Spring 2014

important to them. Years later, they are

still spending time with the same people

that influenced them when they were

younger. Without knowing it, these

ladies gave me inspiration for the work

that is going on here at Aim Right.

Motivation

Sometimes it is difficult to put time and

effort into relationships and not see any

changes in attitudes or behavior. I have

realized, though, that it is not about

what I can do, but what Christ has done.

His sacrifice has given me a reason for

hope in my own life. That is what should

motivate me to put forth my very best

each day for every person that God

brings my way.

Who are we to sift through the people

He brings us and decide which ones de-

serve our sincere love and best efforts?

The girl that I write off as a lost cause or

too difficult to relate to may just be the

one He wants to use in ways I could

never dream up myself.

When I clearly see the sacrifice Jesus

made for me and take time to reflect on

what it means, it should motivate me to

be willing to do whatever it takes for

someone to see His love. Any sacrifice I

make is nothing in comparison to the

burden He carried on Good Friday.

By Kari Miller

Connection

In the last few months I have been able

to spend some time with ladies that

were involved in Aim Right programs

before my time here. Words cannot de-

scribe what that has done to my per-

spective on the work that we are doing.

I am sure they had no idea what spend-

ing time with them meant to me. They

shared a bit about their lives—nothing

that seemed too remarkable at the time.

I heard about their husbands, how many

children they have, a memory with a

past intern, about their jobs, and what

they are planning for the future.

It didn't seem too important at the time,

but later as I was thinking back, I real-

ized how incredible their stories are for

having come from this neighborhood. I

really don't know the details of their

backgrounds or what they have been

through, but I try to go back in time and

imagine them at one of our programs.

Maybe it was Teen Night or Bible

Study. Maybe it was as young as Kids

Club or Tutoring, but somewhere, at

some point, they were plugged in. They

were connected. Someone took the time

to invite them to church.

Most likely the interns and staff that

were here during that time didn't make

elaborate efforts, but they were here,

available and willing. The relationships

that came out of that were obviously

Kari connects with teens at a Monday evening Bible study.

Expression

Someone once said, "Love is the most

powerful force in the universe, and

sacrifice is its greatest expression."

What better way to show the love that

comes from God than to follow the ex-

ample of Christ?

It seems the kind of sacrifices we are

asked to make are rarely showy and loud

about what they have done. Rather, they

are made up of small things—things that

are simple, yet they cost us. The price

could be any number of things: time,

money, a smile, sleep, material posses-

sions, or patience instead of frustration.

It means being okay with pouring our-

selves out every day. We may not get to

see the fruit that comes from our efforts,

but we can be faithful in hope and ex-

pect with confidence that God will bless

our willingness.

Redemption

The truth is God wants to redeem. He

made that clear when He sent Jesus to

die for us. My prayer is that in five or ten

years, an intern will meet some of the

kids we work with now and see them

thriving in a relationship with Jesus and

living a healthy lifestyle. Hopefully it

will inspire them like it has me to take

advantage of every opportunity to shine

Jesus in a dark place.

Kari is from Millersburg, Ohio, and has served as an intern

since August 2013.

Kari enjoys spending time with her tutoring student.

P A G E 2

To all who made our 2014 auction a success! Proceeds totaled over $17,000.

To the First Baptist Church youth from Mustang, OK, who served during Spring Break by cleaning the local elementary school and organizing water games for children.

To the youth from Westcliffe, CO, who blessed us with several days of service. A few of their projects included giving out cold water at bus stops, organizing after-school activities, and presenting a skit at two different Kids Clubs.

"Teacher, that's not fair!" several kids ex-

claimed. You know what? It wasn't.

But it gave at least one child a chance to

experience how

God treats us. He

doesn't give up on

us when we’re

unruly. He shows

us unconditional

love and grace

time and time

again. The class

might not have

learned too much

that day, but I

sure hope that

undeserving child

remembers how

he was shown

love and grace that day.

Thank God that life isn't fair. Imagine an

Easter season in a fair world—there

wouldn't be one!

AJ & Jewel Miller (with 1-year-old Max) coordinate

outreach in the Sunnyslope area of Phoenix. Here is

how you can pray for them and the Sunnyslope area:

“That's not fair!" I hear it every week—

generally from the same child at Wednes-

day evening Kids Church. And you know

what? He is often so

right! No matter

what it is that he may

feel wronged about at

the moment (maybe

someone having more

markers than him or

perhaps his friend

getting more candy as

a reward, he sees it

and calls it out louder

th a n ne c e s s a ry ,

"Teacher, that's not

fair!"

