“Back to school” for Acts 29 means back to Mrs. Housey’s 6th grade class to help her students with social studies through academic quizzing. The year starts out with the class dividing into groups in which the students meet their coaches and come up with a team name and flag design. Then once a week, the team of coaches visits Mrs. Housey’s class to teach the Social Studies material to their group. At the end of the class period, the students compete in a quiz competition based on their study material. The students also learn a new character principle each week, usually from Proverbs. The Lord has blessed us with this opportunity to share Christ’s love with the city in helping Holbrook Elementary School. Because the Lord has provided hands to help, resources, an open door, and prayer support, Mrs. Housey has seen her students’ grades improve.
This year, we have been blessed with help from a Pastor from Ward Presbyterian, a Wayne State Student Intern and women who attend Acts 29 Fellowship. These coaches are investing in their students weekly and loving them. One of the teams has won three times and has celebrated their accomplishment at a ‘Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Party’ held at Acts 29. Please pray that this ministry would bring glory to God. Pray also that the students, being mostly Yemeni, would hear the Gospel through history, social studies and fellowship time with their coaches.
Acts 29’s Easter week was packed full of fun! In four locations throughout Hamtramck, our staff joined with high school youth to lead Easter Kids Clubs. Three women who worship and serve at Acts 29 opened their homes and yards to host clubs for kids in their neighborhood. About 40 kids heard the Gospel through these kids clubs. On Saturday, we invited families to our building for an afternoon of games, snacks and an Easter Story Drama. Twice during the event, Mary Magdalene walked children and their parents through her experience, while three scenes were acted out: the crucifixion, the resurrection and Jesus on the shore with his disciples. The majority of the attendees were Muslims from Bangladesh and Yemen. After seeing Jesus nailed to the cross, one Yemeni woman remarked, “Did that really happen?” A Christian woman standing nearby was able to tell her that yes, it is true! As you can see, there are families in this city who don’t know the Gospel, and as we share it, we pray diligently that those who hear will believe.
2011′s High School Camp is in preparation! We are currently raising funds and preparing to take our FYRE youth to a five day discipleship camp, designed to give committed members a week of fun and intense discipleship in living out their faith in a real and practical way. Please pray that this camp will be filled with intensity, fun and a powerful revelation of Jesus Christ.
More information on Camp Szmuldooh 2011: Faith on FYRE will be forthcoming, the flyer below is designed for our youth. For more information about camp email Jonathan Ammon at jonathan@acts-29.org.
This weekend we were indescribably blessed by the encouragement and hard work of the first mission team from Grove City Alliance Church from Grove City, Pennsylvania. This weekend was high on the scale of intensity in or ministry as we dealt with spiritually, emotionally and physically challenging needs in our ministry and church family and we were so blessed to have the spiritual support of this team to encourage us and lift us up. Their hard work was a blessing to the Holbrook elementary outreach as we taught social studies and quizzed with the elementary students and treated their parents to a look inside their children’s education and a fun afternoon of snacks and quizzing.
This team ran electrical, demolished water damaged bathroom walls, painted a room for youth, organized freezing cold storage areas, stowed away a literal 1/2 ton of canned goods, and endured a rash of health crises on Sunday.
Chip putting his skills to work for the body of Christ.
The ladies from Grove City Alliance brighten up Acts 29.
The men of Grove City Alliance at prayer through the streets of our city. God provided a sign of his pleasure.
God provides our daily bread and hands to help distribute it.
Amy prepares a party for the Holbrook School In-reach.
They invested their hearts and prayers into our ministry and we believe that they will receive an eternal reward from the harvest to come in Hamtramck. For your prayers and kindness in Christ we are most grateful. Come back soon!
FYRE youth ministry welcomes all high school students and meets every Wednesday from 6-8pm at Acts 29 Fellowship 12101 Joseph Campau St. Hamtramck, MI 48212. Rides are available to those in the Hamtramck area. Come join us for fun, fellowship and a night in the presence of God.
F.Y.R.E. is Fellowship for Youth Revival and Evangelism. FYRE runs with a vision of being a vessel for the presence of God and a conduit for His to reach urban youth. Our desire is to see the youth in our city transformed by a revelation and continuing encounter with Jesus Christ.
Fellowship: FYRE’s passion is to create a youth community, a group interacting with the presence and love of God. FYRE is a safe environment where urban youth can express themselves respectfully while developing friendships, entering into discipleship and engaging in a living relationship with God.
for Youth: FYRE is for youth. FYRE is relevant to their needs and situation and a fellowship where God is glorified in their lives.
Revival: FYRE’s desire is to see each youth refreshed and renewed by continual new life with the Father, in the Son, by the Holy Spirit.
Evangelism: FYRE is a base for spreading the Gospel of the way the truth and the life: Jesus Christ.
Other Acts 29 Ministries for High School Students include:
Bible Quizzing
Tutoring
Summer Camp
Retreat Camping
History Camp
Check out these ministries elsewhere in our web-page.
Holbrook Elementary School opened in 1896 and is one of the oldest schools in continuous use in Michigan. Acts 29 Fellowship has the wonderful privilege of walking in the doors of Holbrook School every Thursday to take on Ms. Housey’s sixth grade social studies class. Thirty-two students and five coaches enter the imaginary State of Punxatawney (the school cafeteria space) and Governor John (our own Pastor John) delivers the laws and directions for the Mayors of five cities. The laws come from Scripture such as, “A gentle answer turns away wrath” and “Flee evil, cling to good!” Each ‘city’ is responsible for good citizenship and to study hard for the quiz competition using jump seats and interrogative questions, (similar to Bible quizzing format) at the end of the day.
When a city team wins three times, they earn a celebration party at the Acts 29 facility. Our prayer is that we can build relationships with these students and their families, to transform the school culture in academics and character building. Three of Ms. Housey’s students are part of our Bible quizzing teams and have been actively sharing the good news of Christ with fellow students. The class represents the south side of Hamtramck: Yemeni, Bengali, African American, and Polish.
“Flee from the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
-2 Timothy 2:22
LOL is currently in the re-planning stages.
LOL was created to give elementary students (ages 9-11) a fresh perspective on life. It is a fun-filled, high-energy program designed to teach kids how to love Jesus with their hearts and their actions. LOL’s foundational verse is 2 Timothy 2:22 which asks us to flee the evil desires of youth and pursue the things God wants us to pursue. That is exactly what Acts 29 LOL leaders have been asking of our elementary students for the past several years.
LOL is a safe place for kids to come to have fun and learn about Christ’s love. The LOL staff are dedicated to making sure every student receives the care and attention that they need.
LOL also teaches young children basic life skills and gives them mentoring hands to help them improve the way that they care for themselves. LOL is a great place for young children to build a foundation to grow up on.
Other Acts 29 ministries available to Elementary school students include:
