Friend of Salem,

Imagine yourself, if you will, in the following situation: You have a teenage boy with whom you are having major problems. He won’t get up in the morning.  He won’t go to school. He is aggressive around his siblings and others. He is hanging out with people you do not know and are unsure about. You wonder whether or not he is using drugs.

You have had countless arguments with him about his choices, and where he is headed in life if he keeps up his present course. And he responds to your intervention by swearing at you and telling you to leave him alone. Or maybe even worse, he is silent.

You do not know why he is in this situation, but you are desperate to help him. And he does not even seem to care. He is cold to your counsel and he is cold to how God can help him. When he is on, he is such a good kid, and you just want him to know that you love him and care for him. But now you are at a point where have almost given up hope.

These are the boys we work with every day at Salem.

Boys who seem to have lost their way.  Boys who are resistant to the instruction and intercession of others. Boys whose parents desperately want them to succeed. Boys who the world is ready to write off. And it would be easy for us to write them off too, except for one thing; just like you and me, they are created in the image and likeness of God.

And that one thing is what drives us here at Salem. Being created in God’s image is what gives us our value. It is not based on our looks, how smart we are, how rich we are, or anything else.

Each young man that comes to Salem is an individual, created by God, for His glory, and with a purpose.

It is our mission to help our boys to see this and to aid them in finding their purpose in life, which is ultimately to bring glory to God.  We absolutely cannot do this without your support. For those who have stood faithfully behind Salem in the past, thank you so much for your support.

We would ask that as we approach the end of the year, you would not forget us. We need you now more than ever.  If you have not contributed to Salem in the past, we would ask you to please consider the worthiness of our mission. We love our boys, and we need your help.

 

Blessings!

Brent Ketring

Brent Ketring MDiv

Director of Operations