AZ Reach - Exponential

Project: AZ Reach
Leader: Juan Chavez
Website: azreach.com

Purpose

To establish life-changing relationships that lead to transformation in the lives of young people.

Project Categories

Emerging Ministry Leaders Pioneering New Approaches to Disciple-Making for the Next Generation

Big Idea and Overview

AZ Reach is building connections with high school students who are facing significant challenges. By meeting them on their campus, welcoming them into a caring community, and sharing the love of Jesus, the ministry is seeing students find hope and make positive changes in their lives.

Customer / Mission Field Context

The primary focus is reaching 9-12 grade high school students, many of whom have been let down by the church, are struggling to maintain their faith in their context, or are atheists.

Goals and Desired Outcomes

Develop long-term mentoring relationships, introduce students to ministry gatherings and the gospel, and equip them to break cycles of poverty and brokenness in their lives.

Results and
Impact

AZ Reach runs five effective programs on a high school campus, including support groups and an entrepreneur program. The ministry has also collaborated with other organizations to provide scholarship opportunities for students to attend Christian camps. Recently, AZ Reach entered a three-year contract with one of the largest high school districts in Arizona.
A story to exemplify our impact: Last school year, Kenneth Schultz began hanging out with us in our AZ Reach room at Cesar Chavez High School during his lunch period. We were disappointed to learn that Kenneth had stolen $60 from an AZ Reach team member. When Kenneth showed back up to our room the next week, the team member he stole from met him at the door and welcomed him back in. He apologized and promised to pay her back. The next day I walked in our room and Kenneth was sitting in the center with four of our team members sitting around him; he was sharing his life story and struggles. Growing up with his dad in prison and his mom on drugs, Kenneth found himself in a foster home and in his words “feels like a dark cloud is hovering over me everywhere I go.” After his second time in juvenile detention, Kenneth vowed to never cry again. After he finished sharing, we all began sharing the love of Jesus with him and asked if we could pray for him. While praying, Kenneth began to cry, and since then we’d see him on campus with a huge smile and look of joy. Kenneth joined our church plant gathering the following week and has been attending every ministry and church event with us since. When he paid our team member back the $60, she used it to buy him his first Bible, which our entire team highlighted our favorite Bible verses in.

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