Youth Ministry Teams and Prayer Teams. We teach Biblically based best practices from a 25 year background in ministry. We appreciate your prayers and support. For more information about YWAP programs, to volunteer or become a guest speaker, please call us at: 716-830-8240 or email, [email protected].

Great Mentors Give teens Space

2/21/2020

Young people want to have relationships where they feel respected.
When they're given space to explore their natural feelings, respect is granted.
A great way to mentor young people is to listen more than we speak.
Plenty of youth programs provide activities to keep young people busy. The Relationship Mentors at YWAP's Teen Action Night go the extra mile to give teens space to explore their deepest thoughts and life questions.
Once a month we separate the guys and girls into their own space. Here's a quote from one of the mentors about what went on with the girls on Space Thursday: "So Evelyn teaches the young girls at youth, every last Thursday of the month. Every last Thursday, I'm blown away. Tonight was no different. She just has a way of capturing you. She teaches these girls who come off the street high, from broken homes, abused ect....and every eye is peeled and every ear is at attention. There's just something about the way her words touch you. She's been my mom for 36 years and I've probably heard her speak to the youth, a million times. I'm still in awe. God blessed us with a good one."
The guys had their own version of Space Thursday. At YWAP, we like to use what we call "Power Moment Mentoring." That simply means that your relationship is built in the moment of the current experience. The guys volunteered to serve and fill a space created by the illness of the Church Custodian. Each week the chairs are removed to make space for a volleyball net. At the end of the night, everything is put back in its proper space for Sunday Service. Usually the Custodian takes care of those duties. With his illness, a space was created for guys to step up and become servants.
We're fortunate to have such great mentors led by Buffalo YWAP Director Becky Rogowski. Evelyn Guach does a phenomenal job with the girls on Space Thursday. They work with a team of dedicated mentors from the Bread of Life. Tomorrow's world will be a better space because they've created a safe space for teens today.

YWAP empowers people to become collaborators in a community effort to create a better world for children and their families. Investing in youth is a preemptive strike against sexual abuse, drug addiction and human trafficking. At Teen Action Night young people 12-18 yrs. old gather for fun, friendship, food and a leadership lesson from the Word of God. Sometimes we play volleyball, basketball or hang out in the craft room. It happens on Thursday nights from 6-8 Pm at The Bread of Life 1638 South Park Ave. Buffalo, NY. Our new program is called “Strong Men Great Dads.” A fatherless generation is lacking the knowledge of a Father’s Love. Our goal is to help guys become Christ-centered men who respect women and accept the responsibilities of becoming a dad. The YWAP Directors serve in Pastoral Leadership by ministering to Youth Ministry Teams and Prayer Teams. We teach Biblically based best practices from a 25 year background in ministry. We appreciate your prayers and support. For more information about YWAP programs, to volunteer or become a guest speaker, please call us at: 716-830-8240 or email, [email protected].

As We Thinketh, So We Speaketh - A Teen Action Lesson On Words 2-6-20

2/5/2020

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Friends, Buffalonians and teenagers! Teen Action Night at The Bread of Life returns on Thursday, February 6, 2020 from 6-8 pm. We have fitness, fun, food and a good Word about building Biblically based leadership skills. This week's lesson is on the Power of Our Words.
The Bread of Life Church is located at 1638 South park Ave. Buffalo. If you have any questions please call the YWAP phone at, 716-830-8240.

YWAP empowers people to become collaborators in a community effort to create a better world for children and their families. Investing in youth is a preemptive strike against sexual abuse,drug addiction and human trafficking. At Teen Action Night young people 12-18 yrs. old gather for fun, friendship, food and a leadership lesson from the Word of God. Sometimes we play volleyball, basketball or hang out in the craft room. It happens on Thursday nights from 6-8 Pm at The Bread of Life 1638 South Park Ave. Buffalo, NY. Our new program is called “Strong Men Great Dads.” A fatherless generation is lacking the knowledge of a Father’s Love. Our goal is to help guys become Christ-centered men who respect women and accept the responsibilities of becoming a dad. The YWAP Directors serve in Pastoral Leadership by ministering to Youth Ministry Teams and Prayer Teams. We teach Biblically based best practices from a 25 year background in ministry. We appreciate your prayers and support. For more information about YWAP programs, to volunteer or become a guest speaker, please call us at: 716-830-8240 or email, [email protected].

