P.O. Box 1166  -  Sparta, NC 28675

The Razors EDGE Youth Ministry
A Christian Youth Ministry of the Alleghany County Ministerium, Inc.

 

There is a new day dawning!  Will you be involved – or sitting on the sidelines?  Have you found your purpose?  This could be it!  The Alleghany County Ministerium Youth Ministry is alive in Alleghany County and looking for people with a passion to “lift up” our youth.  We have planted the seed, now is the time to help it grow.

After three years of hard work, by the grace of God, a never ending “can do” spirit, and the support of people in our community, we are finally about to complete work on The Razors EDGE Skatepark Project.  As many of you may have heard we received a $10,000 grant from the Tony Hawk Foundation and have recently ordered the equipment for Phase II (the half-pipe) of the skatepark.  We hope to have the project completed in the next month.

Now the real work begins – to build our youth ministry. 

Early on The Razors EDGE Skatepark Project decided to partner with the Alleghany County Ministerium, Inc. in the hope of building a much needed Youth Center and form a Youth Council in Alleghany County.  We believed that the skatepark could provide a much needed outreach to the youth of Alleghany County.  But it was not until we realized a “higher purpose” and that the skatepark would not only provide a much needed safe place for the kids to skate it could also provide another avenue of ministry to the youth of Alleghany County, that the project began to bear fruit.  The Alleghany County Ministerium, Inc. which presently consists of 28 churches in the county is a way for these churches to work together on neutral ground for the betterment of our community.  Individuals involved in the Ministerium are encouraged to be true to their own faith, “but still be in fellowship with other Christians”.  The reason the Ministerium is taking on the youth ministry is “so that any youth from any Christian faith path can be comfortable and be themselves.” The Ministerium will be the umbrella and the governing and growing agency for the youth ministry, thereby having churches involved with this youth project.  The Alleghany County Ministerium’s motto is “Churches working together for the common good”.  “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.  You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak.  Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!’ and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.  Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.  To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good…”1 Corinthians 12, The New Oxford Annotated Bible. 

Although the Youth Center has not come to light as of yet, we have begun work on forming the Alleghany County Ministerium Youth Council and appointing a governing Supervisory Board.  We have strived to appoint a diverse group of individuals (adult and youth) to serve on this board in the hope of representing churches, the youth population, and the community as a whole.  The present board consists of:
Phil Edwards – Youth Ministry Chairman – Pastor New Covenant Church
Kathy Murphy – Advisor/Secretary – Adult Volunteer
John Kilmartin – Finance Chairman – Sparta United Methodist Church - Adult Volunteer
Bob Miller – Alleghany Ministerium President – Pastor Sparta United Methodist Church
Pete Fender – Board Member – Pastor Alleghany/Grayson Charge United Methodist Church
Paul Braxton – Board Member – Youth Director Sparta First Baptist Church – Adult Volunteer
Betty Eller – Board Member – Adult Volunteer
Debra Santiago – Board Member – Adult Volunteer
Aaron Ray – Board Member – AWANAs Sparta First Baptist Church
Coalbey Murphy – Board Member - Skatepark Project Coordinator - Youth Volunteer     
Andrew Eller – Webmaster – Youth Volunteer
Dillon Pearl – Board Member – Young Adult Volunteer
Damarcus Hampton – Board member – Young Adult Volunteer
Reggie Hampton – Board Member – Youth Volunteer
William Eller – Board Member – Youth Volunteer
Jeremy Summers – Board Member - Youth Volunteer
Robbie Jones – Board Member – Youth Volunteer

