New facility opened to train Christian Indigenous youth
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Ron Hutchcraft Ministries
The OEM Center will provide students with a 9-month program to learn ministry.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.-On April 18, the On Eagles' Wings (OEW) Center hosted a dedication and open house. The purpose of the facility is to be used for Native American youth for a "gap year"-a nine-month program that will equip 35 to 60 young people at a time with tools to make a difference and be leaders for Jesus.
OEW is a vision of the Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, which was founding in 1991 and is currently headquartered in Harrison, Arkansas, where OEW Center was built.
OEW includes Native young people from dozens of tribes across North America who "desire to be the HOPE we want to see in our communities," their website, oneagleswings.com, explains. "We come from backgrounds of brokenness, abuse, addiction and feeling alone. But we are not alone."
OEW "wants to empower and equip Native and First Nations young people like you to lead the way in bringing hope and healing to your communities."
The purpose of the center is to :
• Provide young Native leaders with intensive discipleship.
• Equip them with practical life training.
• Provide an environment and ministry that will bring true healing from the hurt of the past.
• Equip for effective Native ministry.
• Assist in placement for a lifetime in ministry.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries
The focus of OEM is young Indigenous people reaching out to other young Native people.
The organization also has target goals for the students, including such things as learning how to study, interpret and apply the Word of God accurately, establishing connection to a Christian community, learning to process grief, loss, tragedy and failure in a healthy and non-destructive way, being equipped to effectively present the Gospel in an Indigenous context, learning to use spiritual gifts, and learning how to disciple young believers into living as lifetime Jesus-followers.
At the dedication, Brad Hutchcraft, director of OEW said, "This building is now ready to be used for what it was intended. To see a generation rise up in Native North America led by fully equipped young indigenous leaders-transforming the Native American communities with the hope that Jesus brings."
"As you visit here today, this is a place that God built. This may look like a building, but this is a launch pad for young Native American leaders to go and be agents of hope for their people," said Ron Hutchcraft, who also attended the dedication.