YWAP 9 Minute Speaker Pastor Virgie Baker - Teen Action Night 1/23/20

1/30/2020

Young people listen intently when someone speaks to them from their heart.
When Pastor Virgie Baker volunteered to share his heart, you knew this dude really cared about kids.
Anger can be good or bad, destructive, instructive or constructive.
People can use anger to cause pain or influence change. Compassionate folks are angry about things that hurt children. It's time for us to do more to protect children on both sides of the womb.
Thank you Pastor Evangelist Virgie Baker. You brought knowledge, insight and wisdom straight from God's heart, through your heart and into the hearts of young people. Jesus loves you and so do we.
The YWAP Lesson for the night is on Anger & Resentment. The Lesson is posted below. Please feel free to use it in your youth group.

It’s Good To See Ya! We’re glad you’re here.
You Have A Reputation With God.
YWAP Teen Action Night At The Bread 1-23-20

Words of New Beginnings: “Your past does not have to define your future. Make a decision to follow a path of greater potential.”
Resentment is “resending” a bad memory back into your heart and causing a greater wound.
Resentment is a weak emotional response that only serves to further embitter a resentful person.
The world is unfair, resentment only serves to recreate unfairness.
Let unfairness become a key to learning how to create greater fairness in your life, and in the folks around you.

Ø Accept others the way they are. Hold them accountable when necessary, but do it with grace, not anger. None of us are without faults, we will make mistakes. When you hammer someone who made a mistake, it’s like being a hypocrite. Treat other folks the way you want to be treated.
Ø Silence is golden. The person who learns how to keep his mouth shut in the face of hard times is often viewed as a strong person. It’s easy to complain, it’s harder to be quiet during times of unfairness. Think quietly and meditate on a better solution that showing anger.
Ø Emptiness is a state of readiness to be filled with something. Choose this day what you want to be filled with. Anger is like a volcano that will fill you to exploding. Peace is like a river that wells up in your soul. Peace will take you through the valleys where death has cast its shadow. Peace will take you over the mountains of life.

”Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry –but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the devil that kind of foothold in your life.” ~ Ephesians 4:26 –27 (MSG)
“Complain if you must, but don’t lash out. Keep your mouth shut, and let your heart do the talking. Build your case before God and wait for His verdict. ~ Psalm 4:4-5 (MSG)
Jesus Loves You And So Do We.
youthwithapurpose.org 716-830-8240

It's "Open Topic Night" At YWAP's Teen Action

11/6/2019

   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.

For more information about how you can become a YWAP supporter and volunteer, please leave a message or call us at 716-830-8240. We teach mentors and launch youth leadership programs that are Biblically foundational. Our new program “Strong Men Great Dads” will be starting soon. Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we. #ywapbuffalo #ywap4God #ywap716 #JLYASDW

YWAP 9 Minute Speaker Kevin Zephaniah "Plant Yourself Like A Tree & Stand For What's Right!"

10/30/2019

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

Shawn Patrick Greene Has A Heart For Young People

10/18/2019

   Young people want to be respected and be able to share their opinions at Teen Action Night.
   When respect is given, they tend to give back what they've received.
   As Shawn Patrick Greene, his respect, humor and knowledge encouraged audience participation.
   Pursuing God's best for your life often means giving up something that looks good.
   Shawn gave an excellent teaching on sacrifice and what it means to set aside something to receive something that's better. Going to jail for a friend is not a good thing. Hanging around with friends who break the law will get you into trouble. "No friendship is worth going to jail."
   He told the young audience about the benefits of giving up time to serve other people. Serving is another way of receiving because God blesses those who freely give. Shawn taught from the Book of Daniel in the Bible. He related the story of three guys who were thrown into a fiery furnace because of their faith. They would rather give up their lives than disrespect God and honor a worldly, selfish King. Read Daniel Chapter 3:10-30 It took courage to be willing to sacrifice their lives, but the end result was a life-changing promotion and prosperity.
You can watch Shawn's excellent teaching by clicking this link to Facebook.
On top of being an excellent Youth Mentor, Shawn a dedicated Father, an Actor, Musician, Producer and Executive Director at The Great Lakes Christian Film Festival. Thanks Shawn for an inspiring time of sharing your heart.
   Evelyn Guash - another excellent youth leader urged the youth to get involved and be active in serving. She told them about an awesome opportunity at The Bread of Life Church on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 11 AM. It's called The Day of Warmth and happens between 12-3 PM. Folks can donate clothing and food to the community. They can also come and serve on that day. Lots of volunteers are needed.

