January 2022 "Month-in-Review"
Happy New Year! 2022!
So much has happened in our first month of the new year here at Forerunner. The boys came back from a long winter break. New coaches were hired. Old ones returned. We welcomed a new leadership staff member. Football players spoke at THRIVE. Rock Climbing. And so much more.
“Look who’s back. Back again.”
The boys came back from winter break! It as so good to welcome back our boys to program. We missed them a lot and we saw them re-connect with one another and look forward to the new semester.
Meet Rachel, Holden, + Noah!
We hired on these three amazing coaches to join our K-6 coaching staff. They have a heart for Jesus and the next generation, and we are so pleased to welcome them into the Forerunner community and excited for how they will build relationships with our boys and walk alongside them as they fulfill their potential in the name of Jesus.
Doesn’t this guy look familiar?
The rumor is true. We hired on Andrew Williamson onto our Leadership Staff! He will serve as our Community Coordinator here at Forerunner Mentoring. Andrew joined Forerunner as a coach back in August 2020 (crazy that it’s been that long already…) but he has been much more than a coach to the boys in our programs. Andrew exemplifies leadership, humility, and passion. We’re excited to have him cultivate community through various initiatives with our mentors, community leaders, moms, and the boys!
“I love Forerunner because of its mission and purpose. Forerunner is aligned with the heart of our Heavenly Father. Our relationship with Jesus is the most important relationship we’ll have in our lives. To help the next generation foster that will not only enrich their lives, but others around them and the entire world.”
Staff Training was an all-time GO.
Our staff prepared for the semester to going over wins and areas of growth from last semester. Promises were spoken over the year semester and there is an expectancy to see God move in mighty ways in the lives of the Forerunners.
They boys are ready to scale mountains.
We brought the adventure indoors and hit up Summit Climbing with our great friends, Camp Firewalker! It was so much fun getting to show the boys how to rock climbing and hold each other up (get the reference? Ok.)
They are officially ready to scale mountains!
Junior-High putting out fires.
The Junior High Program learned how to use Fire Extinguishers during life skills Tuesdays. What a SQUAD.
Junior High students become clothing designers.
The young men of our Junior High program took a field trip to a T-Shirt printing company here in Dallas. The owner’s name is Kent who’s a Forerunner supporter. Not only did Kent allow them to print shirts for free with their logo of choice, but he gave out some very good advice. He said in life you have to take full advantage of three things:
1. Relationships 2. Opportunities. 3. Your Mindset.
He showed a picture of a man paddling on a board across the Hudson river because his Uber driving wasn’t going to get him to his meeting in time. He challenged them to not let excuses keep you from what’s important.
Junior High Guest Speaker.
Fun day in the Junior High Program this past month during guest speaker Wednesday. We encourage our guest speakers to not just speak on their profession but on how mentoring has impacted their life. Our speaker whose name is Regis showed a picture of his mentor and talked about their relationship. Regis had a brother who was a coach years ago in the K-6 program. He also spoke on the importance of perseverance which was a topic we spoke on last semester. It was encouraging to hear two of our students remember what perseverance meant. They stated “Its when you keep going when it’s hard.”
- Darius Person, Junior High Coordinator
“Who Is He To You?” A New Series
Our High School program started a new series titled “Who is He To You?”. They are hearing and learning from guest speakers with different vocations on who God is to them. We had Trey Caldwell, a former NFL cornerback for the Titans and Browns come speak on his journey navigating the NFL and God showing up as a Warrior.
We also had FCA Representative for the North Texas Area, Joshua McKenzie, come speak. Recently married, Josh was able to share with our guys on how the Lord is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He shared how his life got changed after encountering Jesus, and how the Lord has blessed him and his wife in this season.
“At the end of the night as we were leaving the student center, I noticed one of the high-school guys walk up to Trey to ask him a question. I overheard “How do you know the difference between your voice and the Holy Spirit’s voice?” My heart was undone. Not only did I see one of our guys step out to seek insight and wisdom from the guest speaker, but I saw so much wonder in his face in that moment of wanting to know how to distinguish your own voice from God’s voice. And in my opinion, that's a huge win. I think God finds so much pleasure when his children desire to hear his voice. To know their Father is listening. If there’s ever a doubt if the high-school guys are listening, they are. If there’s ever a doubt if they are engaged, they are. If there’s ever a doubt they are wanting more of God, they are. I’m thankful that God is speaking to the men in our high school ministry and I’m believing their relationship with Him will only continue to deepen in the name of Jesus.”
