I never cease to be amazed at the endless connections that exist between people from diverse backgrounds and life circumstances. What could a CEO of a major company possibly have in common with a teenager coming from a broken home? A teenager who is living in a household teetering on poverty…We see that child and dozens of others like him on a weekly basis.

Every Wednesday we open the doors of the church and welcome well over 50 high school and middle school students. Thankfully, the church is situated right across the street from both campuses. A retired firefighter, along with a group of dedicated ladies, volunteers every week to have a meal ready for the kids when they hit the door every Wednesday around 4:30 p.m. They play basketball, do homework, and just chill until the structured part of the program starts at 6:45. This sounds like a great effort , does it not? It is a great thing to do. We get to know our guests better than you might think.
We hear stories of broken families. We know when mom is in jail. We find out when some of our kids are in jail. Gut-wrenching accounts of sexual abuse periodically come to the surface. We are made aware of some of the kids living in mobile homes without heat or sufficient food. We try to do our best to meet those needs. The list of troubles these students are facing is endless and overwhelming. Hosting them is never dull.
Their behavior is frequently inappropriate. You never know what they are going to say or what they are going to do next. Most of them are lacking in even the most basic social graces. My police officer friends tell me on a regular basis: I cannot believe that kid would say or do_______ at church. But they do.
Occasionally we get discouraged. There are weeks that I am ready to close the doors and call it quits. All of us on the church staff hit the wall at least once every semester. But thankfully all of us don’t have meltdowns on the same week!
Last week one of my co-workers hit the wall. He was fed up. He had experienced enough. He was not having warm feelings toward our lost puppies out in the gym, that we are privileged to host every week. He was ready to put permanent deadbolt locks on the doors of the church. It took the intervention of a CEO to turn things around.
Our CEO friend holds a graduate level degree from an Ivy League school. He is one of the most brilliant leaders I have worked with in a church setting in my entire career. His grasp of group process is beyond my imagination. He is one of those rare leaders who possess an ideal blend of technical knowledge, experience, and exceptional people skills. He is a man of unquestioned character and dignity as well. When he heard about our level of discouragement, he shared his own story…
Our CEO friend grew up in an environment somewhat similar to the kids we host on Wednesdays. He told us that he found the Boys/Girls Club in the community where he grew up to be a safe place. A place where no one is going to curse at you, abuse you, or otherwise disrupt the security of your childhood. He proceeded to tell us: the church on Wednesday may very well be that place for the kids we are serving. The only place they can find security, acceptance, and adults who will love them… Our CEO has quite a bit in common with those kids actually. I am thankful for him today. I am grateful that he was willing to candidly share his story. The doors to the church will never have deadbolts to the keep the kids out. We exist to embrace and love those kids. Occasionally, we just need reminders from the right people. The endless connections between people could expand even more because one of our kids could end up at an Ivy League school before it is all over with. I certainly hope that will be the case.