HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) - In an effort to develop more leaders for Hot Springs youths, Amos Gray, youth pastor at First Lutheran Church, has created the Lifehouse mentoring program.
Gray began the program four and a half years ago when he realized there weren’t enough after-school activities for students. He wanted to create something out of the church to reach out to youths who were getting into trouble, or who simply lacked activities to join.
“I just said, ’Why don’t we start building a relationship with the schools?’” he said.
His mindset led to mentoring five boys from Hot Springs Intermediate School, who soon spread word to their friends of what Gray was doing. Gray said in one to two weeks his mentoring grew to 15 young boys.
The number has steadily grown. Eileen Ellars, ministry support director at the church, said the number of youths involved the program, from first-graders to 12th-graders in the Hot Springs and Lake Hamilton school districts, now hovers around 80.
“Our mentors have been coming out of the woodwork,” she added. “Everybody has their role and it’s really just growing.”
Gray said volunteers pick the students up after school and bring them to the church for a healthy snack before study time. Each child can choose to participate in tutoring, homework or reading. For those moments when one may ask to just play on their phone, Gray said the volunteers are quick to hand over a book for them to read instead. The children then move on to mentoring, which Gray said was the highlight of the program. Later in the evening they are served dinner, so at least one day a week parents don’t have to worry about getting a meal on the table while working around busy schedules.
The Wednesday afternoon program is wrapped up with Lifehouse Live, where the children are taught the spiritual side of who they are. Gray said participants have even taken that a step further and joined their own churches.
“We don’t force our kids to stay. It’s funny, they come and want to stay,” Gray said. “They enjoy themselves.”
The friendly atmosphere between the adults and children provides proof to the importance of the mentors in the after-school program.
“We know that it takes a whole lot to raise a kid,” Gray said. “We try to find quality people who are doing well in their profession, who have a love for young people and who really care.”
The mentors come from a variety of backgrounds, but Gray said the Hot Springs Police Department was quick to jump on board with planning. He said Chief David Flory asked to meet not long after Michael Brown was shot by a Ferguson, Mo., police officer. Gray said Flory told him his heart was broken and he wanted to build a relationship with the African-American community and would give officers time off if they wanted to mentor.
“It’s great to see how these guys are building relationships with the kids,” Gray said.
Hot Springs police Capt. Chris Chapmond takes a rather literal hands-on approach to mentoring. He spent Wednesday afternoon in the church parking lot playing basketball with three boys and asking them about school. Between demonstrating how to properly throw the ball and encouraging their shots, Chapmond also made it a point to speak to each one individually, The Sentinel-Record (https://bit.ly/1NZXGzi ) reports.
“It’s really my privilege to be out here with them,” Chapmond said.
He said he thought the mentoring program was a great idea when Gray first reached out to the officers about it. After his own tough upbringing, Chapmond said it was easy to relate to those he mentors and he wants them to see “there’s a heart behind the badge.”
“It’s really working out well,” he said.
Flory spent his mentoring time Wednesday with four young boys on a balcony overlooking a stained-glass window in a chapel of the church. When receiving no response after asking why June 19 was such an important date, he launched into a passionate lesson of what the Emancipation Proclamation was and why it was vital to their heritage.
“This is a part of your history,” he said.
Flory arrived at the church in uniform, but said he and the officers normally try to come in street clothes to put the children more at ease.
“We have a pretty good relationship between our police department and community,” Flory said. “But we need to make it stronger.”
He said that, in 36 years of law enforcement, nothing affected him like the events in Ferguson, and after Gray was placed in his path he wanted to work on recruiting more minorities to the police department. Flory added it is important to have the same demographic population in the department as in the community.
“We would hope some of these boys and girls become police officers,” Gray said.
Flory said he and his officers have a heart for the children and if they can make a difference in one child’s life they will be successful.
Several mentors spread out across the church with the youths who sprawled on couches, sat in circles or lounged on benches outside, providing evidence of Gray’s statement on being available to serve the community and all children.
“The biggest encouragement for me is these guys, the mentors,” Gray said.
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Information from: The Sentinel-Record, https://www.hotsr.com
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