A former pastor of mine often told the Church, “See a need; meet a need.” Isn’t that what we are called to do in the book of James and throughout Scripture? In an effort to connect women to various ministry needs both within The Church of the Cross and outside of our ministries, Women at The Cross will be highlighting several ministries through the “See A Need, Meet A Need” blog entries a few times a year. These ministries could benefit from our help through our daily prayer, time, and talents. We all know there is tremendous power when the women of God pray and serve together! YoungLives is our first ministry spotlight. These women do an amazing job sharing the Gospel with teen mothers in our area through their regular gatherings with mentors and the annual camp. -Rebecca Hamilton
See a Need, Meet a Need: FullYLoved
“My child is a gift from God, created for a God-given purpose,
and I will train my child to know and follow God.” Proverbs 22:6
Last month, I, along with our team of YoungLives mentors and our YL coordinator, celebrated Mother’s Day with some very special teen moms and their precious babies. The evening would not have been possible without the love and support of so many people in our community. This annual event marks another year of ministry and friendship.
I came to know about YoungLives through friends of The Church of the Cross, many of who are committee members, volunteers, and/or donors. As a mother of young children and having worked in public education as a school counselor for 11 years, I felt called to lead as a mentor. Mentoring beside some of my dearest friends- including our very own Sue Carlson-has been one of the greatest blessings in my own personal walk with Christ. Likewise, it is incredible to witness how God is moving in the lives of these teen moms. We often hear from our girls how grateful they are for their YoungLives family and how they don’t know where they would be without YoungLives. To God be the Glory!
What is YoungLives?
YoungLives is a division of Young Life, an international missionary organization led by volunteers and staff members. For over a decade, the Hilton Head/Bluffton (HHB) Young Life area has connected local high school students to hear, know, and respond to Jesus Christ, while the HHB YoungLives ministry started 3 years ago. YoungLives is essentially Young Life for teen moms! As God’s Ambassadors, YoungLives Mentors meet regularly with teen moms, connect them to resources, and provide discipleship and friendship.
How can I help?
We are so excited you asked!
First, please pray for the YoungLives ministry and our beloved teen moms and babies. Like any ministry, we are simply planting the seeds of faith.
In 2017, 107 teen girls (ages 15-19) gave birth in Beaufort County. Moreover, our area YoungLives outreach is growing by including teen moms at Ridgeland High School- Jasper County has one of the highest teen birth rates in South Carolina*. To reach this number of teen moms with the love of Christ, we need many more mentors, childcare volunteers, and sub-committee members.
*Statistics from 2017 South Carolina Campaign: Prevent Teen Pregnancy teenpregnancysc.org
For more information, please contact Billi Dray, HHB YoungLives Coordinator at billidray@gmail.com
With gratitude,
Ali Ross
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