In America it's amazing how closely we live near people in poverty without even recognizing it. A recent article, A City Divided by Income, was published by WABE.org that highlighted the income divide in three distinct parts of Atlanta, which are divided by income status. The article focused not on three different cities, but three different divisions within the same city - upper, middle, and lower class - which is probably not much different than most metro areas in the US.

From the authors:

Read the full article at http://news.wabe.org/post/city-divided-income

So how can training youth in the areas business, entrepreneurship, and leadership help to bring reconciliation to an inner city community like South Atlanta? Listen to Dan and Q explain it...

We are very excited about this year's Inc. My Dream Young Boss Camp. However, we can't make this an unforgettable experience without your help.

Your tax-deductible donation will enable us to facilitate this effective entrepreneurship and life skills training. Your donation will also help us to continue our engagement with these students throughout the school year.

To give just go to www.mykinsman.org/donate.

Watch this powerful message from Thomas Cotton, pastor of Redeemed Life Community Church in South Atlanta, about the benefit of partnering with our summer camp to offer business training for youth. ​

Click below to learn more about our free Inc. My Dream Young Boss Camp for middle and high school students! We have some excited new offerings this year. In addition to teaching them how to start businesses we will also provide more of an emphasis on STEM/STEAM topics. They will have a chance to interact with experts in the following career fields:

• Music
• Arts
• Science
• Technology
• Recreation

Click now to learn more!

In the coming days we will be releasing a series of videos that will provide some different vantage points from those who live and serve in the South Atlanta community. We are excited to share their insights on what they believe is needed to help their neighborhoods prosper and to create better opportunities for the youth and young adults there; and how Kinsman is helping to empower them.

Click below to learn more about our free Inc. My Dream Young Boss Camp for middle and high school students! We have some excited new offerings this year. In addition to teaching them how to start businesses we will also provide more of an emphasis on STEM/STEAM topics. They will have a chance to interact with experts in the following career fields:

• Music
• Arts
• Science
• Technology
• Recreation

Click now to learn more!

As a young Christian business professional I know that sometimes it can be hard to connect with others who share your faith and desire to grow closer to God. That's why I'm especially inviting you to attend the CBMC Atlanta Marketplace Ambassador Gathering on Monday, April 18th from 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM.

The MARKETPLACE AMBASSADOR INITIATIVE is a movement to …

• bring together ALL followers of Christ in our business community,
• stand and pray together for spiritual transformation,
• encourage each other to live as effective Marketplace Ambassadors for Christ.

Click here for more event info and to register...

​​You are significant to God's plan to transform the world through the marketplace. It's time to step up and take you place.​

The new clothing line launched by Atlanta area high school seniors Jordan Williams and Brandon Iverson is called Young Moguls. However, this is by far not their first business venture. They started in business together when they were 10 years old selling toys.

Click below to listen to  hear the inspirational story of their journey and how they are empowering other teens to pursue their dreams also.

You can read the original article posted online at WABE, Atlanta's NPR Station, here: http://wabe.org/post/atlanta-teen-entrepreneurs-working-be-young-moguls

A satisfied customer is the best form of marketing. So listen to Soraya's testimonial about her experience at last year's Inc. My Dream Young Boss Camp. We still have business sponsorships available for you to make a tax-deductible contribution to invest in the lives of at-risk youth, so they can build social entrepreneurship, leadership, and team building skills, among many other things...

For the past two weeks I have had a front row seat to the real condition of many of our young people through a business training I have been facilitating for at-risk youth through Greater Works Vocational Discipleship Program in Atlanta. It is heartbreaking to hear the deep sense of hopelessness a lot of them have that leads to their often rebellious and sometimes violent behavior. Although that behavior is never acceptable, I have a better understanding of the mindsets with which a great number of them are wrestling.

There are two obvious needs which are at the heart of the matter - economic insufficiency and spiritual deficiencies. Our society will see the destructive cycles of family and community degradation increase to greater levels if we don't address these conditions with a stronger sense of urgency.

God placed it on our hearts to respond to this urgent need by equipping youth with the tools needed to successfully break out of these cycles. This starts with inspiring them to dream big, identify their purpose, discover their unique talents, and apply their skills to impact their own communities. We use faith based business training that focuses on two main things: 1) the development of entrepreneurial and social skills, and 2) the growth of profitable enterprises that positively impact other people.

For the second consecutive year,  Kinsman Community Ministries, Inc. will host the Inc. My Dream Young Boss Camp this summer in South Atlanta for youth ages 12 to 18. For two weeks, from July 13th - 24th, a select number of students will be trained in leadership, problem solving, business development, and more, with the goal of producing viable solutions that will have a direct benefit in their own communities and beyond. Last year's camp was a great success and we expect this one to be even better as we expand from 1 week to 2 weeks.
 
This camp is free to the students. So in order to cover our expenses we are inviting you to be one of the special 15 business sponsors we are seeking to donate at least $1000 each to partner with us to meet this urgent need of transforming the lives of these at-risk youth. In addition to the great benefits you will receive as a sponsor, your invaluable partnership with us will allow this innovative economic development initiative to become a blueprint that will export Christ-centered “economic evangelism” to poverty-challenged communities in other areas of Metro Atlanta, around the United States, and ultimately all over the world.

Click here to download the sponsorship package

Even if you can't donate the full $1000, your financial support at any level will help pay for the trainers, curriculum, supplies, food, and other resources needed to make this an unforgettable experience (the itemized list is in the sponsorship package). If we don't invest in our youth, we can't expect them to break the destructive cycles and become all that God created them to be.

We understand that to rebuild communities we must strengthen families spiritually and economically. And we hope that you share this same commitment.

God bless you and thanks in advance for helping us meet the urgent need of transforming the lives of these young leaders for our communities and His glory!

If we look across the country at the major issues facing most urban communities - and in particular the minority populations - three common themes emerge... the lack of Jesus, jobs, and justice. In the video below I share my thoughts on this and how Greater Works Vocational Discipleship Program is addressing these three issues in South Atlanta.

OUR SOLUTION TO A RED HOT INNER CITY SUMMER
Over the past few months many urban cities across the U.S., including Baltimore and Ferguson, have seen a sharp rise in tensions as a result of police shootings and subsequent protests and rioting. At the core of this unrest for many inner city men is a deep sense of hopelessness that stems from the lack of opportunities and in particular jobs.

Baltimore has shown us that our young men need training and institutions where they can learn to function as real men. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop. Instead of rioting, our inner city men could be learning life skills with promised employment in the Greater Works Vocational Discipleship Program. This is a GAME CHANGER!

We Need Your Financial Assistance to Help These Men
We believe joblessness and homelessness leads to hopelessness and idle time which always leads to violence. Your financial support of Greater Works will enable us to provide training and job opportunities to men and women in South Atlanta / Lakewood who are genuinely interested in improving themselves and their community. Please donate today to the Greater Works initiative.

God bless you and thanks in advance for helping us ignite the changes the need to happen in our communities!