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'Even Though I Walk Through the Valley': Youth Explosion Encourages Crowd of 250 to Have Faith

Feb 1, 2013 | UA News

On January 30, 2013, Urban Alliance network participant House of Praise & Worship/Casa de Adoracion y Alabanza (Hartford) hosted the second Youth Explosion of 2013.

While the previous Youth Explosion, held in November, had a theme of “The Light of the World” and set the stage for Youth Explosion 2013, the gathering in January, which drew over 250 people, had a theme based on Psalm 23:4:

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)

Leaders from House of Praise and Worship, along with two other Hartford churches, selected the theme to help encourage youth to remain faithful during trials.

Upon entering the church, attendees were greeted with a scene that included branches, boulders and fog. The realistic décor was designed by Youth Explosion leaders to help illustrate the feeling of being in a landscaped valley. 

The energy of the praise and worship team, which included several youth and was led by Patrice Howell of New Life Worship Center/Centro de Adoracion Nueva Vida (Hartford) filled the room. They joyfully sang and played instruments including bass, drums and guitar.

The guest speaker for the night was Pastor Joel Cruz Jr. from House of Praise and Worship. “He spoke about the importance of ‘walking’ while we go through the ‘valley of the shadow of death.’ By running while passing through a dark path, [it will] only create problems of tripping from things we can not see. [If we run] while passing our darkest moments in life, it does not allow or help us make well-thought decisions. By ‘walking’ through the ‘valley’ with God, you are showing patience, trust, and carefulness at your darkest moments. Walking [rather than running, during trials] helps you avoid the trip and fall of life, especially during a time in your life when tripping and falling could happen during a ‘dark’ time,” explained Pastor Karla Cruz, House of Praise and Worship (Hartford).

The next Youth Explosion will be held on March 8, 2013 at New Life Worship Center / Centro de Adoracion Nueva Vida, 127 Mather Street, Hartford.

If your church or congregation will like to be a part of Youth Explosion, please contact House of Praise and Worship at pastors@comcast.net.

The staff at Urban Alliance are familiar with Pastor Frank because he is a regular attendee to many of the trainings Urban Alliance provides on subjects like domestic violence, addressing childhood trauma, and better counseling techniques. “That’s been so valuable to me to be able to bring that back, not only in my counseling but also in my teaching and preaching ministries, “ shared Termine.

Pastor Frank was also one of the original members of the Micah group, a group of pastors that meets at Urban Alliance to discuss and strategize about challenging issues that face the church today. One of those earlier discussions on justice, incarceration, and returning citizens was particularly memorable. “We all lamented the fact that these men and women were coming out of prison into our churches and just kind of being thrown there,” said Termine, “We could do better than this.” That discussion planted the seeds that eventually led to the creation of Second Chance Churches – an opportunity for churches to provide support and mentoring to returning citizens that continues today.

When we asked Pastor Frank what he would say to another church that was unaware of Urban Alliance, he said, “If you are looking to get out in the community and make a difference in the community, Urban Alliance is a super way to do it. We’re a small church … we can’t do everything. Urban Alliance is a pathway to get our people involved in ministries that are already doing it, doing it well, and just need extra volunteers.”

Pastor Frank Termine’s story embodies many things we are trying to accomplish at Urban Alliance: supporting organizations in the communities they serve with training, resources, and opportunities to make a difference. Pastors and non-profit leaders face a wide range of challenges and, therefore, need a wide range of help and resources. Your support can help turn stories of struggle into stories like you find at Calvary Church.

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