Yesterday True North Ministry had the privilege of bringing staff, mentors, and mentees to a recognition banquet on the 31st floor of the Vern Riffe building in downtown Columbus.  Youth Da’shawn and Shaqueill, who have been in the program for up to a year, were awarded a certificate and enjoyed a day of great speakers. They also had the opportunity to connect with youth in the program from other cities in Ohio.

The fact that these young men woke up at 6:30 am and rode two hours to the banquet speaks volumes of their desire to change their lives as well as their love for the mentoring program.  Since their release from prison Da’shawn is finishing his high school diploma and Shaqueill has started working a job.

True North is impacting the lives of youth.  Thank you to all the mentors who have made it possible for imprisoned youth to be successful in Jesus Christ!

As many of you know True North has recently started a mentoring group on the outside of the prisons.  This is to accommodate the large number of youth who want a mentor but are not matched up before they leave due to the lack of mentors.  The group provides them with a fun way to stay plugged in to True North Ministry.

This past Monday we took the boys to a recording studio in Cuyahoga Falls and let me tell you they had a ball!  Mark and I facilitated a song called “The Overcomers”.  The young men were challenged to write a positive rap verse about how they had overcome challenges in their life.  John (who’s picture is below, on the right) told me that he was not planning to rap.  When he saw how much fun the others were having, he worked up the courage and delivered a few lines, they were actually really good!

Chad, mentor of Rasheed (bottom picture), told me that on the ride home Dennis was calling his friends saying things like “hey man I was just in the studio!!”.

It’s my hope that the church will rise up and mentor these youth, but until then we appreciate the mentors who are faithful to come to our groups and hang out with the youth who do not yet have a mentor.

                 John and Jared writing lyrics

Rasheed in the Studio

Hello True North Ministry Supporters!

 This is the first post of our official weekly-blog.  We will be keeping you in the loop with how God is liberating imprisoned youth on our property as well as in the many State and County level facilities we work in, so stay tuned folks!

 The past few weeks Becky, Fred, and myself have been visiting the four State level institutions doing recruiting for the mentor initiative.  This mentoring initiative is big!  We’ve partnered with the State of Ohio to have more access to youth than ever before.  Our goal is to pair them up with Godly men and women for long term mentoring.

 The Initiative is entitled M4:6 which stands for Malachi 4:6 where it says “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers;”  This is our heart for the initiative.  You can view all the details at www.truenorthministry.org/m46.

 During our visit to Scioto last week we visited a young man in “lock up” Unit.  This is a special unit for young men who acted out in extreme ways.  They are only allowed out of their cells one hour a day.  When you walk into the main part of the unit all of the young men stare at you from out of the small window in their door.  It’s hard to believe that 15-year-old kids can be locked up in this way.  We walked over to talk to one young man named Darren.  We had to yell to him through the window to have a conversation.  Fred began to explain to him the mentor program.  Darren then  asked very sternly “is this about God?”  We said yes.  Then he replied “ok, then count me in!”  We slipped the application under his door and he immediately filled it out.

God is moving in the darkest of place.   He’s already calling hearts to him It’s exciting to see the glory of Jesus invade such darkness.

 But here’s the thing, Darren is still waiting on his mentor.  At this point we have far more mentees than mentors.  Many like Darren have been sitting in they’re cells waiting for weeks for the love and fellowship of a spirit filled Christian mentor.

 We are now in the recruitment and training process.  If you have a mens group, a Bible study, a church, a pastor, anybody; we are ready to come and present the initiative and recruit men (and women) to take up this calling.  The brochures will be shipped in this week, the webpage and promo video is complete, we are ready, are you?  Help us promote the initiative in your area of influence.  Help see these youth liberated!

 Most importantly pray!  I want this blog to be a connection point for our supporters to join us in prayer.  We as a ministry want to keep you better informed with what the Lord is doing so that you can be strategic in your prayers.  We love you and thank you for your support.

 Nate Slaughter – Assistant Programs Director

True North Ministry