See The Story

Higher Grounds Prom

noreply@blogger.com (Dougherty's) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 22:43:00 +0000

Prom season is upon us once again! What that means to us is Higher Grounds Prom is coming up quickly. For the past 3 years we have put on a prom that rivals high school proms. The only difference is it's free.

Last year we were blessed to have many people from throughout the community donate time and money to make this a huge success. If you have never heard about our prom, we have makeup artists and hairdressers come in and do the the girls up. The transformation is truly amazing. We have a professional photographer donate his services to give each person a free professional photo. And then we have numerous people donate money and skills to make food and decorations over the top.

We rely on the help of volunteers to pull this event off. And so we are asking for your help. We need a number of things including money, food, help with decorations and any skills that you might have that would add to the event. We need you and so do the kids.

To get involved call us at 970.353.1231 or email us at prom@ncyfc.org Check out our website to learn more about our ministry!
www.ncyfc.org

More Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Dougherty's) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:08:00 +0000

So Nathan is still making some progress in his lungs. The x-rays showed some improvement which means he probably isn't bleeding anymore and is starting to clear his lung. This is good news as it was the top priority for the Dr. This is mostly what is keeping him in the ICU. I don't know more about the small piece of colasped lung at this point, but it isn't any more of a concern.

As for his head, we don't know much. Yesterday they thought he was so sleepy and grogy from the pain medication, but they haven't given him anything except a small dose yesterday (side note--Nathan has only had two doses of pain meds through this entire thing. Pretty tough.) and he is still very grogy--only able to stay awake for a few minutes at a time and he has a hard time talking much. However, the time he is talking he seems very much like Nathan. They think this is due to the head injury then and not the pain meds, but they are still confident this isn't something permanent. He will possibly be displaying effects from the concusion for six months, but we don't really have details as to steps forward he will be making or what kind of effects that will be. He will get to be seen by a speech specialist today who will try to determine how much his speech and memory are actually being impacted right now.

We are looking forward to seeing him awake for somewhat of an extended time so you can pray for that please.

Thank you for all your concern and care and prayers.
-Jeff Neel
Check out our website to learn more about our ministry!
www.ncyfc.org

Update

noreply@blogger.com (Dougherty's) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 03:19:00 +0000

More progress. I just left his room when he got to eat soup and jello and ice cream (2 helpings of the last) and he was awake the entire time. He has only been able to stay awake for 5 minutes or so each time, so it was nice to get some extended time with him. He was even able to pick up a cup and take a drink by himself at the end of the meal!!

They actually got him out of bed for the first time just a few minutes ago and into a recliner. He fell asleep right away, but at least he was able to be moved.

He seems to be able to remember a few things better, the most important is that he is almost always confident in realizing he will make a full recovery. He seems aware of all his injuries and recognizes they will all heal in time even though it will not be a short time. I'm just so glad to get to see his brain working well and being able to see progress in that area every time he wakes up. He is beginning to remember more conversations we have with him, but he forgets enough that he isn't liable for anything he says or that is said to him. Pretty convenient for Nate if you ask me.

Jeff Neel
The Farm Director
Nathan's Uncle
out our website to learn more about our ministry!
www.ncyfc.org

Snowboarding Accident

noreply@blogger.com (Dougherty's) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 01:53:00 +0000

For the last 8 years Jeff Neel (The Farm Director) has been taking kids on a snowboarding trip and each time is a trip this year was no exception. I got the pleasure of going for the first time and it was a privilege to see how Eric (this year's trip planner along with Becka Neel) worked get with the kids. Everyone had a great time, unfortunately the trip was cut short. I had to head back early the second day with Becka while the rest of the group stayed up at Keystone to board the rest of the day. While snowboarding one of or kids, Nathan, was injured. The following is quoted from Nathan's mom's facebook page.
"Nathan was doing some jumps in the park. He had already been doing well on the jumps and decided to do a little bit larger jump that was about 30 feet from the top of the jump to where he could land. Unfortunately he went off the jump off balance and landed a little ways down the landing on his back and hit his head. All-in-all he traveled about 40 feet in the air before impact. The impact knocked him unconscious even though he was wearing a helmet. They got paramedics on the scene very quickly and they determined he needed immediate help. He was taken down the mountain on a sled while a paramedic road with him and helped him breath. They decided to sedate him in the mountain ER and take him to Denver via flight for life. At the hospital he had a CAT scan where they were able to ascertain the entire damage. Altogether he broke ribs 1 through 5 on his back which caused a little bit of fluid to gather on his right lung. They will be keeping a close eye on this in case of pneumonia. He also broke his collar bone but that looks okay. He does have a brain injury but doesn't look like anything permanent. He also has some minor fractures on his vertebrae but nothing close to his spinal cord and absolutely no paralysis--he has already moved all of his limbs."
We are grateful that Nathan seems to be doing well, but would ask you to pray for him as he is continuing to recover.
Check out our website to learn more about our ministry!
www.ncyfc.org

Everyday Worship

noreply@blogger.com (Dougherty's) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:56:00 +0000

An idea we have been exploring is how to live out our faith and show others what loving Christ means to us. Many kids (and adults) that we come into contact with have either been turned off by church for some reason, or simply have never been exposed much to it and have no desire to fit into a certain Christian mold. So, we are looking for ways to worship God in our everyday lives, and to invite anyone who’s interested to be a part of that.

To put this concept into action, in November we decided to “redistribute the warmth” by collecting blankets and various other warm items for people in our community who are in need. An organization called Greeley for God has a lunch every Sunday in Lincoln Park for people who have no roof over their heads and no food to eat. They allowed us to hand out blankets and pillows after people had finished their Thanksgiving meal. As we handed out blankets to over 150 people that day, I saw two people that I knew coming through the line, and I realized how quickly one’s circumstances can change. One even owned her own business and lost it due to the poor economy. Now she and her children have nowhere to go.

