2015 was a sabbath year of quietness, rest, and prayer for RYO. Our youth leaders graduated from college, tried diligently to secure sustaining funding, completed their community service as VISTA volunteers, and ended up going on to paying jobs in various communities that took them away from youth work. At around the same time, the City School District decided against allowing community groups like RYO to talk about and advertise their after-school programs within the schools, seriously limiting fall recruitment of new student participants.

The present situation

However, many youth in our community and neighborhood are still hungry for truth, meaning, and connectedness in their lives. This past year has seen a dramatic increase in the number of young people “hanging out” on Arnett Boulevard right around the corner from our center, socializing, and getting snacks at the convenience store next door where they’re being exposed to various levels of idle behavior up to and including open-air drug sales, getting into scraps and mischief, petty vandalizing, and low level gambling. Where are God’s people in times like this?

What about the future?

Recently we’ve been talking with Gary Ham and members of his community-oriented Caleb Ministries about gathering and training lay youth leaders from the surrounding churches to reach out again to our neighborhood in 2016. If you, or someone you know, would be interested in being equipped for this kind of ministry, please contact us soon!

God bless you!

There are only 3 days left in the RYO Indiegogo Campaign! Check out the video here to find out what we’re about, and then please help if you can. Any money we raise will go a long way towards our mission of empowering Rochester’s young people through music and the arts. Thank you to all those who have invested so far!

For our Rochester friends, be sure to check out our next event, No Clouds Included, this Friday, August 23rd, at 265 Warwick Ave from 4pm – 8pm. Come enjoy music from BC Likes You, The Tarrants, and Disharmony. Our youth leaders have been hard at work preparing and it should be a great community gathering!

Remember to check out out Indiegogo site before the weekend, and join us this Friday night!

Thanks!
Dr. Bill and the RYO Team