Please lift us up in prayer......for blessing and strength from our Heavenly Father, and for the ability to discern His will for our organization, our work, and our community....for greater intimacy with our Saviour Jesus Christ, so that we can more closely resemble Him within the city that we love....for a pouring out of the Holy Spirit within us and our neighborhoods so that we can enter each day with Joy, Love and Zeal for the Kingdom work we are doing....for the safety and well-being of our Young Urban Missionaries, and that THEY would continue to be blessed and enriched by the wonderful work that they do....for continued and growing finacial support, so that we may, with God's blessing, reach more children, and expand our part of His work into our neighboring communities.

Kortlyn Shoemaker has started the Newark Gnomies Garden Club, which will continue through the summer. We believe we are to take care of the earth and not destroy it. It's been amazing to see how the idea of caring for God's creation has settled into the minds of the students who participate. Read about what's going on at:http://thenewarkgnomies.blogspot.com/

Volunteer OpportunitiesClick Here to view our Volunteer Flyer.

Feel free to contact us. Safe Haven is a valuable resource to God's work in Newark, and we welcome everyone who wants to partner with us.

What is Crossover?Crossover is Safe Haven's teen studio. We offer middle school and high school students with a safe place to learn, create, hang out, and grow.

What is SHAC? Healthy Snacks - Here at S.H.A.C. we understand the importance of healthy eating habits. Most of the children in our community are raised in homes where a typical meal consists of processed foods with very little nutritional value. At SHAC we introduce our students to creative snacks that are both healthy and taste good.Homework Help - Every day from 3:30-4:15 homework gets done!Art Program - Our students attend art class once a week. At the start of the school year our students learned about the elements of art, color theory and got to experiment with different art materials. They also learned the importance of doing ones own work and respecting all styles of art work, no matter how different or weird it may seem. The second half of the year our students learned about some famous artists and their styles of art. After learning about the artist and their art work the students then created their own art specific to each artist they learned about. Our focus for the art program is to give our students the opportunity to express themselves in a judge free environment, while equiping them with the tools and knowledge that allow them to be comfortable with the materials they are using.Social Development - Teaching the skills needed to survive in the real world.Chapel Time - Learning the Bible and understanding God's promises fufilled for us in Jesus Christ.Tutoring - Specialized Tutoring for students struggling in math and reading.

My name is Kortlyn Shoemaker aka, Korts McGorts, Kort Snort, Kort, or simply Princess of the Garden. I was born and raised in Pennsylvania, lived in NYC for four years and somehow ended up in Newark, NJ. I live in my pink apartment with my dog Sir Winston of Brill. I first came to Newark 6 years ago on a mission trip. Our job for the week was to dig dirt out of the basement. That basement is now Safe Haven's youth center. God called me back to Newark 2 years ago where I started teaching Sunday School and working in the community on the weekends. I moved to Newark in spring 2009 and joined the Safe Haven team in September of 2009 as the Art Director. I'm also the Community Garden Coordinator for the Safe Haven Community Garden. I'm currently working on obtaining city owned land so that we can expand our community garden to impact more members of our community. Living and working in this community has challanged me in many ways and has strengthened my relationship with our Father, opened my eyes to His grace and mercies and has given me a deeper understanding of the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ. I am so blessed to have so many friends and family members supporting me on this journey God has called me on.

Al Santino has been serving as Program Consultant and more recently Director of Operations at Safe Haven since July, 2010. He has served in community development ministries in the New York City area since 1986. From 1986 to1990 he worked with Here’s Life New York, the inner city arm of Campus Crusade for Christ, where he helped develop discipleship ministries and support groups for people with life controlling problems. In 1990 he founded and became Director of Help House, a residential program for men recovering from substance abuse, homelessness, prison consequences, and related issues. In 1999, together with his wife Haydee, he helped launch the Bronx Christian Study Center, which provided a biblical curriculum as well as GED tutoring and remedial education for adults. Al took on his present responsibility with the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee as Church and Community Consultant for the Northeast region in October, 2004. This includes serving as Director of the Northeast Community Transformation which helps equip churches and community organizations for the work of development and social justice. He obtained a Doctor of Ministry from Erskine Theological Seminary in May, 2010. The Santinos are currently involved on the leadership team of Open Door Fellowship, a new church plant in East Harlem, New York City. They have a ten year old son, Lorenzo.

