321LAUNCH.ca

Issue 4-15 | Winter 2012

what’s insideFEATURE: LAUNCH 2012LAUNCHees: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?PHOTO-JOURNAL: LAUNCHee RETREAT“GET OFF THE SIDELINES”

2012The Road Ahead (Part Two)

2 :: LAUNCH News

LAUNCHee Updates:

Anne was a LAUNCHee in 2008. She led a team to organize a fundraising benefit to bring greater awareness of human trafficking and raising $11,000 for International Justice Mission. Anne has also been asked to speak at various conferences and events, including the projects led by fellow LAUNCH alumni Richard and Katrina. Anne is now a coach with LAUNCH and continues to share in the ministry of investing in young leaders.

ANNE - INTERNATIONAL RESCUE PROJECT

Zaya was also a part of LAUNCH’s pioneer group, with his clothing company “u-n-e-k”. Since then, Zaya has honed his entrepreneurial zeal and skills through serving as youth director in his local church, and now currently through short-term projects such as One Nation Run, in partnership with World Vision Canada. Zaya continues to pursue a career in community development, focusing on team building, mobilization and strategic planning.

www.onenationrun.ca

ZAYA - UNEK CLOTHING

JENNIFER - PROJECT SERVEJenn was one of the first young leaders with LAUNCH in 2005, with the vision to give un-churched youth the opportunity to experience God through cross-cultural service projects. Now, she has been on staff with Youth Unlimited (Toronto YFC) for 5 years, coordinating Project Serve, taking youth to serve on humanitarian aid trips in less economically developed regions within North and Latin America. Jenn and her husband Murray also serve faithfully in their local church.

www.projectservetoronto.ca

If you’ve got an idea or know you want to do something but not sure what, contact us at LAUNCH@youthunlimitedgta.com and we’ll connect you to staff who will inspire you and encourage you in your Kingdom journey!

LAUNCH News :: 3

Where Are They Now?

SHARON - COPPER COIN ARTSSharon is a true artist and came to LAUNCH with the idea of Copper Coin Arts - turning “trash” into beautiful art, and creating awareness towards compassion and social justice issues. Currently she runs Better Than Alchemy, a Salvation Army 614 program that provides opportunities and support for youth to engage in transformational art through various workshops and training programs.

www.betterthanalchemy.org

Jillian was a LAUNCHee in 2007. She had a desire to use her gifts as a musician to raise awareness and funds for child soldiers in Uganda. She raised $10,000 for Invisible Children at a benefit concert she organized and ran with her classmates. Jillian continues her studies in performance - studying music at Berklee College (Boston, MA) and now Theatre Studies at McGill University (Montreal, QC).

JILLIAN - INVISIBLE CHILDREN

Jermaine came to LAUNCH with great experience, skills and of course love for media. He wanted to take deep Biblical truths in the Gospel and communicate them, through videos and articles in a fresh and creative way. He continues to live his Kingdom dream as the head of marketing and programming with Ginseng Media, a program of Youth Unlimited (Toronto YFC).

www.ginsengmedia.com

JERMAINE - GINSENG MEDIA

4 :: LAUNCH News

In our Summer 2011 edition of LAUNCH News, we began this two-part series on The Road Ahead. Here is a quick summary in case you missed it!

• We must further expand our LAUNCH prayer base.

• We will continue coaching young Christian leaders in the GTA while they create new Kingdom initiatives. This component of our program will now be called Dream LAUNCH.

• Many youth and young adults are struggling with self-awareness and making significant life decisions. LAUNCH will address this need by the creation of a new initiative called LAUNCH Pad.

• We will find ways to partner with new groups, so that a greater number of young leaders are able interact with our LAUNCH Tools.

Now, we want to peel back the curtain a little more and share some updated details on our vision and strategies in each of these four areas...

We believe that prayer moves the hand of God. We currently have over 700 individuals who receive periodic updates and prayer requests from members of our LAUNCH staff team. However, we have been reminded lately about the rich prayer history in Youth for Christ around the globe. We realize the need to be more intentional about sharing prayer opportunities in ‘real time’ with committed prayer partners on behalf of our young leaders, volunteers, ministry projects and staff. To that end, Jan D’Angelo plans to transition in spring 2012 from her role as Coach Coordinator to become our LAUNCH Prayer Coordinator. She will be fantastic! In the meantime, we need your help. If this is a ministry that you feel called to support in prayer, please contact us and we will begin to provide you with updates immediately. We know this will increase our Kingdom impact across the city of Toronto both now and in the future. Join us!