-Oscar Ortiz, Marketing Coordinator
My Father is who created everything in the world.
“I’ve read the whole Action Bible no cap”
What one of our Forerunners said after seeing a mentor and his mentee reading the Bible.
“What’s the coolest thing to you about the fact that God was here before everything was created, and he’s the Creator?”
This Forerunner responded “that fact that MY Father is who created everything in the world”
God is working in the hearts of our Forerunners. They’re learning more about Him. They’re listening and hearing His voice. They’re recognizing their identity as men of God. Loved and marked with purpose by the Creator of the Universe.
Unprompted K-2 Quotes
“I trust everyone except teenagers and strangers”
“Coach Zoe…… I wish you were married”
“Coach Zoe you and every Coach is my family”
“Why do my toes itch when I have to go potty”
“My only friend at home is Teddy the elf”
“Coach Zoe you drew the devil (it was supposed to be a cat)”
K-2 Describes God.
Powerful. Rabbi. Father. Loving. Power. Creator. Jesus. Thoughtful. Strong. Protecting, Caring. Promise. Maker. Healer. Supporter. Savior. Good God.
Just a reminder that these came from the mouths of K-2nd graders.
I picked up two of our boys who are brothers one day last month and the whole drive to Forerunner they wanted to play a guessing game where one of them would say a letter and you had to guess what they were thinking. One of them would always pick a food, but the other would do phrases. At first he was just picking random phrases that none of us had a chance in the world of guessing - but then he said “It starts with an M and the hint is that it’s in the Manhood Declaration”. His brother started reciting every line of it that had an M.
“I’m a MAN of God?”
“MAN after God’s own heart?”
“I have favor with God and MAN?”
“I will surround MYSELF with Godly friends?”
“Oh wait!! I am loved by MY Heavenly Father!!” he excitedly said.
“Yes!! That was it! My Heavenly Father!” his brother confirmed.
This Forerunner knows every line of the Manhood Declaration by heart, and it’s something so relevant and common knowledge to our boys that they made it a part of their guessing game. Sometimes when we do something for a long time and the novelty of it wears off we forget how significant things like our boys declaring those words over their lives really can be. It might just be memorization today, but as the boys grow up they’re going to have a lot of other voices out there telling them who they are or what kind of man they should be. I hope that even if they were only in our program for a minute, some of the words of that declaration will stick with them and it will be a guiding principle for what to aim for as a man even if there’s not a mentor around to keep modeling it for them. And you might think that kids won’t remember things like this when they grow up but LET ME TELL YOU that one time I was in a kids’ choir for a Franklin Graham conference and we had 1 day of rehearsal where we learned the words and choreography to this song called Big House (very early 2000s vibes you guys) and 20 years later I still know all the words and motions. So yeah, kids remember stuff. And the Manhood Declaration is going to be something worth remembering. When they're tempted to believe something untrue about themselves. When they're pressured to live like the world. When they have to extend mercy because they've been hurt. When they have to own up because they've done wrong. When they get their first girlfriend and don't know how to act. When they get married but still gotta learn how to be a husband. When they have kids and gotta learn how to be a dad. When they start teaching their sons what someone once taught them.
-Beth Winter, Director of Programs
I am a man of God.
I am strong, fearless, and courageous.
I am a man after God’s own heart.
I walk in wisdom and power.
I have favor with God and man.
I live life to the fullest.
I was created on purpose, for a purpose.
I act with responsibility, humility, integrity, leadership, and respect.
I am loved and will love others with the love of Jesus.
I will forgive because I am forgiven.
I surround myself with godly friends.
I honor women with my words and actions.
I will be a godly husband, father, and leader.
I am loved by my heavenly Father.
I am saved by grace through faith in Jesus.
I am empowered by the Holy Spirit.
I am a man of God.
Amen
