One of the most effective ways to reach young people of any background is summer camp.  In fact, one statistic I read said that 85% of active Christians made the decision to follow Christ while at camp. Do you remember going to camp as a kid and making a decision to follow Christ?

Each summer, Leverage Ministries takes a group of at-risk youth to camp. These teens and their families have no ability to pay. Because we are committed to taking as many kids as possible to camp, we are also committed to paying their entire way. Raising all of the funds for camp each summer requires a lot of faith on our part and a lot of generosity from supporters like you.

This year, we are excited to announce the all new “Hey Dad” Camp Scholarship Fund. As many of you know, my dad, Jim Hirdes, passed away in December. Two days later, my father-in-law, Don Windham, also passed away.  A little over a month later, one of our staff members lost his dad, Michael Musick. All three men were incredible fathers who loved the Lord and loved their families.

Up until the time he died, I know that if I needed anything, I could just say, “Hey Dad,” and he was always right there. If you were blessed to grow up with a father like that, you know exactly what I am talking about—a father who would drop anything to help our or give advice.  

The three men mentioned above were great examples of how a godly father should be like. Sadly, this is not the case with any of the kids we minister to each week. Over the last ten years of ministry, not one teen has lived with both mom and dad, and not one single teen has lived with his dad for any period of time. To these kids, “Dad” is someone who shows up late, makes a lot of promises and keeps none of them. If I ask the boys what they want to be like as a grown up, not one single one says they want to be like their dads. In fact, they usually say they want to be the exact opposite of their own dads.

This is so sad, but it is the reality that our teens are raised in. That is why camp ministry is so important and needed.  Now only do we share Christ with every young person at camp, but we also spend countless hours demonstrating what it means to be a godly man. 

The “Hey Dad” Camp Scholarship Fund will allow us to take as many kids as possible to camp this summer so that we can point each of them to our perfect Heavenly Father who never abandons us and always keeps His promises.

We want to change the culture one young person at a time, so we are asking God to provide $40,000 to fun our summer camp programs. Would you be willing to give a special gift—maybe even in honor or memory of your own father—to our "Hey Dad” fund for this summer? Will you join me and honoring our fathers and helping Leverage Ministries send a record number of kids to camp this summer?

You can give a gift in the envelope provided or give online at www.leverageministries.org/give-now. There is a “Camp Scholarship Fund” option on the online giving page.

Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support as we reach at-risk youth in central Florida.

In His Service,

Scott Hirdes
Executive Director, Leverage Ministries

Dear Leverage Ministry Partners, 

I can never say thank you enough for your faithful support of Leverage Ministries. Because of your financial gifts and prayers, we are able to continue to reach the least, last and lost young people of central Florida. 

Your continued investment in our mission means that we can go into the runaway shelter every week and share Christ with a hurting group of young people. Every kid in the shelter has a different story of why he or she is there. Some kids are there for a very short time, while others spend a long time at the shelter. We don’t always know the impact we have, but we know that God is planting seeds in these kids’ hearts.

A couple of weeks ago, as we were walking into the shelter, the director handed me a card. It was from one of the kids who had been released. Before she left, she made the director promise to give a handwritten card to me the next time we visited. I put it in my pocket and did not read it till I got home that evening. The card said:

Dear Pastor Scott and Leverage team,

I just wanted to say thanks for everything you do/did!  You opened my eyes to a lot, and most of all, Jesus (and I loved playing Family Feud). Thank you so much (all of you)! God blessed me by letting me meet someone as nice as y’all who can/did open my eyes to Jesus. You have no idea how this has changed my life.  

Thanks, 

Dora 

P.S. I also want to share the verse you challenged us to memorize: “For God so loved this world that he gave his one and only son and for those who believe shall not parish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) I am now part of God’s family because you came and shared that with me.  

Again, thank you so much for supporting Leverage Ministries. Because of you, we will continue to reach more people like Dora every day. Please continue to pray that God will bring more kids like Dora across our path and that we would be faithful to point every one of them to Jesus.  

In His Service,
Scott Hirdes

December 10, 2020

Dear Friend,

A few weeks ago, we held the 2nd Annual Fall Benefit Dinner for Leverage Ministries. It was a great evening with friends and supporters as we had the opportunity to share how God has blessed Leverage through what has been a very difficult past year. Our theme was “Taking a Step in the Right Direction.” A young man named Trey shared his story about the impact of Leverage Ministries on his life. Mike and Missy Green also shared their story about how one step in the right direction literally saved Mike’s life.

But as great as the night was, the best part of the whole night was missed by everyone except for me. The best part of the whole night brought tears to my eyes, even though the event was over. The best part of the whole night was truly one of the greatest events I have ever experienced.

In addition to many Leverage supporters and friends, we invited the kids we work with at the George Harris Runaway Shelter and all the kids from our neighborhood groups. As the program was coming to a close, I asked our guests if they would be willing to make financial gifts so that we could help the kids who were there to take a step in the right direction. I prayed to end the evening, and the guests began to leave.

As we started to clean up, a young man from the shelter came straight up to me and thanked me for letting him come. He said to me, “I didn’t even know that people knew we existed, and I had no idea this many people cared about me.” As he was was thanking me, another young person from the shelter came up. He said, “This is all the money we have. Please take it so you can continue to reach kids like us. It’s making a difference, and we are living proof.” He handed me an envelope with cash that all the kids from the shelter collected. These kids weren’t even supposed to have any money, and what they did have, they gave to Leverage. 

WOW! I’ve never had something like this happen before. These kids who have almost nothing and who have faced more hardships and difficulties than many of us will face in our lifetime gave all they had because they knew what a difference our ministry had made in their own lives. 

Would you be willing to join the kids from the runaway shelter and support Leverage Ministries with a year-end gift? Your support will help us continue to reach the least, last and lost youth of Central Florida. You can give a gift online atwww.leverageministries.org/give-now or return a check in the enclosed envelope.

From all of us at Leverage Ministries, thank you for your support over the past year. We trust you will have a Merry Christmas andHappy New year.

God bless,

Scott Hirdes

Executive Director