The Road Ahead (Part Two)

LAUNCH Prayer Base

LAUNCH News :: 5

We feel as called as ever to continue to focus on this

foundation of our LAUNCH program. Moving forward, Jan,

Diana and Monica will be looking to expand our base of coaches

and LAUNCHees by introducing a referral and nomination process through local churches, Christian

schools, camps and short-term mission teams. As our capacity

to coach more LAUNCHees increases, we know they

represent both current and future Christian leaders that become the hands and feet of Jesus to

transform their generation.

William and Melissa are working hard on continuing to develop this new initiative. Over the next several months they will participate in World Vision training that will help us conduct an extensive community assessment to further understand the needs for this initiative. That research will then shape our strategic plan moving forward. We are eager to interact with high school students and youth groups through assessments, experiential learning and workshops designed to help them become more aware of how God has created them by exploring questions such as “Who am I?”, “What am I good at?”, “How do I relate to others?” and “What decisions do I need to make in the next 6 months?” Ultimately, we are excited about coaching these students through a model of wise, courageous decision making so they can move forward with confidence into all that God has in store for them.

First thing’s first. We are thrilled to announce the live release of version 3.0 of our online 360˚ feedback assessments and growth plans. Check it out at myLAUNCHtools.com! Unlike previous releases, these tools are now geared not only to individuals but to groups. Ministry partners can choose to utilize the LAUNCH assessments we have created (Leadership, Teamwork and Spiritual Gifts), or they can easily customize their page by inserting their own content into the assessments! Added features also include automated accountability and sharing features. Recently at our Youth for Christ Global Assembly, we were encouraged by several countries expressing both the need and desire to see our LAUNCH Tools made available for their ministries. As a result, we are planning to expand the reach and effectiveness of our capacity to invest in young Christian leaders by seeking financial partners to help us convert our current PC-based DreamLAUNCH™ software to become part of our web-based suite of leadership tools. Years ago, we started creating these resources for our own local LAUNCH program needs. Isn’t it just like God to surprise us and multiply their impact!

We are truly humbled and excited as we look to the road ahead. Please contact us if you have any questions or suggestions, and continue to explore how God could use your gifts, abilities or resources to expand His Kingdom through LAUNCH.

2012Dream LAUNCH LAUNCH Pad

LAUNCH Tools

6 :: LAUNCH News

LIV ING INTENTIONALLY,

MAXIMIZING RELATIONSHIPS,

AND PASSING THE TORCH OF FAITH

WAS THE EXAMPLE JESUS SET WHEN

HE POURED HIS TRUTH AND

WISDOM INTO HIS DISCIPLES. . . YOU

HAVE TO BE INTENTIONAL.

SIDELINESIT ’S NOT ENOUGH TO SIT ON THE SIDELINES. Your life awaits. Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans. All of these sentiments came to mind lately, as I’ve been serving on a staff team at a Christian camp. We were talking about the opportunity we have to spend time in a close-knit community of 25 campers and 9 staff. As we were serving and a little short staffed this summer, we realized how easy it is to fall into the temptation of separating yourself for “me” time, or hanging out with the rest of the staff instead of engaging with the campers.

Britton and Page write in their book Wisdom Walks:

It’s all too easy to gravitate towards “shutdown mode” when life gets crazy. But life never slows down; it gets more hectic and complicated every day. In the midst of this busyness, we lose our ability to live purposefully. It’s like we’re constantly playing defense, reacting to life instead of creating meaning in it. So instead of doing something, we unplug. We sit on the sidelines and watch life happen.

Disengaging isn’t the answer – not for us, and not for those counting on us. Guess who the next generation is looking to for wisdom? You and me. We can play a significant role in their lives, helping them become all that God wants them to be. We can pass on to them a game plan that prepares them for challenges and opportunities and reveals to them God’s truth in a relevant, practical way.

Living intentionally, maximizing relationships, and passing the torch of faith was the example Jesus set when He poured His truth and wisdom into His disciples. It’s a desire God set in each of our hearts: to transfer our beliefs to others. But it won’t happen automatically. You have to be intentional.

Intentionality is key. How often have you thought you would get around to calling a friend, writing a letter, or going to visit someone in need, but realized months later that you still hadn’t followed through? We need to create meaning in each day, worshipping God through every action. Obviously knowing our limits, but then once that is clear, to fill each day with meaning, and to resist taking ourselves out when we become overwhelmed. Instead, we need to bring our burdens to Jesus, lay them at His feet and remember and have faith that He will give us the strength we need to do His will.