I try to explain to my

students how grace works, but it is usu-

ally only the times when life isn't fair that

they truly experience how grace

works! A particularly unruly child was

not paying attention to my instructions

one evening, causing others to be unable

to hear as well; just when it seemed I

would get nowhere with him, he sud-

denly wanted to participate. Not only

was he told again how to complete the

craft by himself, but he also received the

“coveted” craft that I, the teacher, had

completed earlier. My class's fair radar

went off.

Physical & Spiritual Strength:

Kids ministry is exhausting!

Direction & Vision: for many changes

in the future of the ministry in Sunnyslope

Volunteers: as many as possible as soon

as possible

By Jewel Miller

Sponsor a teen to attend a

week of camp this summer.

Sponsorship of one teen is

$200.

Aim Right’s Teen Camp will be

held at the Circle K Ranch

in Delores, Colorado,

July 7-12, 2014.

Be a part of a camp memory.

Easily accessible hot water? Brand-new sink and counter?

No more peeling wood? Cabinets that close?

Thank you to Mennonite Disaster Service for helping with our

recent kitchen remodel!

Thanks, MDS!

PLEASE JOIN US FOR

AIM RIGHT’S ANNUAL

Spaghetti Dinner Saturday, May 3, 2014

5:00 - 6:30 PM

Sunnyslope Mennonite Church

9835 N. 7th Street, Phoenix

Cost: Donation Proceeds benefit Teen Camp.

Aim Right is participating in Dare Me for Charity, a televised contest featuring various charities from across the U.S. You can support our team by signing up to jump on Saturday, June 21, at the Wesley Bolin Plaza in Phoenix, or start another team for Aim Right in a city near you. Ages 10 years old and up may sign up to jump. Visit Aim Right’s Facebook page for the link to our DM4C team page to sign up and find more info.

Needed: your jumps!

Help needy families at The Mobile Pantry distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables to

families in need in partnership with

St. Mary’s Food Bank

Volunteers are needed from 7:30 - 10:30 a.m. Thursday, May 8

Thursday, June 12

To volunteer, call (602) 462-1987

or e-mail darrell.aimright@gmail.com

NEEDED: Ministry Interns

Male and female interns are needed beginning in the fall of 2014. Appli-cants must be at least 18 years old and willing to make a one-year com-mitment to serve. You may apply online at aimright.org.

For more info, contact: Caleb Reed, Intern Director

caleb.steph@gmail.com 614.582.2873

Are you a youth group looking for a way to serve? Aim Right has a variety of opportunities available for youth or young adult groups, year-round.

Please contact our office at (602) 462-1987 for more info. or e-mail amy@aimright.org.

What your time in Phoenix might look like:

Hands-on children’s and youth ministry

Work projects—painting, cleaning, landscaping

Off-site service—soup kitchens, schools, etc

Community outreach

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these….

you did for Me.” - Matt. 25:40

Interns have given the Rec Center a facelift, including a bright mural wall and a groovy-looking Snack Bar.

Aim Right youth recently completed the Not a Fan DVD Bible study by Kyle Idleman. Not a Fan is a call to be com-pletely committed followers of Jesus. Notafan.com has resources for both teens and adults.

1013 N. 13th St.

Phoenix, AZ 85006

Phone: (602) 462-1987 Fax: (602) 462-9686

E-mail: info@aimright.org Website: www.aimright.org

Mission Statement:

Established in 1991, Aim Right Ministries provides after-school recreational activi-

ties, educational tutoring, and moral and spiritual training for at-risk youth and

children living in central Phoenix. Working in cooperation with local churches, we

desire these youth to be evangelized and discipled for Christ.

For weekly updates, visit our blog The Corner of 13th & Roosevelt at aimright.blogspot.com

Personnel:

President/Founder:

Darrell Bacher

Board Members:

Arlen Godshall

Chris King

James Miller

Kevin Hudson

George Nungesser

Teen Ministry/Intern Director:

Caleb Reed

Sunnyslope Outreach:

A.J. and Jewel Miller

Office Administrator:

Amy Unrau

Ministry Interns:

Kari Miller

Alexa Overholt

Colby Yoder

We grow in spiritual maturity when we in-vest in the growth of others. In Larry Krei-der’s Authentic Spiritual Mentoring: Nurturing Younger Believers Toward Spiritual Maturity, you’ll learn from Jesus’ exam-ple how to disciple others. Aim Right’s interns are currently reading this book.

An atheist professor challenges a Christian college student to prove the existence of God. Can he do it? Several Aim Right teens have viewed this movie and have been encouraged to stand up for their faith. God’s Not Dead is playing in select theaters across the U.S.