Archive for April, 2010


Jay Sherrer

// Challenges can be learning opportunities…

by on April 19, 2010

Problems and challenges constantly arise during our weekly programs. While these issues are difficult to deal with we still know that God can use every “challenge” for His good. Recently, Katherine Hedglen, Community Liaison, was involved in one of these amazing opportunities.

“Micha and LaQuisha are both on the same “small group”. Often, they don’t get along. Last week, the two girls got into a fight. Both were sent to time out to cool down and work through the problem. In time out, both girls claimed the other started the fight. We talked about some different solutions for when someone starts trouble with us. We settled on several alternate possibilities – all agreeing that the wrong answer was to begin fighting.

However, the moment Micha thought I was not looking, she left her chair and attacked LaQuisha again. LaQuisha refused to fight her. I was very excited to see LaQuisha applying some very difficult things that we had been talking about.

This week, Micha was back. She stayed behind after large group to ask what would happen if someone chose not to believe on Jesus for salvation. I asked her what she thought, and she answered very carefully. It seems that she had been thinking about this question recently. We talked about sin, God’s punishment for sin, and how believing on Jesus was the only way to avoid God’s punishment. Micha wanted to think about our conversation and talk with me some more next week.

I have been really excited to see what God is doing in her life these past few weeks. It seems that God sometimes uses difficult times in lives to lead people to him. Pray that God is doing just that with Micha right now!”

Jay Sherrer

// Article from The Daily Oklahoman

by on April 9, 2010

By: Meridith Moriak, The Daily Oklahoman
Published: April 6, 2010
CLICK HERE to read the original article on newsok.com

“In 2004, Valerie Sherrer asked to start a Bible club at some of the Oklahoma City Housing Authority’s community centers. She saw it as a small project and a way to impact the lives of children from at-risk and under-resourced communities.

‘I knew there were kids that had needs for mentors, and I wanted to give the opportunity and help facilitate that,’ said Sherrer, an Oklahoma City native. Since then, her ministry has taken off. She’s started her own nonprofit organization. She’s facilitated weekly programming activities at 17 sites throughout the metro area. And last week, she launched an after-school program at the Oak Grove Housing Development. ‘I’m just absolutely excited to be here and with these kids every day. I know we will get positive results,’ Sherrer said as more than 45 kids registered for the program.

Photo from Community Impact Initiative. Copyright: The Daily Oklahoman

Brightly colored posters lined the community center’s walls, and areas were designated for reading, tutoring, art and snacks. The housing authority asked Sherrer and her staff at Novo Ministries to develop an after-school and summer program called the Community Impact Initiative. It is a pilot program funded by the housing authority and provides Oak Grove children with three hours of after-school care and 7 ½ hours of summer programming. ‘I personally love the Oak Grove community and the families that are out there,’ said Sherrer, Novo Ministries’ founder and development director. ‘When (the initiative) was handed to us, I decided whatever I could do, I’m going to do it.’ Since December, Sherrer has worked 60 hours a week, crafted the program’s curriculum and hired three employees to staff the initiative. The schedule for each day is a bit different and includes theme days, games, guided learning, tutoring, activity stations, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and faith-based activities, Sherrer said. Juli Aguirre, 10, has attended Novo’s Friday Bible clubs for six years and said she’s excited to come every day. She enjoys the Bible stories, snacks, prayers and teachers. Her friend, Thalia DeLaRosa, 9, said she likes drawing and doing arts and crafts with the “fun” teachers. She’s also looking forward to getting help on her homework, so she can do better on tests at school, she said.

Frank Miller, housing authority family housing asset manager, said Novo Ministries has had a large impact on the Oak Grove community:

We can’t quantify and say graffiti or juvenile crime in our area is down, but I can almost assure you that Novo has had a profound effect on our children in those areas[...]“

The program reaches out to children age 4 to 12 and if it goes well, the housing authority would like to expand the initiative to all housing authority sites, said Mark Gillett, housing authority assistant executive director of planning and development. However, the expansion is also contingent on funding, about $50,000 per site. ‘(Novo Ministries is) very organized, committed to what they’re going to do and the time they’re going to spend there,’ said Melanie Buckley, housing authority assistant executive director of operations. ‘For years they came on a volunteer basis and established relationships with kids,’ she said.”

Jay Sherrer

// Reaching Our Inner City

by on April 8, 2010

Each month, Novo Ministries offers the “Reaching Our Inner City” training. This training helps individuals better understand the inner-city culture, motivators, and influencers. Statistics and testimonials are shared to explain the realities facing our inner-city children and communities. This 6-hour training has two parts – “The Environment” and “The People”. This training can greatly improve the understanding and effectiveness of anyone involved or interested in reaching the people of our inner city.

Sessions are as follows:

Our City
Understanding the Inner City
What’s Hot and What’s Not
Education
Gangs
Working with Latinos and Blacks
Developing Relationships with Inner-City Children
Communicating with Inner-City Children
Working with Parents
Casting a Vision Where There Isn’t One

Recently, Audra King, a high school teacher at Christian Heritage Academy, attended the ROIC training and shared with us why she came and what she learned:

“I came to the Novo ROIC training because I want to reach people from all kinds of backgrounds and walks of life. Although I have worked in several ministry situations, I did not know how to “bridge the gap” between myself and those in the inner city. In fact, the idea of engaging someone from the inner city was pretty intimidating to me! The information I gained at the Novo training was not only invaluable for myself, but as a teacher at a Christian high school, I hope to use it to challenge and equip my students to effectively reach those around us.”

Contact us today to find out about the next ROIC Training and see how you can get signed up!

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