St. Jude’s guys on their way to Bible study.

One single factor is responsible for these results:

• 5x more likely to commit suicide
• 32x more likely to be runaways or homeless
• 14x more likely to rape someone
• 20x more likely to have behavioral problems
• 9x more likely to drop out of school
• 10x more likely to have inpatients chemical abuse treatment
• 20x more likely to go to prison
• 711% more likely to have a teen pregnancy
• 92% more likely to end up divorced

The factor: Not having a father involved in a child’s life. In our church’s youth group 15% have a dad living in the home. Ask yourself what happens when we disenfranchise the urban male. Ask yourself if our society can afford the results. 

I have a photograph in my office of seven young men from our neighborhood sitting on boulders in Oak Creek. None of them had dads engaged in their lives. We were on a discipleship weekend-so these were guys who had chosen a life of faith instead of a life on the streets. Fast forward four years: Two of them are young men of amazing positive impact, serving God by mentoring other urban young men. Two were already in prison serving hard time for violent crimes. The other three remain on the bubble. Not yet productive members of society. But not in prison either. Economically, the continued existence of our country depends on the five supporting the two. If we end up in a situation where the two support the five…well, the economics just don’t work.

Consider this: In high crime neighborhoods, 90% of children from stable 2 parent homes where the Father is involved do not become delinquents.

What can you do? Amare Stoudemire started a charity called “Each One, Teach One.” I don’t know anything about his charity, but the concept is right. Men, find a young man to come along side of for the next decade. Not 10 or 20. Just one. If you need help finding one or with what to do, ask me. I know lots of them who would love an older Christian friend to help them navigate the waters of life.

(Statistics Retrieved from: http://thefatherlessgeneration.wordpress.com/statistics/)