2004 - just to say we in UK rejoice with IN!
JIREH SPORTS - TRANSFORMING THE LIVES OF URBAN YOUTH IN INDIANAPOLIS
Former mayor calls it one of the most spectacular inner-city ministries that he's ever seen
By Pam Sheppard
Special to ASSIST News Service
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (ANS) -- The coach is showing Mark (not his real name) how to improve a wrestling move. Mark is having a hard time getting it right. Feeling overwhelmed, he curls up in a ball on the side of the mat and says, “I’m a failure at school. I’m a failure at home, and I’m a failure here. I’m always messing up.” The wrestling coach pulls Mark aside and tells him how God forgives us when we make mistakes and that we don’t have to carry around the baggage of failure. Mark tells his coach, “I never thought of it like that.”
On other side of the gym, a group of young girls is sitting in a circle near the balance beam, discussing with their coach what it means to be responsible to their community. The coach asks the girls to share some stories of the things they have done for their own community. (Pictured: Jireh Sports girl on balance beam).
From a quick observation, it doesn’t take long to realize that this is no ordinary after- school sports and recreation program. >From the brightly colored murals with scripture verses, to the “Take 5” character lessons, to the location of the gym, one gets the idea that this sports program is quite different. And that is exactly what the founding partners had in mind when the vision for Jireh Sports was born. They wanted to bring non-traditional sports, like gymnastics and wrestling, to the inner city youth. They also wanted to teach Christian values and provide mentoring relationships to a neighborhood with little hope – to a neighborhood with the highest crime index in Indianapolis.
Jireh Sports, whose name comes from Jehovah-Jireh and means God provides, is a ministry that meets the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of urban youth by developing mentoring relationships through sports and enrichment programs. Former mayor of Indianapolis, Stephen Goldsmith, says this about Jireh Sports: “The Jireh Center is one of the most spectacular inner-city ministries that I have ever seen.”
Spearheaded by East 91st Street Christian Church, one of the largest suburban churches in Indianapolis, the vision came to life when its urban outreach minister, Tim Streett, hooked up with ministers in the Martindale-Brightwood Community. The members of the Martindale-Brightwood Community Resurrection Partnership (CRP), which consists of 14 churches of different denominations, geography, and ethnicity, wanted the kids to have a safe place to go after school where they could learn sports and character-building lessons. What they got was more than just a safe haven from crime -- they got a place where real transformation takes place from the inside out.
Along with numerous volunteers, they renovated and moved into an abandoned 10,000 square foot warehouse located at 23rd Street and Ralston Avenue. They hired an executive director, Paul Canada, who along with his wife, Carol, had once traveled with the world famous Ringling Brothers Circus as the coach and guardians of the acrobatic troop, the Chicago kids. Jireh Sports opened their doors in 1998, beginning with one paid staff member and 65 kids participating in after school sports and tutoring programs. Six years later, they have grown to a paid staff of eleven, with 200 kids participating in the recreation program (with another 100 on the waiting list) and 30 on competitive teams. (Pictured: Paul Canada giving help to young athlete).
Jireh Sports accomplishes its objectives, which includes seeing children and families grow in their knowledge of who they are in Christ, by meeting the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the urban youth through its programs.
QUALITY RECREATION AND COMPETITIVE SPORTS
With its state-of-the-art equipment and carpeted floors, its gymnastics program includes boys and girls, ages 3-15, and its wrestling program includes boys, ages 6-15. Three agencies, Shepherd Community, Edna Martin Christian Center, and Coburn Place also participate in the gymnastic programs. Three competitive teams, consisting of about 10 youth each, provide advanced gymnasts and wrestlers a chance to experience a greater level of commitment and accountability.
In 1999, Canada began an advance acrobatic group, the Airborne Acrobats as a way to build, deep mentoring relationships with some of the more talented men who were in need of positive male role models. It consists of young men between the ages of 10 to 15 who perform high-flying, acrobatic routines designed to capture the attention of the audience. Performing for places such as Indiana Pacer games, the Indianapolis 500, the Indiana State Fair, and the Indiana Black Expo, provides the team an opportunity to share with the audience a message designed to encourage children to do their very best in school, to remain and/or become drug-free (drugs, tobacco, and alcohol) and to make positive choices now and in the future.
Jireh Sports has seen a lot of success come out of the Airborne Acrobats. As a charter member of this group, Cory Cole used his training to begin diving for the swim team at his inner-city high school. Three years later he became the first African American to win a state championship in swimming or diving in 50 years.
MENTORING
Everyone at Jireh operates under the belief that “it takes a life to change a life.” Mentoring, which consists of three different levels, is necessary to change the lives of at-risk-youth. At level 1, Jireh Sports, along with partnering churches, have touched over 2,000 children a year through special events like “Back to School Blast” where 1,800 backpacks filled with school supplies were given to IPS school children. At level 2, coaches and volunteers serve as role models to the kids in their recreation program. At level 3, Jireh mentors build individual relationships with 30 youth on the three competitive sport teams. Qualified older youth are promoted to Junior Coaches where they are trained and paid to help mentor the younger youth. It is at this level, that the fruit of their labor is evident with the building of indigenous leaders. One such leader is 17-year old David Scott who has been involved in Jireh Sports programs since the beginning. Scott is going to college and continues to serve as a great role model to others.
CHARACTER BUILDING AND DISCIPLESHIP
Each team and recreation practice includes “Take 5” character lessons and devotions which are focused on Biblical principles to develop Christian character. Each team athlete signs an agreement to have a good attitude at school, home, and neighborhood, and to not be involved in drugs, smoking, drinking, or fighting.
ACADEMICS
Until recently, Jireh Sports offered an after school tutoring program for youth in grades 1-6. In a special edition newsletter, Canada talks about the results of the program, saying, “Our tutoring program has barely scraped the surface. I often ask myself, ‘Is it worth it to provide a tutoring program with seemingly little effect.’ How do we tackle the challenge of educating the students that God has placed within our midst?” Those questions were answered last fall when Jireh Academy was started to provide quality Christian education to students currently in their program who are failing academically. Jireh Academy will help each student understand that God has uniquely gifted them with talents, abilities, and the capacity to learn.
There are currently four students enrolled in the school with plans to make the school available to the 30 kids who participate on teams. While Jireh Sports did expand into the formerly burned out warehouse next door, which added another 7,000 square feet to their space, their future plans for expanding the school include purchasing the 12-15 acres on which one of their buildings reside.
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For more information, including ways in which you can get involved, see their website at
www.jirehshports.org or call (317) 916-9050.
This article was originally published in the Indiana Christian News – February 2004.
www.indianachristiannews.com.