Whether you are a LAUNCHee, a coach, a ministry partner or a friend of LAUNCH, there is truth found in the words above. All around us, in our schools, workplaces, churches and communities are people that God is calling us to engage with. He calls us to get off the sidelines and share God’s love with those around us. Each day and each encounter is an opportunity and a gift. How will you create meaning today?

DIANA SKINNER

GET OFF THE

LAUNCH News :: 7

In mid September, a group of current LAUNCHees, alumni and LAUNCH staff gathered for our third annual LAUNCHee retreat! A wonderful time was had by all as we learned what the Bible had to say about teamwork, explored a variety of activities, and had encouraging discussions about how we could build and lead strong teams. It was an awesome opportunity for our LAUNCHees past and present to build each other up and learn from each other. We look forward to finding ways to continue encouraging each other in our projects and initiatives.

LAUNCHEE RETREATBOULDERING

Find out more about LAUNCH on our websiteat 321LAUNCH.ca

UPCOMING EVENTSOctober 13 - World Concerns ConferenceOctober 15 - Change Conference 2011October 27 - Youth Unlimited Friends ReceptionOctober 28-30 - Justice LabNovember 10-13 - Fuse & CYWCNovember 17 - LAUNCH Tools WorkshopFebruary 25 - Today’s Teens Conference 2012

LAUNCH is a program of Youth Unlimited (Toronto Youth For Christ)50 Gervais Drive, Suite 302 Toronto ON M3C 1Z3t. 416-383-1229 x238 e. LAUNCH@youthunlimitedgta.com w. 321LAUNCH.ca

LAUNCH WILL DEEPLY INFLUENCE THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG, INNOVATIVE CHRISTIAN LEADERS, ADDRESS THE SYSTEMIC BARRIERS THAT HINDER THEIR GROWTH AND RELEASE THEM FOR LONG-TERM KINGDOM LEADERSHIP

Trans i t ionsf ro m t h e d i re c t o rCARL NASH

I’m guessing that I have climbed the 80 yard stretch of boulders from the shoreline to the lighthouse about 30 times since I was a kid.

Sometimes I’ve done it on my own. Sometimes I’ve led groups across. I’ve climbed in rain, wind and waves. Fast and slow. Early in the springtime with the water high, and late in September with the rocks quite exposed.

Recently I had the privilege to take on the rocks with William and Diana along with several young leaders from the LAUNCH program. It was a quiet, still day with few waves and the water was so low that it made the crossing easier than usual, despite having to squeeze past a couple fishermen that were hoping to catch a trophy Lake Ontario Salmon. Throw in the fact that five of our guests had negotiated the boulders previously and I began to believe that it would be a fairly routine crossing.

But then something caught my eye.

As our group approached one of the more challenging gaps between the rocks, I led the way since I was familiar with the footholds. I went nice and slow. My friend Joel was behind me. At that same spot he had gotten wet the year before, so he studied my approach and went next, duplicating my position very precisely. I stood and watched as Richard then crossed after Joel in the exact same manner. Then it got interesting. While Richard was making his way from rock to rock, Jiwan left her position behind him in order to move off to the side and get a better angle for a picture. This left Suraj and Conor too far back to be able to get a good view of where Richard had placed his hands and feet. By the time Suraj approached the rock, he lost any advantage of learning from those who had gone before him. He literally needed to figure it out from scratch, even though three of us had just crossed over.

My mind immediately began to think of the importance of healthy transitions. In order for experience to be leveraged, those who are leading can’t get caught too far out in front. The Apostle Paul encouraged those in Corinth to “follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ”. Not tremendously helpful if they can’t actually see the example Paul is setting!

An exciting season lies ahead for LAUNCH. Diana has taken William’s role as he gives leadership to LAUNCH Pad. Monica is preparing to come back from maternity leave to assume Jan’s responsibilities as Jan moves ahead to coordinate our LAUNCH prayer team. That moment on the boulders has given me a wonderful visual reminder that in all of these scenarios it is crucial that the baton exchange is done with excellent communication and intentional sharing of what has been learned and discovered along the way.

This month as you lead a team, parent a child or teach a student, be intentional about modeling the way so that your experience can have a positive Kingdom influence on those around you!