Written by Daniel Garcia, Ministry Apprentice
As long as I can remember, Jarrett Meek has been preaching about a leadership pipeline in Mission Adelante. I never quite understood what that meant or if that pertained to me at all. In 2014, I was part of the summer internship, and even then I couldn’t see the vision of what Jarrett was talking about. When I started my apprenticeship at Mission Adelante, I started to finally see the bigger picture of how they developed young leaders by investing in their education, faith, and character. I started to wonder how I could implement the same values into the program that I was entrusted to lead, Teens Adelante.
When I started to brainstorm, I thought that I needed an elaborate plan to attract some of the teens. But it turns out, I just needed to give them some ownership of the program and let God do his work. I boiled it down to three teens that I knew were growing more in their relationship with Jesus and developing friendships with one another. We went out for lunch, and I presented this idea to them. I explained that they would be in charge of planning activities and games for Teens Adelante every Wednesday. In addition, they would have a role in planning for retreats. Naturally, I was terrified. Have you ever had a teen or a kid reject you? They’re very blunt! Surprisingly, they all agreed that this was something they would all like to be a part of! The best thing I did as a leader was to back away and allow them to make decisions and plan for the program. Here is some information about the teens that are now part of my leadership team:
Damaris Vasquez grew up through the Mission Adelante programs. She graduated from J.C. Harmon High School (Go Hawks!) and will be starting college in the fall. Damaris not only has a leadership role in Teens Adelante, but she also has several responsibilities in our kids ministry, Kids Adelante. God has worked in her through turbulent times and I see how her faith has grown throughout the years.
Isaiah Ochoa is a freshman at Wyandotte High School. Isaiah is one of the most talented teens that I know. He has gifts that I wish the whole world could see. He can play the electric guitar really well and has a vulnerable, kind heart. He’s still fairly new in his relationship with God, but there’s gold to be found.
Ashley Delgado is a senior at Bishop Ward High School. Ashley grew up through several Mission Adelante programs with the rest of her family. Ashley is a volunteer in Arts Community in addition to having responsibility in Teens Adelante. God is working hard in Ashley and you can see how she has been trusting in God throughout the years.
These three teens will eventually be leading our discussion time in collaboration with the volunteers. I’m excited for what God has in store with this group of teens and Teens Adelante as a whole. We’re still trying to figure out a name for our leadership group. So far, they’ve settled on Teen Titans, lol. Please continue praying that God continues to work over Teens Adelante and the Teen Titans!
CURRENT NEEDS:
Cleaning out your home for 2020? How about donating some of those items to Adelante Thrift? They are located at 3720 State Ave, Kansas City, KS 66102 and are always in need of clothing for men, women, and children. Stop by and drop off your donations Monday through Saturday from 9:30am to 6:30pm!
Adelante Thrift is looking for a summer social media intern! This intern will work directly with the Volunteer Coordinator and will create content showcasing their volunteers and volunteer activities. Applicants must live in Kansas City, KS and be a high school student in good standing. The application deadline is April 30th. Apply here: https://forms.gle/EMGEMNeCS49SHfna9