If you wanted to make everyone on the planet smile, how would you do it?
“Tell them about God. That God is thankful for them and that God is always there for them no matter what."
IMPACT HOPE: coming soon! Here's how you can get involved this summer.
Seems crazy to think about with snow still on the ground and not a blade of green grass in sight—but summer will be here before we know it! IMPACT HOPE is kicking off in June 2022, and you can be a part of it!
What is Impact Hope? Impact Hope includes two parts of summer ministry at Hope for Kids: Impact Club Training and Impact Clubs!
Impact Club Training Camp (ICT) is an intense week-long training program taking place at the beginning of the summer for Christian teens and young adults. Through the ICT experience, teens develop their leadership abilities, stretch their faith, and experience God at work in their own hearts and lives. By the end of the week, they are ready for all components of the following weeks of inner-city outreach: teaching Bible lessons and Scripture verses, leading songs and games, and performing skits. They are prepared and equipped to engage with the kids we will reach, build lasting relationships and bring the Gospel to the city, ultimately leading children to Christ. This year, we plan to hold ICT from June 26-July 2.
Impact Clubs take place in the weeks following ICT. These 5-day clubs are where all our teen leaders put what they’ve learned into action! Impact Clubs take place in different neighborhoods on weekday afternoons in the month of July and are one of the main ways our ministry gets connected to new children and families. With relationship-building games, high-impact songs and engaging Bible teachings, Impact Clubs are an amazing way for teens to share the Gospel with kids in our community. After a summer of Clubs the impact continues—kids we reach during Impact Clubs are invited to our monthly Club Hope events!
If you have a teen who may be interested in serving with us as part of Impact Hope this summer, they can join us on April 2nd at the Mission for ICT Information Day! This is a perfect opportunity for them to hear more details about ICT training week and the clubs to follow, meet their leaders, and ask any questions they may have. Save the date and stay tuned for more details coming soon!
Three ways Club Hope connects our kids to Jesus
Club Hope is an event designed for kids ages 4-12 that takes place every month at Hope for Kids. Kids from all over inner-city Springfield come to our building for lunch, chapel time and a lifeskills workshop. Our vision for each one of these events is ultimately to connect these precious kids to the Lord and His love for them, meeting a spiritual need through a physical context.
Three ways Club Hope connects our kids to Jesus:
01. Physical relief: Our kids (and volunteers) always enjoy a yummy lunch as soon as they arrive! Food is always a part of Hope for Kids events.
02. Authentic relationships: Upon arrival, kids are assigned a small group. Each group has at least one small group leader and small group helper—volunteers who spend the entirety of Club Hope getting to know their kids, assisting them as they move through different activities, praying with them and intentionally building into them. Relationships are the heart of Hope for Kids and we are so thankful for our volunteers who share Jesus’ love with these kids.
03. Spiritual renewal: Chapel time is when we share as much of God’s Word with our kids as we can. It’s a fun, fast-paced time where our whole group sings praise songs and hears a Bible lesson or story taught by one of our staff members, including a clear Gospel teaching. After our main chapel time, the kids break into small group time with their leaders and apply what they’ve learned to right where they are in life. Bible memory is also a part of small group time—God’s Word is powerful and we know these verses can stay with them long after they leave Club Hope!
Our vision is to see every child we help transformed by the message of hope - the Gospel - and ultimately becoming leaders who positively impact their own communities for the good of others and the glory of God.
If you would like to learn more about how you can get involved in Club Hope, leave a comment or send us an email at hopeforkidsmatt@gmail.com and we’ll be in touch!
From Cameron this week
One thing that I’ve recently been challenged with is this question: “How am I demonstrating Christ to those around me?” Though it may seem like a simple question, it dives deep into the motives, thoughts, and heart of the one asking it. Christ was (and is) the ultimate example of perfect sacrificial love, incredible selflessness, true humility, and complete submission to the Father’s will. As a believer, through the grace of God alone, we are given a brand new identity (Col. 1:13, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 2:20).
With this new identity, we are given the responsibility to represent Christ! We are called to be a light on a hill (Matthew 5:16). We are commanded to love one another (John 13:34-35). We are compelled to fight sin, and walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-17,25).
With the endless number of people that we come into contact with day in and day out, imagine how many would be pointed toward Christ if each time, we were demonstrating Him to the fulness of our ability. Not only is the unbeliever directed toward God when this is the case, but even the saved soul is encouraged and motivated to keep their eyes on the prize and run the race with endurance (Hebrews 12:1-3)!
