Straight Street
… Steven, like most of today’s youth, was introduced to smoking and alcohol in his early teens. Sadly, this trend was fueled by his biological father and “friends”. Through his teens, he wandered further into a dark fog of addiction. Using and experimenting with increasingly intoxicating substances, he was chasing a high and a peace through the most temporary and damaging of means. The rift and tension of the situation led to a clash with his father and his mother had to take him away. Steven slipped further into depression, as his “friends” abandoned him after an overdose and left him to die. He felt the pull to make it all go away. That is where so many stories end, but Steven’s story isn’t over.
Steven’s mother embraced him with the love of God, which provides a high no drug can replicate. He stepped out of a world of pain and began a walk of sobriety with Christ. He felt called to continue spreading the freedom he has found as a youth minister at his church and as a Missionary at Straight Street. Here he can provide kids with true guidance in a world where most signs point the wrong way. Through God, and the love of God shown through others, Steven is able to share that there is a much better way and freedom to be found on a Street called “Straight.” Acts 9:11
Straight Street is our local mission field. It was birthed out of gang violence, and is creating change in the lives of young people in our community.
The mission and purpose of Straight Street is to provide a SAFE Christian environment where “at-risk” youth can obtain the necessary skills and training needed to mature and discover God’s divine plan for their lives.
For our purposes, an “at-risk” youth is a young person between the ages of 11 and 18 years old who is behaving in such a way that if a caring adult does not step into their life with some help, there is a high likelihood they will hurt themselves or someone else.