The roots of a person’s struggles are often deep, intertwined and complex. No one singular “program” can address all of a person’s challenges. Many of the people that CLDI serve have come from families and generations before them that have found themselves in patterns of pain, brokenness and addiction. The pattern is learned and repeated and seems like a steel cycle that is hard to break through.
That’s why CLDI’s gospel-centered approach is always holistic, always ‘whole person’ focused. When a life is in rubble, every brick of life needs to be addressed to be rebuilt. One of the most important bricks is their identity…who they are as God sees them and building a belief in their intrinsic value as His beautiful creation. Discipleship is intentional mentoring into someone’s identity. It’s studying and speaking truth over their lives to replace patterns and old beliefs that feed unhealthy roots.
Below is a short story from Garrett, one of our interns. He works with the kiddos of Youth Works and gets the opportunity to interject truth into youth with a whole life of promise ahead. Here’s what he shared:
“As a Youth Works intern for CLDI, I am so excited to pour into kids and teens with the love of Christ and be a positive person in their lives that they feel safe with!
This month we have started the Warehouse Project, our discipleship program, once again for the semester! The boys I am mentoring and pouring into this semester are Elmer and Jackson. Elmer is very much into learning about God and who He is; whereas Jackson is really new to knowing God and having a relationship with Him. We are just kicking off, so prayers would be much appreciated as we go into this season.
I have been discipling Elmer for about seven months, and I have seen him grow so much, not only in how much he knows, but also in his desire to connect with God. One of the biggest things that Elmer has asked questions about is prayer. I can now see that he is not only comfortable with, but also active in his prayers. He has transitioned from feeling awkward and weird about praying (especially out loud), to praying out loud for safety, provision, and intercession. Being a part of Elmer’s growth, and honestly, just being able to witness it, has been a huge honor.” — Garrett Gardner, Intern
Garrett and the entire CLDI team consider it a high honor to walk alongside youth, mamas, and others who are looking to have their lives rebuilt from the rubble one brick at a time. It’s a process that takes time (a lot of it) and patience. We’re here for it.
