Greenfield youth ministry program New Directions is growing, according to its director, and the organization has added two paid staff members to help support the needs of the organization.
Director Mike Anderson, who is also a Rotarian, told the Greenfield Rotary Club at its Thursday meeting that the ministry has “grown so much that it is no longer a one-person job.” He said the ministry serves anywhere from 150-200 students each week through its different programs.
There two high school programs. One is SALT (Student Action Leadership Team). It meets weekly on Wednesdays during lunch in room 202 at McClain High School. The other program for high schoolers is Ignite. This program is held at New Directions each Wednesday from 8-10 p.m.
For middle schoolers there is Wildside, which meets each Tuesday night from 6-8 p.m. And for third through fifth graders there is Kid Connection, which meets every Thursday from 6-8 p.m. Kid Connection originated last year and Anderson said the number of elementary students attending has just about doubled from the program’s beginning.
New Directions is located at 910 N. Fifth St. in the Greenfield Area Christian Center (GACC) building. The programs are free and students (and parents) are always welcome to come and see what New Directions is all about. For more information, go to the New Directions Facebook page.
The youth ministry is fully funded through the support of the community with the largest part of its funding coming through a telethon held each year and put on by students engaged in the ministry’s programs, as well as by the adult staff and volunteers of New Directions.
Anderson said that on Sunday, Oct. 30 from 2-4 p.m. GACC is hosting an open house and the public is invited. He said people can hear about the operations of the food pantry, the clothing distribution, and New Directions. People will be welcome to tour the building, too, he said, adding that the open house is a perfect opportunity for people who have not seen the building to come and check it out.
Anderson thanked the Rotary Club for its continued support of New Directions and said that it’s not easy to find another youth ministry like the one that thrives in Greenfield. “We are truly blessed,” he said, to have the support of local organizations, the school, and the community. He said New Directions is “truly communitywide.”
In other Rotary business, the club’s board members set a meeting to talk about the Greene Countrie Towne Festival and is inviting the public to attend to provide input. The meeting is scheduled for Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. at the McClain cafeteria.
The more than 90-year-old Greenfield Rotary Club meets each Thursday at Catch 22 Sports Pub in Greenfield at 11:30 a.m. A once-monthly evening meeting is also held at the pub. For more information about the Greenfield club, go to greenfieldrotary.org.
Reach Angela Shepherd at 937-393-3456, ext. 1681, or on Twitter @wordyshepherd.
