David VIPER Ward

Niverville YFC proudly presents David Ward as the Summer Staff Worker for 2010. David brings a summer of experience to the plate as he was on board with us last year. With the foundation from last year, he moves stealthly like a viper into the snake pit of youth ministry. Snake pit, you ask? Well yes, let your imagination run wild.

We're pleased to have you on our TOP GUN team, David...or should we say Viper!

fast lanes, big bands, and the glue that holds them together

life is back in the fast lane.



There is a TON of stuff on the plate with us YFC folk. An early spring brings out teenagers from hibernation. In April we ran a weekend retreat for YFC staff and volunteers from around the area that amounted to around 80 people. It went really well and we were excited to gather together as a YFC family, equipping each other to further the ministry. We also recently hosted a Drop-In Open House, showcasing some of new renovations, new programs, and some of who we are and the history of where we came from. It was amazing to see new faces and familiar faces, as well as people from every church congregation in Niverville. REPRESENT!




We're currently going full throttle on planning for future events...including bringing a band from California to play at this year's Niverville Fair! A band called Project 86 is performing MAIN STAGE on Friday night of the Fair, a treat our youth have never experienced at the Fair in years past. So if you happen to be in Niverville on the Friday night of the Fair (June 11), be prepared for some LOUD music and if it happens to hurt your eardrums...please suffer for the kids!



So we're looking forward to this summer and its stuff...looking forward to its hopeful impact on our teenagers. With all the stuff going on, we still focus so much on the relationship we build and foster with the teens. It acts as the glue between the cracks of the stuff that goes on in life and our programming. Go glue go!

the Drop-In's TOP GUN idea

We've decided to boost our staff morale with the idea of monthly staff themes. Genious idea, I know. So...this month's theme is TOP GUN! (based on the fact that Gordon recently came in to work with a Goose-like moustache).

ERIC MCMAVERICK



GOOSEDON KROEKER



ICE MARK VON RIESEN



So we're not sure what kind of impact this will have on the ministry, but we're expecting great things!

ebb and flow and away we go

Anyone who has been involved in youth ministry, or with youth in general, or can remember being a teenager, will know that consistency is NOT a characteristic for this demographic. With this in mind, we're going to share a little on the "ebb" of our ebb and flow natured ministry.

The first few months of every year are usually our coldest, and usually our slowest in terms of numbers here at the Drop-In. We had a considerable "flow" leading up to the Christmas holidays - packed house most Drop-In evenings, high levels of intervention and activity, ministry to many, and chaos - and transitioned to much fewer numbers of youth. This ebb of youth ministry can appear as defeating, and even feel discouraging based on surface level evaluation. BUT BUT BUT...upon a closer inspection of what is actually going on, there is a lot of good in it.

For example, over the last few months our youth-to-adult ratio has gone from 10:1 to 4:1. Some nights we'll even have a 2:1 ratio, and in these moments we are making significant, long-lasting and impact-ful connections with our teenagers. Statistics in North America have shown that there is a significant correlation between the decline in adult connection in the lives of youth and the decline of their functional behaviour. Our teenagers also tell us that the connections they have with adults at YFC are sometimes the only ones they do not run away from (teachers, parents, police...etc.).

The safety of our Centre and ministry also has had a chance to grow. A standard is set, where people coming here can not only be loved by us, but also learn to show love and respect back to us, their peers, and to themselves. The difficulty and tension in setting a standard is having a target audience that has a hard time with living up to something and being held accountable...and thus not willing to come anymore. They opt for hiding in the dark, unaccountable shadows, away from adults in general (never mind adults of integrity). So in these ebbing months we also focus on reaching out of our Centre and connecting with youth...sometimes in those dark shadows.

With the spring often comes a resurgence of youth; a coming forth out of the winter shadows, with a little more willingness to seek the light. The Light. In the meantime we still have a good amount of fun and growth at our Centre. Ebb and flow we may go, but Christ remains our Cornerstone. Enjoy some pics...

YFC STAFF PROFILE #3: Mark von Riesen

Mister Mark Wesley von Riesen, the senior staff member of the "YFC Three." So..."is his last name really von Riesen???" The answer is YES...and AMEN! Mark officially changed his last name in the past year, to the original version of Friesen. This kind of elusiveness has been a definite characteristic of Mark for quite some time now, with most of his acquaintances not being sure of where he lives, how he lives, what he's up to, or how to get a hold of him (rumor has it he now owns a cell phone for the first time ever...no one's quite sure if it's true).

BUT...the one thing people can count on is that he won't be too far from the Drop-In Centre, for Mark has had a dedicated heart towards the place, the people, and the ministry for a long time. Nine years ago he wandered into the Drop-In, started volunteering where he could, and now has been on staff for well over five years. With the more recent additions of Gordon and Eric, Mark has moved to an Associate Director position.

With a listening ear and an original perspective, Mr. von Riesen naturally takes a pastoral role within the YFC community in Niverville, be it amongst fellow staff, volunteers, youth, or others in connection with YFC.

Personally, Mark loves travel and new experiences, loves the diversity and uniqueness of his family (and now including his girlfriend, Kristen, and her family), and he loves music as well...playing as much as he can while bringing it to life at the Drop-In Centre, too. Mark's experience plays a major role to the YFC team, a role that YFC is very thankful to have.

YFC STAFF PROFILE #2: Eric McMahon

And here's Eric Shaun McMahon...the newest addition to the YFC staff trilogy. With an enthusiastic heart to make an impact in the lives of Niverville's youth, he stepped up to the Drop-In plate over a year ago, and dedicated himself to the full-time position of Program Director. It's been quite a massive step as he did so in tandem with MARRIAGE, beginning his ministry upon return from his honeymoon. No wall is too high for Eric McMahon. This is the attitude he's taken as he has jumped right into the intensity of youth ministry with some of the tougher crowds. One can hear Eric every now and then say "people are just putting up walls, and I'm just tearing them down." It's his love for the kids that gets through, whether he's hanging out at the Drop-In, the skatepark, at the school, out for coffee, or in special events and programs with the kids.

Eric is just about 24 years old, and up until YFC he's done a number of random jobs, road trips, worked and lived in Thailand, lived in apartments with strange friends, and then married the love of his life, Melodie. He LOVES film, and music...and shares both these passions and talents in the ministry, and on top of being a man of God, he aspires to be a superhero called "Hawkman."

YFC STAFF PROFILE #1: Gordon Kroeker

Voila!.....Monsieur Gordon Timothy James Kroeker, Niverville YFC's Executive Director. At the young age of 22, Gord finished up a college business degree and stepped right into the ministry about two years ago now. Thankfully he had spent the previous three summers working at YFC giving him an adequate initiation into the storm of youth ministry, though adequate may be an overstatement as there is very little experience that would be adequate preparation for being YFC Canada's youngest Executive Director.

His versatility has been fundamental to his work, for on top of connecting with youth and heading up the Drop-In Centre, Gord gets thrown into spheres such as planning banquets, delivering sermons, Seniors bible studies, random sports events, teaching elementary school kids, bookkeeping, cooking breakfasts, painting, and much more. In all of this, Gordon brings a keen understanding of people, business, and faith like no other; a combination so helpful to this ministry.

Gord has a passion for his family and his heritage, and a fascination with machines that move at ridiculous speeds (like a super-charged combine?). He also enjoys long walks along the Red River, Mennonite poetry, free-style hip-hop poetry, 16th century literature, and a mean farmer sausage.