You may be wondering where we have been? SUMMER CAMP 2014!  This summer was an incredibly awesome summer of kids, music, laughter, art, heat, dance, food, drama, water games, and most importantly, Christ. Each and ever year, it is amazing to see the Lord provide staff and money to run another summer of UA camps. This 7th summer was no exception. We were able to run four camps with nearly 200 kids. The theme of camp was based on Ephesians 6:10-18 this summer. "SUIT UP". Put on your full armor and prepare for battle. As the campers rotated to their classes each day and at the end of each week they put on a stellar performance. For more pictures and videos pop over to our facebook page! We'd love for you to be our friend:) Until next summer...

Kids with no inhibitions could potentially cause stress for the adults who are working with them. But when you see a child walk up to an elderly person in a wheelchair and throw their arms wide open for a hug, you have to smile and love the impulsive action.

Today 58 elementary and middle school kids took their Saturday to serve others. Meeting at Highland Park Community Outreach, Urban Arts hosted the fall service project along with Kids that Rock from Kensington Church.  Splitting into three groups, the kids rotated to an outdoor paint activity, an indoor craft project and a music class.  Once the projects were completed, we loaded up and drove over to the Highland Park Nursing Home where the kids sang three songs and presented the crafts they made to the residents of the home.

Jesus was present and the children's love was abounding!

Hi Friends,
In two months, Urban Arts will be running our fourth year of summer camps in Detroit! We are so blessed to be able to continue this ministry and are only able to do so with the Lord's help, your generous gifts and much needed prayers. :)

Summer camps will run for four weeks this year. We will be partnering with City Mission, Central Detroit Christian, and Highland Park Community Outreach. If you live in the metro Detroit area and are interested in helping during the summer please contact us! The dates for the camps are as follows:

June 27-July 1
July 5-9
July 11-15
July 18-22

Also, included below is a list of items that we need for our camps. Most are food items and craft supplies. If you would like to donate and item please contact us here. Gift cards and cash donations are also helpful as we purchase these supplies.

Supply Needs
1. Performance Dinner @ City Mission
______ taco shells
______ 3 large salsas
______ 2 large boxes tortilla chips..2bags in each box (found at Sam’s Club or Costco. OR large bags from the grocery store.
______ 10 pounds shredded cheese
______ 2 cans of Nacho Sauce (found at SAMS or Gordon’s Food Service)
______3 large sour creams
______ 2 large bags of shredded lettuce (GFS, Sam’s, Costco)
______ Box of tomatoes
______ 10 envelopes of taco seasoning
______ 4 large containers of lemonade mix
______ 3 containers PRE-made brownies (Sam’s/Costco/GFS)
______ 150 9oz. cups
______ 150 plasticware
______ 150 dinner plates
______ 150 bowls
______ dessert plates
______ napkins
______ 6 large aluminum foil pans
______ 6 medium aluminum foil pans
______ 35 pounds meat (or money donated to purchase it)
______ 250-300 individually wrapped ice cream bars
______ 2 large drink containers/dispensers
2. Craft Supplies
_____ 40 bags of polyfill pillow stuffing
_____ 100 pack blank CD’Rs
_____ Glue sticks
3. Snacks/Lunches
______600 granola bars
______ 200-400 Go-gurts
______ 200-400 freeze pops
______ 200-400 fruit snacks
______ 200-400 cheese sticks
______ mac & cheese for 100
______ spaghetti noodles for 100
______ spaghetti sauce for 100
______ hot dogs for 100
______ hot dog buns for 100
______ ranch dressing
______ mustard/ketchup
______oranges/apples
______lemonade or koolaid mix

Please pray for the 200+ kids we will be ministering to this summer! Our theme is "Make Your Mark". We pray that these youth will be trained to live like Jesus and serve Him to "make their mark" on the world they live in.

Grace&Peace,
Katie Beth Hostetter
Director, Urban Art Outreach
www.urbanartoutreach.com

How do you teach youth to serve others? Is it something that comes naturally--putting other people before yourself? Most would laugh and say 'No way!'.  So how to we come by this selfless action and attitude? By knowing Christ. Urban Art volunteers do their best to model a servant's attitude for the youth to see.  Serving is showing others' Christ's unselfish love. What better way to teach youth to serve than to give them the opportunity. 

Saturday was the second "Service Project" day for UA students at HPCO. We partnered with Kids that Rock, a performing arts program from Kensington Community Church.  The children arrived in the morning ready to work! They split into groups and worked on making St. Patrick Day table decorations for the Highland Park Nursing Home as well as practiced several songs they would perform for the residents of the nursing home.   

After lunch, everyone loaded up and caravan-ed to the nursing home. For some kids it was a stretch to walk into such a different environment: seeing elderly people in wheelchairs, smelling different smells, watching nurses take care of individuals who needed extra TLC. But each child who walked into the building knew why they were there and what they needed to do. Share the love of Christ. With each song that was sung and each table decoration that was made with the residents the smiles on the faces of the kids got bigger and bigger. They enjoyed spending their entire Saturday serving others. This is only the beginning of their young lives and we pray that their heart of service will continue to grow as large as the smiles on their faces when they left at the end of the day.

We are so thankful for individuals and small groups who take time to make dinners and goodies for the Urban Art students on Monday evenings. This night, a small group from KCC, made sloppy joes, fruit jello, corn and provided drinks and paper products. Thanks you guys!! It was yummie;)