Nelda Cerynik is our Master Administrator so basically she runs the show. She keeps everyone in line and we couldn't function with out her. Her sense of humor, love for the kids and witty sarcasm is only matched by her sweet organizing skills and accounting kung-fu...

Mike has 11 years experience working with teens in a not-for-profit environment and 7 years of professional experience as an artist, designer and instructor with an emphasis on urban youth culture. He is a6 year resident homeowner in Orange New Jersey, with strong and growing ties to churches and organizations devoted to youth empowerment and education in Essex County. He and his wife Page have been married for 12 years and have 2 children, Bella, 6, and Abraham, 3.

Nelda Cerynik is our Master Administrator so basically she runs the show. She keeps everyone in line and we couldn't function with out her. Her sense of humor, love for the kids and witty sarcasm is only matched by her sweet organizing skills and accounting kung-fu...

Mike has 11 years experience working with teens in a not-for-profit environment and 7 years of professional experience as an artist, designer and instructor with an emphasis on urban youth culture. As a 6 year resident homeowner in Orange New Jersey Mike has developed strong and growing ties to churches and organizations devoted to youth empowerment and education in Essex County. He and his wife, Page, have been married for 12 years and have 2 children, Bella, 6, and Abraham, 3.

David Comeau has been serving at Safe Haven as SHAC co-director since September 2010. He first came to safe haven on a series of short-term mission trips while in college from 2006-2010. David grew up working with youth at a non-profit ministry in Southeast DC. In college David began a homeless ministry in Newport News where he went to school. David spent his summers traveling and doing missions overseas, as a youth intern in Falls Church, VA, and working in Newark. After graduating from Christopher Newport University in May 2010, David moved to Newark to join Safe Haven staff. His primary focus at Safe Haven is training and mentoring our high school staff. David also loves spending free time in our community with the families of the youth we serve at Safe Haven. David also serves as our missions team coordinator in the spring and Summer and loves working with high school and college students who come to Newark on missions trips. David is currently finishing up a program in urban youth ministry through Fuller Seminary. He has also benefited greatly from the training on community development and youth empowerment through the DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative. David is excited to see God raising up high school students in our neighborhood to be disciples of Christ and community leaders.

