New Zealand Ministry
coaching troubled youth in another land
Ministry Opportunities
The Arahina Training Centre team is looking for purposeful young people and families both to coach youth in the Buildcom program and to serve in construction, hospitality, and maintenance roles.
The Buildcom Program
Buildcom
is about Building Communities through Lives with Purpose
(LPs). LPs are students for whom
school is no longer an option, because of their truancy, violence, or low grades.
Usually these students come from broken families where abuse and neglect has
precluded many problems such as suicidal tendencies, low self-esteem, experience
with drugs and alcohol, illiteracy, violence, and moral failure. Most students
are 12–16 years old.
The Buildcom team needs more coaches! Many delinquent young people are in spiritual and physical danger. Often the Buildcom staff members hear pleas such as, “Can you take my struggling young person?” When no coaches are available, these students are put on a waiting list while their caregivers look into other training programs—programs that often lack a Biblical base.
The acronym S.A.W. describes the three aspects of coaching at Buildcom: in Spiritual training, the coaches guide LPs to God’s principles of salvation and life purpose; in Academic training, the coaches tutor LPs in school subjects; and in Work training, LPs and coaches work together for physical exercise and character training.
The LPs have 3 schedule options in which to participate in Buildcom:
- As day-students, who go home every night
- As week-students, who go home on the weekends
- As 24/7 students, who go home every 10 weeks or so
Buildcom has a very good reputation with the local social services agency, police, and government officials, who often refer troubled youth to Buildcom and then marvel at the changes in the student’s life.
Construction, Maintenance, and Hospitality at Arahina
Construction and Maintenance
The Arahina Training Centre is located on 50 beautiful acres with numerous buildings and construction projects. One pending project is the creation of a 13-acre lake and an accompanying lodge and cabins (for LPs and coaches). The staff team is also building a workshed. The lawn, grounds, and buildings require staff members for year-round maintenance work.
Hospitality
The Arahina Training Centre has hosted many meetings and conferences, such as the annual ATI conference, an ATI Father/Son retreat, music and photography classes, ATI Father’s meetings, and even local orchestra, school, and Girls’ Guide groups. Staff members serving in this capacity help with cleaning, meal preparation, and other logistics.
Other Ministry
Arahina staff members send publications to ATI families regularly. They also conduct a children’s club every other week at a local church. In a Children’s Institute-style setting, they share the Gospel and teach the neighborhood children verses, songs, and crafts.