As someone that is called to evangelize to, minister to and serve children, this question is incredibly challenging to me. Kids can often be so perceptive, and notice way more than they are given credit for. Because of this, they NEED to feel Christ’s love. They NEED to know they are cared for, they NEED to know they are seen and understood. I am determined to demonstrate Christ to them to the best of my ability. He is the One and only One who can truly fill every need and desire of the heart. What a wonderful Savior we have!
I challenge you (and myself) this week to ask yourself that question. How am I demonstrating Christ to those around me?
1 Corinthians 15:58
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”
CLUB HOPE | FEBRUARY 2022
CLUB HOPE | February 2022
On Saturday, we hosted this month’s Club Hope event! We had a full house: kids from all over Springfield joined us at the Mission. Thank you so much to all of our drivers and van helpers—with your help, we were able to make pickups from many different neighborhoods this month! We had a delicious lunch (thank you to everyone who was a part of making that happen!) and our kids got to be a part of an amazing chapel time. They heard an original story written by Erika, all about two twins who go on a scavenger hunt to learn about God’s perfect love that casts out fear! Then we learned how donuts are made, decorated our own donuts and made valentines for friends and family that said “donut forget God loves you”. Such a fun day!
Please keep these kids in your prayers through this month. Club Hope always gives us a chance to hear how kids are doing and pray over needs in their lives. Pray that God will remind them of His love as they walk through whatever circumstances they may be in—He is with them always!
Three Things Kids Need to Hear
Kids are sponges.
So often, they pick up messages in the world around them and may carry them around as truth for years, no matter how true those messages may actually be.
Speaking into the life of a child doesn’t always feel easy: when they look into your eyes and you see them, ready to learn from you or have a question answered, the pressure to say just the right thing can be intimidating!
But if you know Jesus, you are not in those conversations by yourself.
Your job is to let His love and His Word flow through you. And His love tells that child…
You have VALUE. “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” Psalm 139:14-16
You are SAFE. “He will not let your foot slip—He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you…He will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” - Psalm 121:3-5a,7b-8
You have HOPE, beyond your circumstances. “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” - Romans 5:1-5
All that we need is found in our Savior. And we have the gift of sharing this life-changing hope with every child that comes across our path.
On Megan’s Heart This Week
Something that never fails to blow me away when I really think about it is this: God delights in His people. He delights in me!
“As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.” - Psalm 16:3
He loves each of His children far, far more than any human mind could ever comprehend. He loves to think about us and take care if us. I’ve done absolutely nothing to deserve this love, but He protects, forgives, and cherishes me anyway.
If I could share one thing with all the children we reach that could shape the foundation for the rest of their lives, it would be this: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment…We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:18a,19)
These kids often have so many reasons to be afraid, but we serve a God of unfailing love. He loves to hear our prayers! When you have the opportunity to remind a child of this, it’s amazing to see the difference in their prayer.
— Megan
Club Hope is this weekend: here’s how you can pray!
Club Hope is coming up THIS SATURDAY, February 12! We are so excited to bring a workshop to our kids centered around God’s love. We’ll be decorating donuts and making valentines for kids to share with their friends and families!
Please be praying for this event!
Pray that we will have a full team of volunteers and that everyone will stay healthy as we get ready to serve our kids.
Pray for the kids who will be attending! Pray that they will have no hindrances to keep them from coming to Club Hope. Pray for their hearts to be hungry to hear about Jesus' love. Pray for the truth they hear and the conversations they have to stay with them long past the event.
Pray for all needs to be covered & for the event to run smoothly!
If you would like to volunteer at Club Hope and have not yet signed up, click here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0b49a8aa2da5fb6-club39
CLUB HOPE | JANUARY 2021
Photos from this past Saturday's event! This month our kids learned about the story of David, and in our lifeskills time they learned about snails and made their own slime. So much fun—we are so thankful for the opportunity to see our kids at Club Hope every month! Thank you so much to all of our amazing volunteers, and thank you to the Manzis for a delicious lunch!
Christmas 2021 Recap!
Christmas at Hope for Kids was incredible—we were able to reach many families in our community, including several new families! This year, we delivered gifts two days in a row in Springfield and Holyoke, then opened the Mission to families on Thursday to join us for hot cocoa, cookies, crafts, and games as well as to pick up gifts and meals. Many thanks to…
…Christina’s House, Springfield Rescue Mission, and Garvey’s nutrition for providing gifts for the children!
…Springfield Rescue Mission for hot, home cooked meals for many families.
…Life Church in Hampden for the Christmas cookies!
…Ron and Grace in Virginia and Elaine from Bethlehem Church for the beautiful handmade hats and mittens that blessed our kids.
…the Lovkin family for helping with gift distribution during Christmas week!
