The investment that UYWI makes in training high capacity leaders is producing a fruit-bearing, multiplying movement of well–equipped urban youth leaders who are reaching and discipling at-risk youth in their cities. Tommy Nixon is a UYWI veteran leader and also the founder of Solidarity. Solidarity empowers believers to be dynamic followers of Christ whose lifestyle…

Dear UYWI Family, I was recently trying to explain to a brand new believer what the bible was. I’ve heard people describe the bible as God’s “manual” for living. Personally, I think that doesn’t do the bible justice. I prefer to describe it as a collection of stories, told from the beginning of time, from…

EPiC Ministries I am currently enrolled in the UYWI’s 90 Degrees Certification Program and I serve youth at EPiC Ministries. The name EPiC Youth is very important to our vision of Jr High and High School Ministry. Endless Power in Christ is what we want to impress upon the minds, hearts, and souls of all the…

Dear Urban Youth Workers Institute family, Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. This was largely shaped by my memories as a child at my Aunt Alice’s farmhouse where she and my Mom would cook up the most amazing Thanksgiving delicacies. The magnificent smells that came out of that kitchen were unrivaled and today still…

Letty is currently enrolled in the UYWI Los Angeles 90 Degrees cohort and is the Director of LOT318 which stands for “Loving Others in Truth” from the verse 1 John 3:18. LOT318 exists to minister to at risk youth and their community by empowering them to see their worth and purpose in this world. They…

I was born in Los Angeles and raised in a poor community in Fresno, CA. I am intimately connected with the inner-city since I was a gang-member and school drop-out. In prison, God called me and my life took a radically different direction. I became the first in my family to graduate from university, completing…

Nearly everywhere we look, the consequences of drug abuse can be seen. Drugs have changed the social landscape of America. Drug abuse can cause addiction, lead to gangs, violence, crime, organ failure, mental illness, and death. A study on the use of illicit drugs in America shows that drug use among teens is rising. According…

On August 2-3, 150 middle and high school youth and their leaders gathered at Biola University for our 2-day ManHood Camp – an event designed to help urban young men gain practical wisdom, inspiration and tools for becoming the men God created them to be. Our team of dynamic speakers shared valuable insights regarding purity,…