Summer 2023 Recap!

Summer 2022 was outstanding! We returned to pre-pandemic programming levels with 80-100 youth and staff coming through the Boston Project house everyday. The Elmhurst Park Program for elementary students was bustling along with six leadership and employment programs for middle and high school students (see page 2). Our passion for building strong communities characterized by God’s shalom was on full display.


“Then God looked over all that he had made, and he saw that it was very good!” (Gen 1:31)

Our summer theme, “All That Is Good,” is from the biblical Creation story. Cady, a summer program coordinator explains, “ The theme is a recognition of Imago Dei (the image of God) in all aspects of our community. It is about valuing young people and having space where they are empowered. A place where their voices are good.” 


Cady and her co-leader, Taija-Rayne, planned The Big Event, our artistic closing summer program attended by 250 friends. “All That Is Good was expressed in many ways beyond the performances. It was the park filled with art, resources, and the community. It was youth having ownership of their voices in the community. It was God’s goodness on full display.”


All That is Good reflects God’s desire since creation. Our young people want you to know that our community is good and that they are part of that goodness. Come join us!

Middle & High School Summer Ministry

CITY Arts & The BIG EVENT

250 friends celebrated as youth proclaimed that our community is good, and they are part of the good.

Artists in Action

Youth express their voices artistically to address injustice. "A loving family of artists uplifting one another."

The Brotherhood

Inspired as agents of positive change in their community. Learning from our community leaders and elders.

Mental Health Ambassadors

Educating to end the stigma. "I gained language to understand what is happening at home."

The Sisterhood

Empowered to live out the best version of themselves. Loving self, loving each other, & loving community.

Healthy Youth Champions

Addressing local food injustice. "I learned how to serve my community's health needs."

Grace Chapel Cross-Cultural Learning Experience

Middle school students joined our youth for a week focused on food justice and service. Hottest week of the summer!

Young Life Camp

Over the summer, four youth and young adults made decisions to follow Jesus. MANY grew spiritually. "I discovered my voice and began to share my story."

TEEN MENTAL HEALTH AMBASSADORS: Apply Now!

This 2022-2023 school year we are hiring local teenagers for our Mental Health Ambassadors leadership and workforce development jobs.

Be part of a team of teenagers focused on decreasing the stigma, educating their peers and community about mental health, and creating innovative spaces for self-care and healing. Check out our teen job page and apply online. Contact us if you need help creating a resume.

 

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VIDEO: This Is Our Wish

“Think past the foreseeable sight, past the unforgettable fight into a mindset bringing forth light. That – that’s my with. This is our wish.” Spoken word by Aren Williams

 

Boston Project staff entered this summer with a heaviness in light of all that was – and is – happening nationally in regards to racial injustice and COVID-19. As a Christian ministry, we are motivated by God’s desire for justice. Christian Grant, our youth minister reflects, “From the Psalms to the Prophets to the New Testament, you see the recurring theme of God’s righteousness and justice. When Jesus dealt with Read the rest...

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Why I Volunteer: An Interview with Nalida Besson

An Interview with Nalida Besson, Neighbor Health and Wellness Educator (pictured, left)

 

Q: How have you grown or changed through volunteering with The Boston Project (BPM) and Talbot-Norfolk Triangle Neighbors United (TNT)?

 

Nalida: Through volunteering with BPM and TNT, I have grown to appreciate my neighborhood and community even more. I feel more connected to my neighbors. As a health and wellness educator, I have volunteered to do cooking demonstrations for the Healthy Community Days at Elmhurst Park and have had the chance to talk to many neighbors who were pleasantly surprised that “healthy” food could be easy to Read the rest...

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VIDEO: The Hill We Climb

Last night our teen Mental Health Ambassadors watched again and were moved by the inaugural poem “The Hill We Climb” by the 22-year-old National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman. At this moment in history, we see “light in this never-ending shade.” There is hope amidst the sometimes overwhelming work still to be done. 

 

In this context, our young people discussed the overlap and the gaps between the realms of politics, justice, and mental health. As we work to create just systems, young people understand that one’s own mental well-being is vital. History, media-bias, and the sheer weight of our Read the rest...

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Check out our latest video about what The Boston Project is. This is all possible through your partnership.… Read the rest...

The Boston Project is…

Check out our latest video about what The Boston Project is. This is all possible through your partnership.… Read the rest...

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Life Coaching: A Relationship Bigger Than A Program

When asked to describe his Life Coach, Collin smiles and quickly responds “He’s more of a friend than someone who’s just there to tell you something. Someone you can actually talk to. He gets me, he gets where I come from. In just a couple of months, teen Collin, and his coach David formed a remarkable relationship. David tells us “I told him I am not his coach because of the program, but because I care for him. We have always made our relationship bigger than the program.” 

 

Though COVID-19 affected their ability to meet in person, the two Read the rest...

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I’m so much more full of peace now

PJ entered the Boston Project backyard ready to make friends and learn, but was reserved and self conscious about talking in the group.  Besides the challenge of adjusting to a summer of COVID restrictions, she was upfront about working to get on the right path after hanging out with the wrong crowd.

 

PJ and The Mental Health Ambassadors team of six quickly grew close. Together, they worked to decrease the stigma, educate their peers and community, and create innovative spaces for self care and healing. PJ reflects how much it mattered. “Everyone on our team struggled with mental health Read the rest...

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From a Moment to a Movement

Monday, May 25 was a heart-breaking moment. “When I saw the video of George Floyd, it tore me up inside. It broke my soul to see that happen to a black man,” shared one of our teenagers, who is African-American. “This should not be happening in our time.” Another young person expressed, “My outrage started before when 12-year-old Tamir Rice was shot because of a toy gun.” A friend added, “It really does suck, but it some ways it feels normal. Change is not going to be fast, it’s been 500 years* for us already.”

 

Boston Project staff entered Read the rest...

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Sharing Stories, Sharing in Suffering

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.

~ Job 19:25

 

When Job wrote these words, he was in the midst of incredible suffering. His entire family and all of his accumulated wealth had been destroyed in a moment. To Job and those closest to him, there was no way to make sense of the tragedy. He was a God-follower. Why would such tragedy strike his life? His friends told him that he must have sin in his life that he was clinging to. If only he would repent, he would … Read the rest...

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CCDA Principle: Relocation

This is our first post from an 8-part series on the principles of CCDA (Christian Community Development Association), and how they apply to our ministry context in Boston.

 

By Liz Cressy 

In the Bible, John writes “The Word (Jesus) became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14, The Message). Jesus’ example inspires us. Relocation is about being present. It is neither paternalistic nor about moving people, rather it is an “unconditional commitment to a particular neighborhood.” Pastor Wayne Gordon* writes, “relocation entails desiring for our neighbors…what we desire for ourselves.” Jesus came from heaven to … Read the rest...

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