About Nehemiah Project• Nehemiah Project is a week long service opportunity deep in the heart of Newark• Safe Haven Urban Redemption is a Christ centered urban ministry• While you are here you will be serving urban youth. Youth are our passion at SafeHaven. We expect that for the week you serve, youth will be your passion too.• We suggest groups of 10 but no greater than 25 people• We take care of your food and lodging• Our week is designed to be intense and full of activity2012 Available DatesSpring• Week 1: Sat. February 25 – Fri. March 2• Week 2: Sat. March 3 - Fri. March 9• Week 3: Sat. March 10 - Sat. March 16• Week 4-6: (Customized for the rest of the spring to fit your dates)Summer• Week 1: Sat June 9 - Fri. June 15• Week 2: Sat June 16 -Fri. June 22• Week 3: Sat June 23 -Fri. June 29• Week 4: Sat. June 30 - Fri. July 6• Week 5: Sat. July 7 - Fri. July 13• Week 6: Sat. July 14 - Fri. July 20• Week 7: Sat. July 21 - Fri. July 27• Week 8: Sat. July 28 - Fri. August 3• Week 9: Sat. August 4 – Fri. August 10• Week 10: Sat. August 11 - Fri. August 17Mission ActivitiesWorking with urban youth. Youth are our priority and focus. You will work with kids, love them, play with them, do a variety of developmental activities with them. Building relationships is vital to our ministry. It is also important that you teach the kids in our community about Jesus in a way the children can understand. God’s word is central in all we do. We use music, drama, games, arts and crafts and other educational components in our programs. Come prepared with ideas and plenty of energy.Community Outreach. Your service week will incorporate time for reaching out to the community through physical and spiritual restoration and service. Our goal is to show the community that the church is not a building, and that the love of Christ is everywhere His followers go. Outreach like this is what has made our ministry such a light to the community. Our hope is that these outreaches will affect people’s hearts and show them what the church is really meant to be. Below are a few different activities that you will engage in:1. Community Beautification – Cleaning off graffiti, litter pick up, basic landscaping, gardening and minor construction projects in our community.2. Building Repair – There are many churches and community assets around Newark in need of repair (including ours). The high cost of upkeep and the low amount of income from our poor congregations leave many church buildings in disrepair. If youhave any type of carpentry or painting skills this is a great chance to serve the body of Christ in Newark by helping fix things in these buildings.3. Discipleship – It is our goal that teams find someone in the community they befriend and disciple on a personal basis. This means gospel centered relationship development. Please be praying about this before you come.4. Homeless Ministry – Serving some of our partners who minister to the homeless.Work along side of, feed, clothe, and pray for those in the deepest need.5. Day trips – We will also be taking kids from the Summer Camp on various trips throughout the summer. We will be going to the pool, the zoo, museums and many other great places.6. In-reach activities•Education - Learn through teaching and training about living as an active member of the Kingdom of God in this Earth. •Heart Check - This is our teaching and worship time. We will sing some songs of praise and then a speaker will share from God’s Word.•Debriefing time - We encourage each group to set aside a time each day to talk about the events of the day.•Free Time - Each day there is free time blocked off in the schedule to do whatever you want to do (as long as it is within the guidelines each team leader sets). This is a great time for your group to grow together•Free Day-There are a variety of activities to do on your free day. Most groups use this as a day to explore nearby New York City. Nehemiah Project 2010 Mission Week Schedule(This an example of a team’s schedule for one of the mission weeks. )Saturday4:00 –6:00 pm – Team arrives7:00 pm – Registration and Dinner8:00 pm – Orientation9:00 pm – Worship and prayer time10:00 pm – Get settled11:00 pm – Lights outSunday9:30 am - Breakfast11:15 am - Church service12:30 pm - Free time10:00 pm - Be back at the church11 pm - Lights out.Week days:7:30 am - Wake up, shower, personal devotions,8 am - Breakfast and clean up, pack lunches9 am - Group time/reflection9:30 am - Head to activity site (or Summer Camp if it is in session)10-1:30 - Activity1:30 pm - Lunch2:00 pm - Travel back to Safe Haven2:30 pm - Regrouping/planning time3 - 5:30 pm *Plug in time.6:00 pm - Dinner6:50 pm - Clean up7:30 pm - Heart Check8:30 pm - Free time11:00 pm – Lights out*Plug in time - This is time where you can continue activities with the kids, continue to work on work projects.More DetailsSleeping arrangements1. All missionaries sleep on the floor in one of the church rooms. Everyone sleeps in sleeping bags (or on air mattresses if you have them.)2. Boys and girls must stay in different areas in order to help maintain integrity. A room designated as a boys’ room for the week cannot be entered by females for any reason. The same applies for girls’ rooms: no guys allowed.Bathrooms and Showers1. There are designated male and female bathrooms at the church. Teams will develop a plan of action for taking showers to fit into your schedule.2. Each missionary is responsible for packing his or her own towel and toiletries.Meals and suppliesSafe Haven will take care of all supplies for meals. It comes out of the money raised to be here.Cost & Payment:Cost is $280/ week/person (Check made payable to “Safe Haven”). A $50 Deposit is required per child when forms are sent in. 50% of total cost is due two weeks before trip Remaining balance due on arrival What does that include?• Food• Lodging• Program costsGoals for every “Spend Yourself” Mission TripAll encompassing Goal: God receives Glory though hard work and available joyful spirits.”My responsibility is availability to Jesus Christ. To be who He is in terms of who I am, 24 hours a day one day at a time.” - Major Ian ThomasAll of Jesus in all of me. My life filled with His life.For more information contact David Comeau at 703-915-8724 or davidcomeau1@gmail.comCLICK HERE to view our Nehemiah Weekend Flyer.

