Dear Supporter,

Just a short time ago, we celebrated Christmas. At Leverage Ministries, our Christmas season with the kids runs from early November through January, filled with parties, meals, and special moments. Because some of our teens are only with us a short time, we try to make each event meaningful and memorable.

This year, at one of our ministry sites, we had the teens build gingerbread houses. Each received graham crackers and icing, with bowls of candy on the tables for decorating. You can imagine how it went (more eating than building), but everyone was having a great time.

Everyone except one young man. He was sitting quietly. No building, no eating, not even throwing candy. I sat down next to him and asked if he wanted help getting started. He looked at me and said, “How am I supposed to build a home? I don’t know what one looks like. I’ve only lived in one for less than a couple of months, and every home I’ve lived in was full of drugs, abuse, yelling, and screaming.”

My heart broke. What was meant to be a fun activity had opened a deep wound. In that moment, John 14:1–3 came to mind, and I shared with him how Jesus is preparing a real, lasting home for us, and it’s a place of peace, safety, and love. I told him that this world isn’t our final home, and that because of Jesus, heaven is.

He looked at me and said, “That will be my home too. I trusted Jesus last week after you spoke.” Then he added, “I’m going to build my house like heaven so it’s full of love, kindness, compassion, and forgiveness, with room for my family.” Later, he showed me his gingerbread house. In the center, he had made a cross out of licorice. He said, “See, Pastor Scott? Jesus is the center of my house.”

Moments like this remind me how different “home” is for so many of the teens we serve. For many of them, home doesn’t mean safety or love. It means pain they’d rather forget. And yet, because of your support, we get to point them to Jesus, who loves them enough to die for them and prepare a place for them in heaven.

Thank you for making stories like this possible. Please continue to pray for Leverage Ministries as we reach abused, abandoned, and arrested teens and point each one to the hope found in Jesus.

In His Service,

Scott Hirdes

Director, Leverage Ministries

Dear Friends of Leverage Ministries,

Around this time seven years ago, Leverage Ministries was born. A small group of men, led by the vision of Mike Musick, came together with a shared burden to reach the abused, abandoned, and arrested youth of Central Florida. Shortly after, I was invited to serve as the first director—and as they say, the rest is history.

One of the very first young people we met was a boy named Alan. His story has stayed with me ever since. Alan’s father had just been deported to Mexico, where he was immediately arrested and sentenced to life in prison. I’ll never forget Alan climbing into our van for Breakfast Club one morning and saying, “I’ll never see my dad again—but to be honest, I had only met him once.”

Alan’s mother faced her own challenges, and he moved from place to place, never living in the same home for more than a year. But during one of Leverage Ministries’ first overnight camps, Alan made the decision to trust Jesus as his Savior. From that moment on, he became a faithful part of our ministry—attending every single camp we’ve hosted and staying connected through all these years.

Many of our volunteers know Alan’s story and how difficult his life has been, but as one of them once said, “I don’t think Alan has ever had a bad day.” Despite everything he’s endured, Alan always manages to find joy.

Today, Alan is 18 years old. Last summer, he joined us once again for camp, and it was an incredible week. Shortly after, one of our local business partners offered to buy brand-new shoes for every boy in our program. The very last pair we delivered was—of course—Alan’s.

By then, he was living somewhere new, but we tracked him down and surprised him with a pair of Nike basketball shoes. His eyes lit up. He looked at me and said, “Pastor Scott, this is kind of funny—years ago you taught me how to walk with Jesus, and now you’re giving me the shoes.”

He hugged me and said softly, “I don’t know where I’d be without you guys. Thank you for showing me how to walk with Jesus.” Before I left, he gave me another hug and whispered, “These are my only shoes. The ones I wore to camp fell apart when I got home. You always have perfect timing—these are the first brand-new shoes I’ve ever had.”

Stories like Alan’s are the reason Leverage Ministries exists—to reach and disciple young men who need to experience the love and hope of Jesus Christ.

This year has been financially challenging, as our expenses have continued to rise. Would you prayerfully consider partnering with us through a special year-end gift, so we can continue reaching young people like Alan? You can give online at www.leverageministries.org or by mailing a check (payable to Leverage Ministries) in the envelope provided.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” - Philippians 4:6

Thank you for your prayers, your generosity, and your partnership in this ministry.

In His Service,

Scott Hirdes

From our family to yours, may you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, a blessed Christmas, and a joyful New Year!

Dear Supporter,

Just a few short months ago, we celebrated Father’s Day—or, as some in my family like to call it, a Hallmark holiday. Traditionally, it’s a day filled with greeting cards and gift cards (in my case, usually to Bass Pro—thank you, David and Joel!).

But this year was different. Midway through the day, I received a phone call from one of the boys we had just signed up for camp. I had only met him twice before. When I answered, I said, “Hi, Nick, how are you doing? What’s going on?” He replied, “Not much. Can’t wait for camp. Just wanted to call and tell you Happy Father’s Day.”

I had never had a kid in our ministry do that—especially one I had barely met. He went on to say, “I just wanted to call and tell you that. I can’t wait for school to be out and camp to start.”

When camp began, I quickly learned that Nick was a handful. He didn’t want to listen, picked fights, argued constantly, and disrupted the program. Week One was tough. Week Two was no different; if anything, it was worse. By the time we started our final week of camp, I was honestly questioning why we had brought him. Part of me thought I should have given his spot to someone else.

But on the very last night, Nick came up to me and said, “I trusted Jesus as my Savior. I’ve been battling this decision all summer, and I finally said yes to Jesus. Thank you for taking me to camp. I can’t believe you didn’t send me home. Thank you.”

Then he added, “Oh, one more thing—you remember when I called you and said Happy Father’s Day? That was the first time I had ever said that to anyone. I hope and pray that one day, if I get married and have kids, they’ll say that to me. Thank you for finding me. And for the second time, Happy Father’s Day.”

We can’t thank you enough for your support of our mission to reach the least, the last, and the lost young people of Central Florida. Please continue to pray as we begin our fall ministries. I am grateful for every young person who said yes to Jesus this summer, resting in the promise of Romans 10:13: “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

In His Service,

Scott Hirdes

Director, Leverage Ministries