March 2022 was filled with monumental moments on the court. Our staff, coaches, fan base - all had a huge play in an amazing month. Q1 came to a close, and it is more evident than ever that God is writing his story over boys in Lake Highlands that will be remembered for generations to come. Young men discovering their purpose and fulfilling their potential in the name of Jesus. This last month was a team effort and records set that we couldn’t do without our incredible fan base: the people of Lake Highlands. Thank you for every word of encouragement, every dollar invested and sown, every way you’ve rooted for our team and the boys who are a part of our programs. Your partnership and investment into their lives, whether you’re a mentor, volunteer, coach, principal - the lives of our boys, moms, and community will be impacted by your contribution. Thank you for running with us in this season!

Fulfillment: to bring to completion or reality; achieve or realize something desired, promised, or predicted.

That word sums up how I felt after our Fundraising Dinner. Fulfillment. Fulfilled at the work God is orchestrating through our organization, fulfilled at the story He is writing in the lives of our boys and their families, and fulfilled at the call being responded to by our mentors and fellow comrades in Lake Highlands.

On Tuesday, March 8th we had our 2022 Forerunner Fundraising Dinner. Months of storyboarding, planning, creating, and organizing all came to fruition that night. We saw about 400 people attend and gather around tables to share a meal together, to hear stories of men stepping into lives of boys in our community as mentors and father-figures. Stories of boys being shown what it looks like to be a man of God. Narratives that shifted all because men in our community chose to walk alongside a boy who needed a father-figure in his life, someone whom he could trust to show him the way and never leave. Thanks to our supporters and 87 new donors, we were able to raise $154k that will go to helping fund our after-school programs, camps, support our single mothers, and continue telling the stories of our Forerunners.

As a creative, I’m constantly reminded that people and stories are everything and sometimes you don’t realize the story you are living in until you take a moment to pause and look around. When I looked around the room that night, I saw future mentors, father-figures, coaches, and tutors. I saw future forerunners.

Psalm 78:3-7 says “things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God,”

It’s easy to get caught up in the “now” moment. To get locked into day-to-day thinking and creative processes. But during the Fundraising Dinner I realized that the stories told were not just for now, or in the past. They are for the future generations, for the generation behind us. They are for the future families our forerunners will father, for their children’s children. The story God is writing is not to be hidden, but to tell the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord so that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn. Whether you’re a mentor, a volunteer, a stay-at-home mom of four, or a kindergarten teacher, you have a story to tell. Thank you for helping us tell the ones of our forerunners.

That’s right. Mentors. The players who set the boys up for an alley-oop! If you don’t know what an alley-oop is, let’s review.

Alley-oop: A play where a teammate throws the ball high towards the basket and their teammate jumps up, catches the ball, and then slams it into the hoop.

Mentors, without you, our boys wouldn’t be able to catch the ball and slam it into the hoop. They wouldn’t be able to discover and journey into Manhood without your words, prayers, and time spent with them. We’re so thankful that last month, we got to match some of our boys with a mentor!

Stephen Murray, our fearless leader and Executive Director, turned 33 last month. He’s not only our leader and coach, but he’s a trusted father, mentor, and friend to all of our boys and our Forerunner Family. We’re so thankful for his leadership and excited for what’s in store for this next year of his life!

We couldn’t do what we do without the constant support from every family, teacher, principal, coach, and mentor in Lake Highlands. Thank you for helping us fulfill the potential of boys in our community and cheering them on to walk in manhood. Every way you have supported us doesn’t go unnoticed. We couldn’t be set up for wins without your continual support!

“UNITY. That’s what you’ll see as you walk through our office. That’s what you’ll see as you get to know and speak with our staff, coaches, moms, and boys. We all have one thing in common: we once were lost but have been found. Found and loved by a Heavenly Father.

Our prayer for every boy we serve, every single mom we befriend, every volunteer who sacrifices their time here is this — that you may know you are loved by a Heavenly Father. For every boy yet to become a Forerunner, for every single mom that feels isolated and alone, for every high schooler trying to find their purpose and identify — there is hope. You are loved by a Heavenly Father. “

-Oscar Ortiz, Marketing Coordinator

“I have a client that I train at the gym who is a teacher in RISD. We've always shared stories about her students and my boys. I found out she works at White Rock Elementary and loves Forerunner. She told me that every teacher loves our program and says how much of a difference it makes in the boys on a daily basis. Not just behaviorally but socially. She told me how much it changes their life. She even knows one of our Forerunners in our program today and made a comment about how sweet he is.

