Programs

Young Children being taught

Monday Night Club

This is the heartbeat of YSE. This is where the children often hear for the first time about the unfathomable love our Savoir has for each of them. Without this knowledge, nothing else matters. Every Monday evening during the school year, the youth, divided into age appropriate classes, come for Bible study, fellowship, training, and encouragement. The youth who are regular attendees of Monday Night Club become eligible for the other programs we offer. During the summer months the structure of Monday Night Club changes to offer classes in summer reading enrichment, day camps, vacation Bible school, vocational skill mentoring, dance and music lessons, and summer employment for the youth.

Abstinence Education

This is one of the most important and successful focuses of our ministry. This program is open not only to YSE participants, but also to children in the Memphis community. The month of April each Monday Night Club is devoted to our Preventive Awareness Series where we have the youth starting at the age of 12 attend a seminar given by Dr. Brenda Caldwell. Through lectures and role playing, Dr. Caldwell teaches the Biblical stance on abstinence and gives the youth a reason to say no to sex outside of marriage. This month long series culminates with a Covenant Ceremony led by Pastor Tony. The youth walk down the aisle on the arm of a relative or friend and pledge to God to remain abstinent for a year.

Boys to Men

Boys to Men Program is the vision of Pastor Tony Hodges who desires to see young fatherless men ages 10 and up come to a real relationship with God, and learn to live a life pleasing to The Lord. This program exists to break the negative images of gang violence, high school dropouts, and the counter culture of "fatherless fatherhood" which leads to abuse, addiction, and joblessness. This is replaced with positive images of a young man in relation to his family, his education, his vocation and skills training, and his community.

Our method of achieving these goals are based on the simple method of older Godly men mentoring a younger boy who has not had a healthy relationship with his father or even lived in a healthy family setting. These young men are taught the Preventative Awareness Series (abstinence) separately from the girls, attend Monday Night Club Bible Study in a male only class, and participate in constructive activities as a male only group. These constructive activities include community service to the elderly, basic home repair, and auto care and maintenance. During social fellowship, dances, and other YSE sponsored activities, the males and the females are together. They meet with Pastor Tony every other Friday evening for Bible Study and fellowship.

Monthly Special Events

During the year once a month a retreat or seminar is held for each age appropriate group. The younger girls (age 6-10) enjoy overnight retreats where they hear speakers and participate in skits. Nutrition, hygiene, and their changing bodies are emphasized. The older girls (11-18) respond more positively to a Saturday seminar where a wide variety of medical professionals (OB-GYN and psychologist) speak, show films, and have hard discussions. Feminine hygiene products and gift bags are given out at all the retreats and seminars.

Educational Programs

St. Mary's Tutoring

These programs have a prominence in YSE because of the lack of parental involvement and the number of students failing or struggling in their classes.

• Tutoring is offered one-on-one in math, science, and English to the older youth through collaboration with St. Mary's School. Not only has this program proved to be successful academically, but it also promotes good cross-racial relationships.
• Rocking 'N Reading is a reading comprehension program using Hooked on Phonics. This program is geared to our elementary aged students to help improve reading and spelling. It is offered at Scenic Hills Baptist Church on Tuesdays during the school year.
• College tours are offered to youth in high school who show a real interest in attending college. Local tours are taken throughout the year, and one regional trip is offered during spring vacation.
• College Mixer/Fair is offered in the winter in collaboration with other ministries in the Memphis area. Local college representatives, trade schools, military representatives, and former YSE students who are currently in college attend this event. Each agency has displays and answers questions and concerns from the students and their parents.
• ACT test taking strategies are offered on a one-on-one setting by students at St. Mary's. In addition a one day workshop run by "Jane Ross Personalized Tutoring" is offered to juniors and seniors a week before the test. A one hour HELP class per subject will also be available to help increase their scores.
• YSE Incentive Program rewards youth for good grades, good conduct, and special achievements as reflected by their report cards. They can also earn YSE buck by bringing their Bibles or a friend to Monday Night Club. This is a popular program because they will spend their YSE Bucks at the YSE Store once a month.

Camps

Service Over Self camp

The highlight of the youth's year is to be able to attend summer camp. Each youth has to earn the privilege of going to camp by being a regular attendee of Monday Night Club and displaying good conduct at school and YSE events.

• Kids Across America (KAA) is a Christian sports camp in Branson, MO where we sent 75 of our older youth (ages10-18) for a week in June. This camp teaches God first, others second, and I am third. The youth who attend this camp literally return with a changed spirits. This has been a tremendous blessing to our youth.
• Higher Ground Leadership (HG) is a leadership camp under the umbrella of KAA, and is for youth ages 15-21. This is a three year leadership program designed to instruct high school and college students in servant-leadership skills. They are taught leadership principles that will make them leaders within their communities. They will learn service-based projects that will impact their communities, schools, and families for a positive change.
• Service Over Self (SOS) is a local inner city one week camp that seeks to empower persons and transform neighborhoods by utilizing junior and senior high youth to renovate homes of economically disadvantaged homeowners. This camp also teaches building and repairing skills to the youth.
• For the Kingdom (FTK) is a Christian camp in Memphis where we send our younger youth, ages 6 to 11. At camp they learn life skills of becoming good team members and building social skills through the use of compromise and social interaction.