For more information about how you can become a YWAP supporter and volunteer, please leave a message or call us at 716-830-8240. Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we. #ywapbuffalo #ywap4God #ywap716 #JLYASDW

YWAP, Cops & Teens - Good Things Are Happening In A Buffalo Neighborhood

10/2/2019

   Young people forming personal relationships with Police Officers creates peace in the neighborhood.
   Walls of disrespect come tumbling down when people get to know each other in a friendly atmosphere.
   As people in authority present themselves with a servants heart, acceptance and respect are normalized.
   Police have always been welcome in community centers run by YWAP and they always will. Thank you Buffalo Police Department, your Neighborhood Engagement Team is planting seeds of neighborly love!
This weeks leadership lesson was about greatness. What is greatness? How can you be great? The world will recognize an athlete as a G.O.A.T. or the "Greatest Of All Time." Funny thing about time, as it passes our opinions of greatness change like the winds of time. Rules change, players grow bigger and stronger, some even take supplements in an attempt to become super human. Being great at sports may not mean anything if your character is shoddy. People may cheat to win and that tarnishes any greatness that you may have.
   God has a different way of looking at greatness. It's almost a race of perseverance to receive a crown of humility. laying aside your own rights and serving other people is the path to a more excellent way of life. Help enough people and when you're in need. God will send someone to take care of you.
   More importantly, the greatest story ever told is about Christ. It looked like he was a loser; rejected, convicted, tortured, punished and executed. That doesn't sound like greatness, but it is. He sacrificed everything so that all people would have a chance at greatness without sin and live forever free in heaven - where there are no losses or competition.

Click to For more information about how you can become a YWAP supporter and volunteer, please leave a message or call us at 716-830-8240. Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we. #ywapbuffalo #ywap4God #ywap716 #JLYASDW set custom HTML

TEEN ACTION AT THE BREAD IS OFF ON TURKEY DAY, BUT TOM BURGER IS ON HIS WAY!

11/22/2018

Young people will use their energies to help cook for Thanksgiving this week. (We won't be there to guide them!)
When next week rolls around however, we have a special 9 Minute Life Speaker from North Carolina.
A lot of folks in Buffalo know Tom Burger because he grew up in Lake View, NY.
Please set some time aside to come and see Tom next week.
Next week will be one of the greatest weeks in YWAP's 18 year history! Tom will speak at Teen Action Night on Thursday. He's also written a program about the best practices of fatherhood from God's perspective. On Friday and Saturday (11/30-12/1) Tom will be one of the speakers at a conference called "How To Be A Great Dad." It's for guys 12 yrs+ who want to learn the best practices of manhood from each other. You will learn how to respect women, partner with them in raising children and how to be a role model that improves children's lives when they follow you. The program is based on the absolute truth of God's plan for men. All guys can learn something and share something that will help other men, whether you are a dad or not.
The event is free, the three meals are free and the booklet "How To Be A Great Dad" is free. Tom will also be speaking at the Sunday Service, 10 AM at The Bread Of Life, 1638 South Park Avenue, Buffalo, NY.
For info, call 716-830-8240. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

For more information about how you can become a YWAP supporter and volunteer, please leave a message or call us at 716-830-8240. Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we. #ywapbuffalo #ywap4God #ywap716 #JLYASDW

Did You Know You Can Shop On Amazon & Help YWAP?

Shop & help a nonprofit ~ COOL BEANS! You pay the same price and Amazon donates a portion of their money to help youth programs at YWAP.
It's almost Black Friday - one of the busiest shopping days of the year! By reminding your supporters to shop at smile.amazon.com, Youth With A Purpose Inc can increase its AmazonSmile donations.

This Black Friday, score deals at smile.amazon.com/ch/26-1628749 and AmazonSmile donates to Youth With A Purpose Inc.