My class drew their testimonies out one day last month. I asked them to show me where they first learned about Jesus/got saved. For one of our forerunners, he drew him seeing his sister read the Bible then her telling him what it is about. For another was his dad building them a house in the forrest of Thailand. He said God is life and the picture is the Holy Spirit in him. And lastly, for one it is forerunner. They're each so different and their stories show that, but the fact that they can all pinpoint when they first believed in the same Savior is incredible.” -Caitlyn Moudy, K-6 Coach

One of our Forerunners got to go to his first Mavs game last night (I asked him and he didn't know who the mavs or Luka were LOL ). One of our moms had a few extra tickets and was adamant she wanted another mom to have them. Moms taking care of moms.

-Quinn Holman, K-6 Program Coordinator

UNO has become a favorite game around here. Pictured is a mentee and his mentor going at it!

Chess is another one. This mentor may or may not have lost against his mentee.

Mentor Bowling Night. Some of our mentors and staff brought their game to the bowling alley!

Last month, we had the great opportunity to share about Forerunner and our programs to college students at DBU! It was a great space and time to connect with future Forerunners and other organizations making a difference in the Dallas-Fort-Worth area. Go Pats!

“Today was probably the best Bible time my class and I have had all year. We’re talking about Jesus as savior and today we went in depth about what the crucifixion was like. They were captivated. From the punishment, to the road to Calvary, to Jesus being hung on the cross, to the tearing of the veil. They were squirming in their seats, uncomfortable with what Jesus went through. And when I asked them why He did this, they already knew the answer: for our sins and because He loves us. The fact that they know that with confidence is the answer to every prayer. And when I asked them who wanted to pray, almost all of the class raised their hand. The prayer before program was that God would capture their hearts in new ways and He 100% did that today.”

-Caitlyn Moudy, K-6 Grade Coach

“My mentee told me at yogurtland one night last month that he's been praying a lot this week. I told him my favorite prayer to pray in college when I first read the Bible was, “Jesus, I want to know you.” He said, “yeah, that's what I've been praying all week.” All he needed was one encouragement to start cultivating a personal prayer life.

Our Women’s Ministry Coordinator and I had a call, and apparently she saw my mentee at Walgreens last month. This is it. I want him to know and be known by his neighbors. For them to say hi and ask him, “how’s it going in Mr. Aleman’s class?” And for him to say, “oh I know her!”

Grant Henson, our golf tourney chair, ran into us while we walked past taco diner, and texted me tonight and asked if he could be a mentor one day. A guy at the fundraising dinner owns a business next to a school down the road. He asked if we had plans to serve the school. “Whenever you do, we’ll be ready to send 20-30 guys your way to mentor kids at Hamilton Park.” What are they waiting for? For someone to be a forerunner for them and take the first step. Another guy asked if he could get 40 guys together for a steak dinner in April where he wants to provide seniors in our program with suits to prepare them for a bright future. What is he waiting for? For someone to tell him his idea is great and to go for it.

How many people are one encouragement away from mentoring with us in this neighborhood? Who is one story away from catching our vision and living in it the rest of their lives? Who is one call, text, email, or conversation away from jumping all in? The story of the disciples fishing after Jesus died comes to mind. They hadn’t caught anything all night. The risen Jesus came and appeared to them early in the morning on the shore, calling out to the boat. He told them, “cast your nets on the other side of the boat.” And as soon as they did, they were unable to even pull in the nets because of the multitude of fish. They gave up hope after he died, and went back to fishing, then lost hope in that as well. Let's hold on to hope. And when we lose it, and hear Jesus calling, may we be willing to lift our eyes and cast the nets again. However long it's been since you’ve seen any progress, cast the net again. You never know what or who is on the other side of your next step of obedience.”

-Stephen Murray, Executive Director

If you’ve made it this far down into our month-in-review, thank you for reading and following along. It’s truly a joy to get to tell these stories of what God is doing through Forerunner. Thank you for helping us live out our vision and mission: to fulfill the potential of every young man in Lake Highlands. Relationships Change Lives.

March Madness