Do you ever get so busy that you forget what you’re really supposed to be doing?

In Christian work, there’s a term we use called “ministry drift.” Simply put, this happens when we spend too much time doing other projects or things — things that might be good — but that aren’t the main focus of the ministry. 

It doesn’t matter how long the ministry has been around, how well-established it is or even how big or small the organization is. If we aren’t careful, ministry drift can happen. 

Sometimes the Christmas season can get so busy that we find ourselves drifting. We’re planning parties and organizing food, arranging decorations and buying gifts. Before we know it, all we’re doing is party planning and have lost the true meaning of Christmas.

Don’t get me wrong — I love the Christmas season. And our holiday parties serve as great opportunities to minister to young people and their families in our community. But it’s not just about the parties and the presents and the food. 

Recently, I received a phone call from a young man who was in my Breakfast Club several years ago. He’s a college student in Tallahassee and just wanted to check in to see how I was doing. We talked for a while about all of the time we spent together when he was growing up, and he brought up how much fun he had at the Breakfast Club Christmas party. 

I asked what his favorite part of the party was, assuming that he would say the gifts or the food or the chance to play basketball. But his answer surprised me.

His favorite part of the party was when I read the Christmas story about a boy who could not say no to Jesus. He shared how the story impacted him and how he would always have room for Jesus at Christmastime. 

More importantly, he told me that he accepted Christ that morning at our Christmas party. 

This is the real reason that Leverage Ministries does what we do. Sure, the parties are fun, and we appreciate all of the good food and fun games, but without Christ, we have no reason to celebrate. 

Please continue to pray for Leverage Ministries — that we would stay focused on pointing these hurting teenagers to Jesus and that we will always share the true meaning of Christmas to the abused, abandoned and arrested teenagers in Polk County. 

Thanks for your prayers and support this past year. On behalf of the Leverage Ministries board and staff, we wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

In His Service,

Scott Hirdes
Executive Director

It’s amazing to look back over the past year and see how God has been at work building His kingdom through Leverage Ministries. 

Several years ago, a group of individuals followed God‘s leading to establish a nonprofit ministry with the goal of encouraging people to use their time, talent and resources to spread the Gospel, both locally and abroad.

A little over a year ago, they took another bold step of faith and asked me to be the Executive Director of their vision. After much prayer and with God‘s clear direction, I accepted this challenge. Together, we established a Board of Directors with various gifts and talents, but all with hearts to see people come to Jesus.

I want to give all of you who have been praying and financially supporting us a return on investment in regards to all that God has done through Leverage Ministries in the last year. It has truly been nothing short of a miracle. 

• We now have 12 board members praying and giving direction to our mission.

• We’ve been able to share the gospel with more than 3,000 at-risk youth in Central Florida area.

• More than 30 of these kids have made decisions to say yes to Jesus.

• We’ve had the opportunity to host two weeks of summer camp in addition to our regular weekly ministries.

• We’ve seen God provide financially when we’ve needed it most.

• We had a mother call to thank us for the way her son is changed.

• We had a young man say to us, “I now see that I have a Father who will never leave me like both my parents did.”

• We had a young lady celebrate Christmas for the very first time and receive her first-ever Christmas gift during one of our holiday parties.

I believe it is also important to point out that 88% of every dollar given goes to direct ministry with these teenagers.  Your continued support is the lifeblood that allows us to reach hurting youth. Thank you for leveraging your resources for the Gospel.

As the end of the year approaches, we are setting big, bold goals to start the new year off well. Will you give to Leverage Ministries, whether as a monthly ministry partner or with a one-time gift? You can visit www.leverageministries.org or click the link below to donate. 

Also, pray for us as we prepare for a busy and important time of the year. The holidays look very different for these teens, and we do everything we can to make it special for them. Stay tuned for information about holiday events and opportunities for you to be involved.

In His Service,

Scott 

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Dear Friends,

Have you ever had a “case of the Mondays?” You know…those days when nothing seems to go right and you’re just in a bad mood?
 

A few weeks ago, in mid-July, I had a serious case of the Mondays. (And it actually was a Monday.) It was the first day of our summer basketball camp, and the Leverage Ministries staff was up early to get things ready.
 

The day started going downhill fast when the two vans we had reserved weren’t ready for us. In the weeks prior, I called three different times to confirm the van rentals. But when we showed up at 9 AM to get them, there were none on the lot, and the staff at the rental place acted like they had no idea what I was talking about. It took quite a while to sort out the mess, and the entire time, I was frustrated and ready to cancel camp.
 

They finally found two vans at a different location, but things just continued to go wrong after that. Roadblock after roadblock kept popping up before we had even picked the boys up for camp. I couldn’t keep the frustration and discouragement from putting me in a bad mood. I definitely didn’t feel prepared to direct 30 middle school and high school boys in basketball camp or share Christ with hurting these teens.
 

But on that Monday morning before the camp officially kicked off — when I was so discouraged and ready to quit — I received a call from the mom of one of the boys. She shared with me about how much her son’s life had changed since he got involved with Leverage Ministries. 
 

She said, “Pastor Scott, he’s a different kid. His behavior has changed. He’s stopped cussing, and he’s respectful. I just wanted to call you and thank you for all you’ve done for my son. Please don’t ever stop doing what you’re doing. It saved my son. What you’re doing is making a difference.”
 

This teenager had accepted Christ earlier this year, and I had watched him change. It was exciting to hear that he was living this out at home as well. His dad is in prison for life, his 13-year-old sister just had a baby and his mom is doing the best she can to provide for her family. Knowing that our work had made a difference was a much-needed reminder from God.
 

I walked into the gym with a new attitude, and we went on to have a great week of camp.
 

Ministry can be really hard, but calls like that make it all worth it. Seeing Jesus change the lives of these at-risk teenagers is worth it.
 

Thank you for your prayers and continued financial support. We couldn’t do what we do without you.
 

We have some exciting things coming up this fall, so be watching your email and the Leverage Ministries social media for announcements about upcoming events. 
 

We appreciate you!

Scott Hirdes, on behalf of Leverage Ministries