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OUR MISSION“To make right what has been broken in Newark by educating, equipping, and empowering the next generation.""To be developed for God's Glory and the joy of others." That is what you will hear our youth say when asked that question. We all are truly in the process of and are learning through living in community together how to love God and each other better.Our team is here because God has called us to be planters, sowing the seeds of gospel truth into the hearts of inner city children and youth, with the hope that someday they will sprout into oaks of righteousness for the glory of God and the joy of all people. We are here in response to Christ’s sacrifice for us and in view of such mercy, we desire to sacrifice our time, resources, gifts and abilities for the children and youth of our community so that they may see, believe and be transformed into disciples of Christ that do the same. We desire to bear witness to the fullness of the gospel and its power to transform the physical, social, psychological, emotional and spiritual framework of our neighborhoods.

Our HistoryWe are a community development ministry of Trinity Reformed Church of the RCA. Our community simply calls us "The Church," as we do the work we believe the church should be doing. Trinity Church has been in this communtiy since 1856. Like many churches in urban centers, Trinity had fallen apart and forgotten its mission to serve the poor, broken and marginalized of this world. The building was in disarray, and about to be knocked down. In 2002 Dr. Bill Iverson had a vision to rebuild Trinity to be a place of hope for the community. Service teams of teenagers and adult volunteers came and began fixing the building. In 2003, Bill's grandson Danny Iverson joined his grandfather in this worthy and seemingly impossible endeavor. In 2006 Danny founded Safe Haven as a means to reach the youth of the community. Since then we have turned the 150 year old church building 2 blocks away from Hyatt court projects (crip headquarters in Newark) into a community center that develops youth on every level. Through creative empowerment of community members and partnerships with churches, the city, and business we have been able to develop effective and sustainable programs that transform the hearts and lives of every type of person regardless of their a race, religion, or social status. We recently finished a youth center equipped with a recording studio, a high profile computer lab, and a recreational center. This new “Safe Haven” has become the hot spot on the block for children and teenagers of the community and the programs we continue to develop out of this center are having an amazing impact. Safe Haven Urban Redemption headquarters is in a key location for effectively reaching at-risk youth. There are an estimated 2,500 youth within a 15 block radius of our center, three project housing complexes, four K-8th grade schools, and one high-school (East side High). Our building is located within four blocks of all three projects, and across the street from Hawkins street school.

Help with SHACEvery day, after school, 25 kids come over to Safe Haven for snacks, homework help, tutoring, music lessons, and to have a safe fun place where they learn about God"s love and make friends.

So what is S.H.A.C?Well.... It stands for Safe Haven After Class and it is the coolest after school program in the hood.Here's the many different components of SHAC.Healthy Snacks - Here at S.H.A.C. we understand the importance of healthy eating habits. Most of the children in our community are raised in homes where a typical meal consists of processed foods with very little nutritional value. At SHAC we introduce our students to creative snacks that are both healthy and taste good.Homework Help - Every day from 3:30-4:15 homework gets done!Art Program - Our students attend art class once a week with Miss Kortlyn. At the start of the school year our students learned about the elements of art, color theory and got to experiment with different art materials. They also learned the importance of doing ones own work and respecting all styles of art work, no matter how different or weird it may seem. The second half of the year our students learned about some famous artists and their styles of art. After learning about the artist and their art work the students then created their own art specific to each artist they learned about. Our focus for the art program is to give our students the opportunity to express themselves in a judge free environment, while equiping them with the tools and knowledge that allow them to be comfortable with the materials they are using.Social Development - Teaching the skills needed to survive in the real world.Spiritual Time - Learning the Bible and understanding God's promises fufilled for us in Jesus Christ.Tutoring - Specialized Tutoring for students struggling in math and reading.

Welcome

Thank you for joining us in our mission to redeem Newark by investing in the city's young people.We have a huge passion to see the curses in our communtiy reversed by radical unconditinal love put on display through authentic relationships. We are all community people, learning together how to serve and love "the hell" out of each other while reaching the next generation through strategic and intentional mentorship, reuniting the family, and empowering them to teach others to do the same.

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Safe Haven Urban Redemption483 Ferry Street, Newark NJ 07105Ph: 973-344-8717 Fax: 973-344-8228