It is our hope and goal to get all of the churches in Alleghany County involved in this purpose driven youth ministry and have an adult and youth representative serve on the Youth Council board.  Although this ministry began as a skatepark project and skatepark ministry it has become much more than that.  Our vision is growing along with our mission to reach out to all of the youth in Alleghany County and to guide them to live with purpose.  New York Times Best Selling Author, Joyce Meyer says in her book, i dare you, Embrace Life With Passion, “Lack of purpose isn’t just a problem for adults.  It hits young people as well.  Suicide is currently the third leading cause of death to our teenagers (in fact the suicide rate has tripled since prayer was taken out of schools in 1963).  They see no point in living.  Nothing makes sense to the younger generation and they are both curious and concerned about their future, with only three out of ten feeling well prepared for adulthood.  They are looking for sincere, genuine, excellent people who will be role models for them and there aren’t many around.  In many cases their parents have disappointed them by floating downstream with the rest of society.  They have lived in homes filled with compromise, broken promises, and mediocrity.  They don’t see anything to reach for.  Nothing makes them feel motivated, and as a result, they wonder why they’re even here.  This is a tragedy, but statistics can be changed if enough people decide to turn away from the way they have been living to the way they should be living.  We must realize that we are setting an example for the upcoming generation and they will do more of what they see us do than what they hear us say.  To tell others what to do – and then not do it yourself – is worse than saying nothing at all”.

At a convention a couple of years ago the Reverend Billy Graham stated that research has shown that the largest group of un-reached people in our country today is youth between the ages of 14 and 21.  Having worked with the youth in Alleghany County we can attest to the fact that this is also the case here.  We believe that by connecting with the youth of today’s culture, many can be brought to Christ.  Skateboarding, as with many things in life, is filled with metaphors that can reveal God to them. “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected; provided it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by God’s word and by prayer.  If you put these instructions before the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished on the words of faith and of the sound teaching that you have followed… These are the things you must insist on and teach.  Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.  Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching.  Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy…” 1 Timothy 4.4-14, The New Oxford Annotated Bible. 

Our purpose is to have a Christian atmosphere to support kids of all faiths at the same time. The people they meet can become their confidants and give them someone to talk to.  Kids often won’t talk to a pastor, they won’t talk to their teacher, they talk to each other.  If they can go to a safe environment and they feel at ease and they know nobody’s going to threaten them, they’ll open up.  It all comes down to kids and their safety.  If they feel like they’re safe, they’ll bloom.  Thus the name for the skatepark project and youth ministry - The Razors EDGE – Empowering – Developmental – Growth – Experience.

The Youth Council for the Alleghany County Ministerium Youth Ministry meets the third Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Alleghany Inn Conference room.  The Youth Ministry is presently working on “Go Skate Day” and Youth Festival in the Park.  This event will be held at Crouse Park on Saturday, June 20th.  This will be the third annual “Go Skate Day” which consists of a skateboarding demonstration in the morning and a skateboarding competition in the afternoon.  This year we are going to add more activities to become a total youth festival in the park with a Christian atmosphere.  We have already booked the Birdsong Family, a Christian contemporary band, and are hoping to have Chasing Daylight from New Covenant Church along with other local artists and bands.  It is our hope to get all churches along with other youth oriented agencies involved with this event by performing and/or setting up booths to sell food, merchandise, or hand out literature.  The plan is to have a minimal fee ($20.00) to reserve a booth space with this fee going to the Alleghany County Ministerium Youth Ministry and all proceeds raised at each booth going to that organization.  Other suggestions for the event include having a “Battle of the Bands” and “Air Guitar” competition.  We will be wrapping up plans at our next meeting on Monday, May 18th.  For more information or to sign up for this event you can contact Kathy Murphy at 372-2679 or murphyk@skybest.com or Phil Edwards at 657-3500 or philpreaches@yahoo.com .  To learn more about the skatepark project, the youth ministry and our partners visit our website at skaterazorsedge.com.

We hope you will join us with your support in this outreach to the youth of Alleghany County.  We look forward to meeting the representative from your church at our next meeting on Monday, May 18th at 6:30 p.m. at the Alleghany Inn Conference room.  Supper will be provided.

 

Blessed Be His Name,

 

Kathy A. Murphy
Advisor/Secretary for
Pastor Phil Edwards, Youth Ministry Chairman

 

Read about our park in the 2008 Splinter Ministry Report