By inviting our youth to be involved in such things, it allows them to experience what having a relationship with God means to us. And, whether a person has a relationship with Christ or not, giving of ourselves and loving others is something that every human being can relate to. Have a wonderful holiday season, everyone! And, thank you so much for all your support.
Cecilia DeShong
Check out our website to learn more about our ministry!
www.ncyfc.org

Higher Grounds Blessings

noreply@blogger.com (Dougherty's) — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 05:03:00 +0000

I am amazed at what God can do when you ask. For the last few months, I’ve been praying for new volunteers for HG. I have wanted to get it so that the volunteers we have can take a week or two off a month.

In the last 3 weeks, I’ve had roughly 8-10 teens come to me wanting to be volunteers. WOW!! I’ve been here for over a year and a half and I’ve never had this many kids wanting to help. Last week, I had an orientation with some of them. They stuff they told me was amazing, especially since we’re talking about teenagers!!! One told me he didn’t care if it was taking out trash and doing dishes. He just wanted to be here and help. I don’t know about you but when I was 16, taking out trash and dishes were on the bottom of my list of good times. They also want job experience and want to be treated in the same fashion. It’s amazing what God does when you least expect it. I had the expectation of adults coming to help, NOT the kids we’re trying to help! But alas, what can I say about the creator of the universe. I guess He just does what He sees fit. Peace out!

Oh and by the way, I still am looking for as many adult volunteers as I can get! Hint Hint!!!

Jared

Check out our website to learn more about our ministry!
www.ncyfc.org

Code of the Future

noreply@blogger.com (Dougherty's) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:20:00 +0000

If you don't know what this is you soon will, this a QR code and when you take a picture of it with a internet enabled cell phone it will lead you directly to our website. www.ncyfc.org. So if you are bored try it, better yet, "right click and save as" the picture and print them out on labels and plaster them all over.

Check out our website to learn more about our ministry!
www.ncyfc.org

It's mine!!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:54:00 +0000

I have had a lot of interest from the older students about helping to run and shape the after school program. I honestly value their opinions. The response I get from them is a willingness to help and work alongside me. The student leaders that have stepped up are willing to encourage their younger peers and friends to follow the rules and lead in a positive way. Keep in mind they still have growing brains and that makes them susceptible to act irrationally at times, but more often them not they are caring and thoughtful individuals. Student leaders have helped me make and distribute promotional materials, helped to shape the rules, an d develop an incentive to earn rewards for improved school work. As a new program the A.S.P is starting to take shape and our student leaders are starting to feel a sense of responsibility and ownership of the program. For instance one of the student council members has stopped saying, "What are you going to do about …… ". Now she says things like, "Maybe we should…"
I wonder how the world might be different if youth felt that they could work together with more adults in our community organizations. It would be nice to hear students say things like, "Over the summer I helped keep our parks clean, I was on a committee that made our school safer, We helped our teen mothers get a diploma, we helped to feed our homeless. Ownership makes a big difference. When it's yours you care more about it.
This is also great for building meaningful relationships with the students. I'm finding that one of the best ways to build a relationship with anyone is work together with them toward a common goal. It's been wonderful to see students make the A.S.P their own.

Check out our website to learn more about our ministry!
www.ncyfc.org

Friday, Oct 31st

noreply@blogger.com (Dougherty's) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 15:41:00 +0000

On Friday we decided to have a party and just spend time with the kids that we work with. We wanted to give them an alternative to all the pit falls of Halloween. We had a great time and just had fun.

Here are some pix of the evening.

Check out our website to learn more about our ministry!
www.ncyfc.org

Putting the Theory to Practice

noreply@blogger.com (Dougherty's) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 01:31:00 +0000

So I have had this theory for a while that I have been anxious to try. If you look at missional ministry from a three pronged approach of Build Relationship, Interact with Scripture, Encourage a Response, I think you can use Build Relationship to accomplish more than one thing. Of course we want to get into a culture of people and build close relationships with them. But this doesn't have to be done by just hanging out with people. Have you ever become a regular at a coffee shop? How well do you get to know the employees? How much of a relationship begins to be built by hanging at the coffee shop? Isn't part of the reason you became a regular because of that relationship?

Well, I want to take that dynamic and apply it to the board culture. But I want to use My Response to Interacting with Scripture as the means to how I build relationships. (I think that is the best way to build relationship anyway.) So here is what we are going to try. Becca and I have a desire to meet people's needs due to our love for God. A need every person's heart has is to be valued. I believe firmly that God values each of us a great deal and we as His followers would spend our time well doing our best to make sure others feel valued. Well, for a skater or snowboarder, making them feel valued is pretty easy--you video tape or take pictures of them. We believe this is one way to meet a need in their hearts. So as we do this as our way of telling God we love Him (our Response), skaters and snowboarders will also feel valued. As this opens conversations up about why we are doing this for them, we will get to share it is the fact of God's value for them (Interact with Scripture) that has given us the desire to show them their value. We have seen this work greatly in the skate culture here in Greeley in our past.

So adding to this, we will be making a locals snowboard video. Becca and I are going to operate a shuttle to the mountains this season in order to make this possible. We are charging for the shuttle in our attempt to see if we can be like thecoffee shop that is able to finance the ministry opportunities while building relationships with people in this culture as well as use our efforts to show God we love Him. As this is a transition, we have sought some funding to supliment this venture in an attempt to make it part way between a business and a missional ministry.

We will know more about how this works in April. Looking forward to sharing with you more about what we learn in this venture.

-Jeff Neel Director of The Farm

Check out our website to learn more about our ministry