About Forge

ABOUT

FORGE

Over the past decades we have seen kids become increasingly separated from adults, in both natural and programmatic settings. Sometimes this has happened by choice and other times as the adult population sought to “provide more focused services” to help people in their specific stages of life.
Unfortunately, we didn’t realize how true learning happens in the presence of a variety of teachers and role models. Yes, we can grow and gain some insights alongside peers who we often feel most comfortable sharing our personal thoughts, but most valuable education occurs as we walk with those who have already faced our struggles, learned valuable lessons, and discovered how to successfully navigate life’s challenges.

To better our communities and our country, we must reconnect the generations.

A quick evaluation of the study by The Commission on Children at risk, entitled Hardwired to Connect, concludes that negative behaviors and mental health struggles faced by young people can be significantly impacted by linking young people to adults in one-to-one and large group settings with older generations.

“…what’s causing this crisis of American childhood is a lack of connectedness. We mean two kinds of connectedness - close connections to other people, and deep connections to moral and spiritual meaning.”

Forge is leading this movement of Connecting generations to restore hope in our communities and help young people find their God-given potential, by:

  • Enlightening the community of the need for and benefit of cross-generational engagement
  • Recruiting, training, and providing great mentors for kids in need
  • Inspiring and equipping the adult population to effectively reach out to younger generations
  • Teaching and facilitating young and old how to effectively form positive and lasting bonds
  • Empowering and motivating churches to embrace efforts to increase natural and intentional mentoring

We believe in the power of the Christian church to play a significant role in building our communities. We know that those who live by faith, dedicate themselves to spiritual statutes, and strive to be more godly can only help to improve themselves and those around them. Their commitment to grow causes them to serve through empathy, love, service, and sharing with all people – living out an expressed of these scripture verses:

“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” James 1:27 NLT

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families…” Psalm 68:5-6a

Forge is leading this movement of Connecting generations to restore hope in our communities and help young people find their God-given potential, by:

OUR

VALUES

Christ-Centered

Following the Savior and modeling the Word of God

Church-Driven

Partnering to mobilize and equip believers for mutual growth

Volunteer Empowerment

Investing in unpaid workers for key tasks to economize programming.

Equip and Support

Quality training and ongoing encouragement for staff and volunteers.

Safety & Transparency

Protecting all participants and partners with clear guidelines and communication.

Strategic Excellence

Balancing a ministry heart and business mind to achieve our calling and potential.

Reconnect Generations

Partnering diverse ages to develop greater understanding, respect, and love.

Everyone Has a Story

Empathy leads to tangible help and a desire to learn from others brings wisdom

Growth & Transformation

Through mentor relationships, kids and adults will make lasting positive change.

Statement of Faith

We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.

We believe that there is one God, the Creator, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful people, that all who by faith receive the Lord Jesus Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God.

We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, with equality across racial, gender, and class differences

In the bodily resurrection of the just and unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting punishment of the lost.

That the Holy Spirit indwells and gives spiritual life to all believers, enables them to understand biblical truth, empowers them for godly living, and equips them for service and witness.

We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.