March-April 2013

Hands on Message

        Each year, we take time to make sure the teens understand the hope we have because of Easter, HE is Risen, we have a hope and a future.  This year, the teens left their mark – or hand print – as a lasting reminder of the service we had and to reflect as they see the canvas prints hanging in the building over the next several months.

Each print has a name of God that allows the teens to better understand who HE is and have a better understanding of HIS power, grace, mercy and why HE desires to have a relationship with us.  Please pray as our goal is to clearly share the hope found in a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus Christ.  In ALL that Straight Street does, from the youth center outreach on Saturday nights to TeenMOPS on Mondays or spending time at Coyner Springs Juvenile Detention Home, we strive to make sure the teens clearly understand our goal of making Christ known and living a life that will honor Him.

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January 2013

Thankful

As we start a new year, we are thankful to have you as faithful supporters and prayer partners of the ministry.  As we wrapped up 2012 and looked back at what God had done, it seems overwhelming – and in human terms it is.  As we pray and plan for 2013, it is comforting to know that God is in control, that HE is the executive director at Straight Street.

God has developed the ministry at Straight Street to be a refuge’ for the hurting and resource for those seeking help.  In 2012, Straight Street provided a drop in center for youth, support for teen/young mothers, started a new mentoring ministry, provided tutors for students during summer school (at the school), provided a support group for teens with addictions and more ministry programs, including the chaplain service for the juvenile detention center.  Straight Street also started the planning process for new ministries for 2013.  This is possible because of you, God using you to help Straight Street serve those that HE sends.  Please keep praying, supporting and sharing with others about Straight Street.  We look forward to keeping you informed each month.

As the ministry expands, please pray for more support and volunteerss

Dear Ministry Partner:

Thanks be to God! Straight Street is celebrating our eighteenth birthday! We would not be able to do what we do now without our faithful supporters, tireless volunteers, and God’s amazing provision.

In 1994, Straight Street starting meeting monthly at the downtown YMCA. Then God provided our first building, rent free! As we grew, we expanded to our current location and have now been in our second building for five years. Currently we are working on renovating the adjacent building. This new building will be used for offices, classrooms/conference rooms, and a kitchen for life skills training. All of this has been done with the generous help of local businesses and faithful donors. (VERY little debt has been incurred.)

Buildings don’t begin to tell the Straight Street story!

The many students and families that have been cared for in Jesus name tell the best story. Straight Street continues to have the Saturday night Youth Drop-Ins Center. We have also developed many other ministries to help meet the tremendous needs of the students. 

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Building Relationships, Changing Lives

On Tuesday, July 31^st, Straight Street was blessed with the opportunity to take Camber, the young lady pictured above, to a treatment center.  The story is amazing, as she faced federal charges and that Straight Street was permitted to offer help.

Camber is pictured with her father as we prepared to leave the Straight Street building and is also pictured with Traci as we prepared to leave her at the treatment center in Richmond, Mercy House.  God opened the door for Camber to be accepted into a Christian program – for free.  Please pray as she starts a 12 month program to help her battle addictions she has faced for over a decade, at age 24.  Straight Street is committed to those we serve to be available beyond the school years as many continue to struggle and need support, prayer and someone to care.  Camber started with Straight Street at age 12.  One of the first videos we did for Straight Street, included Camber, as she sat in her 8 by 8 room at the juvenile detention center, Coyner Springs.

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Collaborate without compromise 

On Thursday, April 26^th, Straight Street hosted a Street Gang Awareness training for youth service providers.  The instructors were from the Virginia State Police and Virginia Department of Corrections, along with a welcome from US Attorney Timothy Heaphy, (third person from the left).  It is a blessing to share about the ministry of Straight Street with private and public agencies, our desire to help the hurting, as an evangelical ministry.  As Christians we need to thank and encourage service providers and share our responsibilities as Christians help, to take care ‘of the orphans and widows.’

As you can see from the picture, some of the information posted along the walls was shocking, since some of the material is from cases prosecuted in our area.  It is helpful for the Straight Street staff to glean information since the population we serve may very well be involved in gang or gang related activity.

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