THE CROSSING WEEKLY
LOOKING AHEAD
FRIDAY & SUNDAY, JUNE 3RD & 5TH
Guest Speaker Dan Lee is visiting. Friday at 7 PM in the sanctuary we are hosting a special service with a focus on Market Place Ministry and Kingdom Business. He will also be sharing at our 10 AM Sunday morning service under the tent!
SUNDAY, JUNE 12TH
Sponsor a YOUTH Come to our fundraiser for basecamp or give directly online HERE and select “Basecamp Donation” fund.
NOW - SUNDAY, JUNE 5TH
Dreamers’ Ranch Egg & Chicken CSA Sign up now for organic, pasture-raised chicken and eggs. This is the perfect opportunity to buy directly from the farm that support our community’s youth. Stop by the Market on Sunday mornings after service (by the kitchen) to learn more and sign up.
WEDNESDAY - SATURDAY, JULY 13TH -16TH
BASECAMP is back for 2022! Calling all youth 12-18, come encounter the living God. Register below!
JOIN US WEEKLY
EY (Emerging Youth) 6:30 PM, is a gathering of ages of 12 – 18. Contact Josiah Armstrong to get involved jarmstrong@lifealliance.org
Prayer Furnace 7 PM in the sanctuary, come pray and worship with us!
Young Adult Group 7 PM, contact Laura to get involved messinanc@gmail.com
Life Groups are at the core of our community expression and are the primary place for connecting with people in our community at a personal level. Find one near you!
Life Groups are at the core of our community expression and are the primary place for connecting with people in our community at a personal level. Find one near you!
First Principles classes are at 6:30 PM. The First Principles Series is a set of 13, six-session Bible study guides used to establish believers and churches in the Christian faith. New enrollment occurs in fall and spring. Learn more about First Principles!
Coffee and Conversation Women, join us every third Saturday morning of the month from 9 AM – 12 PM, contact Anna Benedict Anna.benedict@gmail.com
Worship Service 10 AM. Find our messages HERE.
Children’s Church drop off times are from 9:40 AM – 10:15 AM. Kingdom Kids (age 1-5) is across the street at the Daycare. Power Kids (ages 6-11) is in the main building’s hall. Learn more about Children’s Church.
Café Kerygma is our very own cafe which opens at 9 – 10 AM & 12 – 1 PM for coffee and fellowship.
Dreamers’ Ranch sells their products from 12-12:30, or directly after service. Come buy our beef, lamb, pork, and eggs as available.
Young Entrepreneurs Program with Emily Shattuck
Emily Shattuck, a member of The Crossing Life Church, and Dreamers’ Ranch Program Director recently gave us the lowdown on The Young Entrepreneurs Program (YEP) – a program for early adolescents that meets two Saturday mornings a month. The impact of this program has been successful over the years is continuing to grow.
When did YEP start?
We started YEP in 2017, but we originally called it Dreamers’ Ranch. As our mission and program ideas developed, it evolved. Young Entrepreneurs Program was born out the need for young people to build entrepreneurial skills and how those valuable skills were transferrable to all areas of life.
How many students do you have?
Any given session will have anywhere from 10 to 30 students registered. The Crossing Life Church’s Redemption Room becomes the “Learning Lab” for all the Dreamers’ Ranch Programs. The kids get to do all kinds of experiential learning starting in September through May or June.
Are there different learning levels?
Yes. We open it up from age 10-14, but sometimes we have some 9-year-olds too. As they get older, usually around 12, or depending on their developmental skills and abilities, they start assisting the mentors. We have two awesome assistant mentors that take on a lot of responsibility and really help us out.
How many mentors do you have?
We have twelve mentors. Some mentors serve as acting counselors, leading the kids through the projects. Some mentors serve as project leaders, planning and facilitating the projects. Everyone functions in their niche. We recently built the bunny hutches in the barn as a project.
What are some of the skillsets that the kids learn?
Some of the skillsets are communication, collaboration through games, problem solving through brainstorming, and improv- building off one another. The kids love it!
Do you have any testimonies you could share?
We’ve had some kids say “this is my happy place, I love Dreamers Ranch!” Some of the kids will even skip other activities to be here on Saturday’s. They want to work at the camps, and they want to work here on the farm someday.
One of our students started her own business after going through the program. She takes pride in calling herself an entrepreneur. She was motivated by working with our bunnies wanted to buy her own, so made her own Claymation toys and sold them online. She earned enough to sustain owning two bunnies herself! She also helped build the rabbit hutches here, so she convinced her parents she was capable of building one for her rabbits as well- and she did! That’s a favorite testimony of ours!
What’s the most encouraging experience you’ve had?
The leadership training material that we’ve created for our mentors and the curriculum for our students have had a ripple effect reaching into other ministries. You’ll hear language that we’re using at Dreamers’ Ranch or YEP being used across our church community. Other people using our resources and applying them in other places really fulfills me. Seeing our impact grow out of one program, witnessing the kids start their own businesses, hearing them say they want to come back every weekend, and making gospel ties to what they are learning, is so powerful.
Why is entrpreneurship so important to teach kids?
Today, entrepreneurship is a hot topic – and it’s still being researched – but the consensus is that the skills required to start a business are transferrable to everyday life. Taking risks, ownership, initiating, follow-through, growing something, thinking futuristically, using what you have, and being resourceful – all these various business skillsets help them in all areas of their life. We provide them an avenue to learn to how make things better, and even how to make a profit doing it. The world around us is changing at a fast pace, it is so valuable for them to have the skillsets and the knowledge to pivot, be flexible, and adaptable so they can be successful in whatever they decide to pursue.
How inspiring! Let’s keep motivating the next generation to reach higher and go after the dreams in their hearts!
We’d love to know… Is God on the move in your life? If you have a testimony, click the button below to share in an upcoming edition of The Crossing Weekly!