Safe, loved, and always welcome. That’s how staff members want boys to feel at Salem4Youth, a ranch offering faith-based residential programming for young men and families in crisis. Whether the boys are picking pumpkins at a local farm, harvesting honey from the ranch’s beehives, or studying the Bible at chapel services, these youth are immersed in a culture of love and acceptance.
That environment has made a big difference for several young men, especially one who recently gave his life to Christ around a campfire. “He starting asking some probing questions,” says Steve McNair, development director, “the kind of questions that showed he’d really been thinking about his experience at the ranch.” He came to grips with his need for a savior that night as a result.
Other boys have begun to study the Bible completely on their own. “We don’t pressure them to read or study the Bible,” says Steve, “but we do strive to create an environment where they’re exposed to the hope that we have in Christ.” It’s working. One recent graduate is even planning to spend part of the upcoming Christmas holidays at the ranch. “It’s great that they think of this place as a second home,” says Steve. Please be praying for all the boys in the program, and say a special prayer for those on the waiting list, those who still need to hear that message of love, hope, and healing. To learn more, visit www.salem4youth.com.
