This facility provides an environment for teens to study, plays games, grab some chow, watch movies, or just hang out.
It's also a platform to cultivate & nurture meaningful relationships, have conversations, and create opportunities that enhance development within three broad dimensions of life.

Social Competencies

Individual Character

Life Skills

Culinary Arts & Food Science

​We come from families that spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  It's a place where we share stories, experiment, make messes, sneak cookies, and cook some killer food. It's the one place in the home, above all others, where essential Life Skills are developed. Apart from just having a good time, the activities that occur in our kitchen develop skills that can be applied in a range of environments, whether it be for a college student, a single working mom with 3 kids, or a home that supports a large extended family.  Topics such as health & nutrition, sanitation, food preparation, utilizing emerging ethnic foods, food storage, and how to get creative when times are hard and money is short, are all considered and practiced. Real cooking projects give participants a boost in confidence, expose them to new/or healthful foods, and provide the curiosity and motivation needed to continue cooking at home instead of resorting to unhealthy, pre-packaged, processed food.  
The articles below are worth considering. We encourage you to take the time to read them, then consider the importance of our food service activities.

Out of School Meal Program

    We are exited to participate in the USDA's Summer Meals Program.  There are a few hoops to jump through to become an official Site, but we expect to be up & running by summer of 2021.  This program will augment our current food service activities and provide free and discounted meals to a wider range of youth in the community.

Maintaining a Healthy Social Environment

    When it comes to raising children, we place a lot of value on Individual Character and Social Competencies.  Yes, every kid is different, and the experiences of each child have certainly shaped who they are and how they behave.  That said, regardless of the backstory, we believe there is such a thing as "right" & "wrong" behavior, and history has proved, time and time again, what means are useful for training & bringing up a child.  Old civics books tell us a lot about our nation's history, and we like to reflect on the importance that previous generations placed on developing the character of their children so they became respectable, hard-working, responsible citizens - and they understood that such things truly affected the health of their communities.  We don't plan to have a bunch of structured programs & activities to achieve these ends; rather, we'll simply maintain an environment that fosters this kind of development.

Guided Group Discussions

    Guided discussions covering house rules, teen center programming, and topics relevant to the member's lives occur on a bi-weekly basis here at the teen center. The sessions are informal and voluntary, and aimed at developing best practices as an organization and informing youth so they can better navigate life's challenges.  Our goals for the meeting are rooted in a firm belief that, 1) input from those we support is essential to accomplishing our mission; and 2) a practical & accurate understanding of biblical principles is the foundation of individual wellness and community health. Surprisingly enough, we’ve discovered that the kids who attend these meetings are ready share their thoughts and discuss what is going on in their lives and in the world around them; in fact, they are very eager to do so.  Like many adults, teens appreciate data; and they've said that the cut & paste messages they often hear are shallow and fail to resonate with them.  So our approach is to simply create a platform for the group, identify topics relevant to the member’s lives, then guide them as they sort out the details - never losing sight of truth. These conversation are engaging, fun, sometimes awkward, and extremely relevant and meaningful.  

Shooting Sports

​Most people think that the first goal of a shooting sports program is to teach kids to hunt and shoot straight, but that's not the case. The goals are broader than that; an effective shooting sports program aims to help kids learn discipline, concentration and other life  skills that they can use throughout life.  Youth that participate in shooting sports programs develop these qualities because their success depends on listening and following instructions, individual dedication, concentration, patience, and practice... and if the program helps them bag their first buck or become a more informed advocate for their liberties, then we will be even more pleased with the outcomes.