Retirees Reach
Out To End Vandalism And Reach Teens
By Steven Skelley
Emmanuel UMC in
Bradenton
,
FL
is, like many churches, a congregation of retirees that had prayed
for years that God would send them some young people. God answered their
prayers in a very unusual way this year.
The church
property has been suffering acts of vandalism for quite a while. Pastor
Charlie Rentz said he’d often find, “skateboard damage, things broken,
graffiti painted on church walls, and trash and beer cans left in the
courtyard.”
Local police
officers were asked to patrol the church property after church office hours.
Church members also visited the property in an effort to limit damage.
A church video
security camera revealed that nearly 75 youth were “hanging out on the
church grounds” on Friday evenings alone!
The kids on the
security tape were very different from Emmanuel’s congregation.
The kids on the tape dressed in the gothic style, had body piercings, and
unusual hairstyles.
In June, 2006,
Emmanuel’s pastor, Dr. Charlie Rentz preached a sermon from the third
chapter of 1 Samuel. In this scripture passage, young Samuel is called by God
and chooses to follow God’s instruction. Pastor Rentz's message encouraged
his congregation to follow Samuel’s example and respond to God’s call for
their church and ministry.
Within days of
the sermon, 78 year old church member Shirley Chenoweth came to see Pastor
Rentz. She said, “The Lord is sending us young people here every Friday
night. They might not be the kind of young people we have prayed for God to
send us, but He has sent them. Now what are we going to do about it?”
With Pastor
Rentz's blessing, Shirley organized a team to reach out to the young people
who often trespassed on church property. One Friday night, they opened the
doors of the fellowship hall and invited the kids in for snacks and drinks.
About 20 young people came in.
The next week,
they opened the doors again, offered refreshments again, but also added access
to a ping-pong table. More young people came.
In the three
months that followed, the Emmanuel youth outreach team expanded their
ministry. They offered hot-dogs, hamburgers, and pizza as they continued to
invite these kids into the church building.
A number of local
merchants who had also experienced vandalism in the past offered door prizes
to kids who attended the church outreach. Regal Cinemas offered movie passes.
Blockbuster Video offered free video rentals. TCBY offered free snack coupons.
Someone donated an iPod to be given away!
Today, more than
80 young people attend the outreach every Friday night. “It is not uncommon
to see a large group eating snacks, playing ping-pong and just visiting with
the adults who support them,” shares Pastor Rentz. “The church members
that are here are mostly retirees in their 70’s and 80’s. It is like these
kids have found a new set of grandparents!”
Jan Froltz
volunteers her time and talents each week, “Isn’t it remarkable what God
has done? Some of these kids had lost trust in teachers and parents so God
brought grandparents like us into their lives. They don’t feel threatened
with us. We gained their trust and now they love and trust us and we love them
right back!”
As the church
members spoke to the kids, created relationships and gained their trust, the
kids told them that they just wanted a place to hang out and someone to listen
to them.
Instead of trying
to “cram Jesus down their throats,” Pastor Rentz, Shirley Chenoweth, Ed
and Judy Graniwicz, and the outreach team simply try to gain the kids trust
and let them know the church cares about them. Pastor Rentz’s son Caleb
plays guitar in the courtyard for the kids. Local Christian bands are brought
in to play for the kids too.
Eighteen year old
Nick Gill attends on Friday nights, “I come because it is so fun and the
people here are respectful and nice. They let us skate and have fun. They talk
to us. We can talk to them about anything.”
Thirteen year old
Tina Williams agrees, “A friend told me about this place a while ago. It is
really fun and the people are cool. I hang out here with my friends and a lot
of people skateboard. The people from the church are awesome. We look at them
as our grandparents.”
According to
Pastor Rentz, the youth outreach program has been “financially and
graciously supported” by the entire congregation.
He also notes
that, since the opening of the youth outreach program, there has not been a
single act of vandalism at the church.
“These kids are
a gift from God,” Shirley Chenoweth shares.
The people of
Emmanuel UMC prayed for God to send them young people. He did, but in a way
they never expected. Isn’t that what miracles are all about?
Emmanuel UMC’s
outreach runs every Friday night from 6-9 pm.