“But the Lord said to me, “ Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.” ~ Jeremiah 1:7

This verse is at the heart of everything we teach those involved with One7. We believe it does not matter how old you are or what you have been through God can use you to share the Gospel and reach people for His Kingdom.

Jeremiah was a young man who went into a disobedient world and proclaimed God’s truth by living the way God called Him to live and speaking the things God told him to speak and that is exactly what the youth and leaders of One7 are doing. God is raising up a generation of Jeremiahs to proclaim the Gospel to their families, friends and people they do not even know.

One of the greatest examples of how God is using our youth is when we take trips and are given the opportunity to share, serve, and love the people God allows us to encounter. A couple of weeks ago, we took 21 kids to Tennessee where they served with 3 different churches, cut the grass of several families and spoke to several high school classes. The amazing thing was that every time we did anything they were on board, ready to go and truly worked at it as if Jesus was standing right there and on top of that every word that came from their mouths as they shared with students and people pointed straight to the miracles God has done in their lives.

These leaders and kids are willing to do anything and everything it takes to bring glory to God through their lives and are truly changing the world through working hard, digging deep into who God is, and then sharing that message with everyone they meet.

It is truly amazing to watch God grow them, change them and empower them to be His light in their community. They are a generation of Jeremiahs and are truly fulfilling the call God has placed on their lives!

To say we are blown away by all God is doing through this ministry is an understatement. God has done way more than we could ever have imagined in the last 2 months and we know there is so much more He wants to do!

The apartments are starting to look and feel like home and we are so excited for the opportunity to begin using them as homes for people in need. Our desire is to provide housing for 6 single parent, refugee families who are struggling to survive in their current situations. By having them live in these apartments we are able to love them as Christ would and provide discipleship for their entire family. At the same time, each of our intern apartments houses an intern and one to two homeless youth. The interns are providing discipleship and constant love to each of the boys under our care. It is amazing to watch them lead and develop these boys into young men of God. Our greatest desire is for the apartments to be a safe environment that provides love, care, and the truth of Christ to the families and kids who are living here.

In order to make this vision a reality we need people, small groups, and organizations to come alongside of us to sponsor each unit. Of the 18 units, three are currently sponsored leaving 15 opportunities for people to join us in the work God is doing. Each apartment costs approximately $450 per month. This cost is essentially what it would cost in rent and utilities for the families. Our desire is to have sponsors for each unit so that the kids and families who are living with us will be relieved of this financial burden while they get on their feet. This is a unique opportunity for us to provide stability, safety, and the unconditional love of Christ through community to these people.

Our goal is to have every unity sponsored by April 30, 2012 and we need your help to make this happen. Would you pray about being an apartment sponsor? Would you share this email and opportunity with others who may be interested and able to be a sponsor? Would you make the commitment to sponsor one apartment for one year?

If you are interested in being an apartment sponsor or have any questions please contact me at 704.733.9683 or email me at bradelyn@one7.org. We look forward to partnering with you to see the vision of these apartments come to fruition.

Spring is here and we are so excited about the season of growth God has placed our ministry in. In mid-February we purchased a refurbished 18 unit apartment complex. This facility will house our offices, a place for the kids to receive afterschool tutoring, and the hub of our ministry. The goal is to make this facility a place where the kids desire to come and be a part of what is going on at One7.

One of the greatest opportunities we have for people to get involved in this season of ministry is to help us furnish the apartments as well as our new clothing closet to help meet the needs of  the kids and their families as the seasons change.

As many people are beginning their Spring Cleaning, we would be so blessed to receive your  gently used items. If you are interested in getting involved here is the list of things we currently need:

• Clothing
  • For kids ages 2-18 in all sizes
• Shoes
  • Specifically sizes 3-10
• Game Systems
  • Must be working and come with all necessary pieces
  • This includes: Xbox, Play Stations, Nitendo Wii, etc.
• Couches
  • We are willing to come pick them up
  • Need 18-20
• Soccer Gear
  • Balls, cones, pug goals
  • Shin Guards, socks, shorts, & cleats
• Bedding
  • Still need between 18-20 twin mattresses
  • Good condition
  • 7 sets of Ikea metal bunk beds (cheapest we have found & only $99)
• Old computers & TVs
  
  • We ask that all items work and that the computers only need updates.
• Game Room Equipment
  • Pool Table
  • Ping Pong
  • Corn Hole
• Baby Needs
  • Diapers (all sizes)
  • Formula

If you are interested in being part of this great opportunity or would like more information you can contact me at: bradelyn@one7.org.

It’s hard to believe it but Spring soccer season is here. It seems like just yesterday that we were finishing out the fall season but nevertheless this weekend our 3 Charlotte United Boys teams will kick off their season. We have teams playing in the U12, U14 and U17 age divisions and know that this will be an incredible season for all of our teams.

Our boys have been training hard and are excited to start the season not only because they get to play and compete in a game that they love but because they view it as an opportunity to glorify Jesus through their sportsmanship and interaction with other teams. After every game our players give the “man of the match” award to a member of the other team and asks if they can share about Jesus and pray with them. It is in these moments that their heart for God is fully recognized by anyone present. We don’t just play soccer to play soccer; we play soccer to bring God honor and glory with our lives.

It all starts this Saturday with our U17 boys season opener at 2:00pm at the Palisades field against the Winston-Salem Twins. We would love for you to come cheer on our teams as we play this season. For other game dates and times just check out the sports page of our website.

Jesus told the disciples over and over again to love the people around them and not just some of them but to love all of them. He says that those who follow Jesus will be known by their love. That is why love is at the core of everything we do here at One7. It is why we build relationships, why we hold each other accountable, why we talk about God together and why we seek and desire to serve others in our community.

Yesterday in partnership with Samaritan’s Feet and Elevation Church we took 13 leaders to be part of an event that was giving away shoes to kids and families who needed them. The One7 kids set up soccer goals, started a football game and spent the day hanging out and investing in these kids. They understand that something as simple as throwing a football or kicking a soccer ball can make a huge impact in their lives and can be used to bring God glory. They seize every opportunity possible to serve people around them.