Read the article below which talks about a magazine for urban youth and young adults.  The magazine is not only an excellent resource, but I was blessed to write a poem for the latest issue.  You have got to get this issue.  It will impact the lives of your youth. 

- Allen Paul Weaver III -

 

Elementz of Life — Volume 4
Focusing on Healing
Article by Francine Lange, photo by Jon Simon

 EOL_Issue 4_Cover

When a story leaps from the glossy pages of a magazine into the depths of a young person’s spirit, God must be guiding the printed words. When every article and section in that publication offers hope, encouragement and the promise of a new life, God must be in every detail of the work. Volume 4 of Elementz of Life™ (EOL), just released this August, fits that description.

From the cover story on Grammy Award-winning Kirk Franklin, first-person accounts from former drug dealers now campaigning against drugs and an HIV-positive man miraculously healed, to other hope-filled accounts, art, poetry and a directory of programs and services for youth, this issue highlights healing as a critical step in a changed life.

A Message for Youth

In her introductory letter, Editor-In-Chief Tonya Wilder-Butts writes: “… [W]e walk through the healing process knowing that God never gives us more than we can handle, and knowing that he is right there with us as we go through struggles.” Her prescription for healing, written in a hip style, states: “Start walking, talking and thinking positive vibes. Surround yourself with people who respect your decision to follow Jesus. He’s got your back no matter what others may tell you.”

The target audience for the magazine includes young people on the streets, behind prison walls, in or out of churches, those with substance abuse problems, gang members, youth in urban, suburban and rural communities — in short, all youth.

From Their Own Experience

The magazine’s contributors don’t hold back — they talk about their lives before their encounter with Christ — fathering a child at 17, dealing drugs and becoming addicts, contracting HIV, suffering physical, mental and sexual abuse, gang banging, living a glamorous lifestyle filled with expensive jewelry, lavish clothes, luxury cars, yet feeling empty at the end of the day.

Take Tonya’s interview with Kirk Franklin. He told her “I didn’t graduate from high school. I was a stick-up kid and a rock boy going to the club. I had one foot in the church and the other foot in the club really trying to get my swerve on. . . . I was adopted by a 64-year-old woman when I was 4. We used to collect old beer cans, soda cans and newspapers to help pay for my music lessons. … At the age of 19, I found my mother dead.”

Each story then shows a flip side, as the men and women cry out for help and Jesus meets them at the point of their need.

Kirk’s story, and transparency, impresses Tonya. His music is a “conversation with God” and he ministers through his lyrics. “This is what young people like to see,” she says. Kirk is also a pastor and was recently named Faith Ambassador to the Children’s Defense Fund, a 34-year-old organization that advocates for children and youth (www.childrensdefensefund.org). “He has a real heart for youth,” says Tonya.

A Multi-Use Resource for Youth Workers

Tonya says her goal is to collaborate with more organizations and artists to expand the reach of the Elementz of Life magazine and program. Groups using the magazine for their work include Teen Challenge, Boys and Girls Club of America, the Department of Juvenile Justice system (through chaplains), the police department in Charlotte, North Carolina, gang units, churches and youth groups.

In addition to Ron Pichardo’s artwork, Volume 4 includes artists from Tampa, Philadelphia and Queens. The resource and hotline directory has been updated and Tonya’s team is working hard to partner with well-known Christian musicians to use EOL in their ministry. The EOL program has also developed a curriculum — a leader’s and youth study guide for the magazine. These, a list of crisis hotlines and youth development resources and the Conkrete Angels CD featuring Christian artists are all downloadable for free on the Web site www.elementzoflife.com.

Tonya welcomes ABS staff to offer these free resources to their own churches and youth groups. Anyone who wishes to order magazines or CDs should write to info@elementzoflife.com.

Congratulations Tonya and the EOL team, for a beautifully-produced ministry piece. Team members include Jubie Deane, program specialist, and Allen Weaver (who left the team in April to join the Nida Institute as assistant digital media producer). Editing expertise came from Barbara Bernstengel, director, and Dorette Saunders, senior editor.