By: Curt Williams, Founder & Executive Director
We are not quite in a position to share too much, as there are still decisions being made, due diligence to be performed, and oversight by our board members to be done, but here is a sneak peek of what is shaping up at Youth-Reach.
In 2016, the board of Youth-Reach Houston began to look down the road and into the future and ask the tough questions regarding the leadership that would take the ministry into the next evolution of Youth-Reach. It was found that 76% of Christian ministries do not survive the death of their founder; and though I am in good health, I have been at the helm for over 38 years and was one of the first to begin to consider the need for a plan. So, four years ago we began a ten-year succession plan, and we were blessed to be able to partner with Dr. Dave Robinson who has been both instrumental and critical to the implementation of this plan. As it has progressed, we have learned much, and adjustments have been made.
76% of Christian ministries do not survive the death of their founder.
More on this will be shared in upcoming newsletters.
In addition, we are looking to rework the process we have followed to duplicate the work of Youth-Reach in other locations. Additional campuses have been a part of the vision for years, and the successful work that has been established in coastal Alabama (the 81-acre Youth-Reach Gulf Coast) has taught us the needed process, but we believe that with the right system new campuses can be a reality in a much quicker and more efficient way. That is why we are beginning the work to establish Youth-Reach, Inc. which will serve as the entity that provides oversight, direction, counsel, conflict resolution, and ministry continuity for all our campuses. Youth-Reach, Inc. will be led by a small staff made up of an Executive Director, a Director of Development, and a CFO, with its own oversight board made up of two members of each campuses’ local board. It sounds complicated, but once established, Youth-Reach will be positioned to duplicate our work around the country.
And to wrap up this sneak peek, we want to share that we are deeply involved now with very early investigations and fact-finding concerning the next possible campus location which may be in San Ramon, Costa Rica. We wish that we could share more, but we are fully submitted to our boards (both here in Houston and the board of Youth-Reach Gulf Coast) and until they give us the go-ahead, any big announcement would be premature. But… we can be definite on one point:
We need your prayers as we press forward with all of this. We are very busy with these challenges, all the while caring for some amazing boys in Houston and some awesome young men at Youth-Reach Gulf Coast.
More info to come…
