Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 19 April 2001 — Page 29

The Muncie Times, April 19, 2001, page 29

NEIKIRLK FROM PAGE 27 “We have formed a partnership that is working. Buley and South Madison have become the flagships of the model for this type of faith-based cooperation. Another aspect I have tried to do is to try and produce a paradigm shift in how people perceive the community centers were bad because they were social agencies that either dealt with crime and drug problems or were merely recreating centers. During the 60s, when the centers were built, they were seen as places where social services were rendered. “I want them to be perceived as centers of empowerment, as resource centers and as places that foster community development. We want to change that paradigm. We want the centers to be seen in a favorable light. We want them to be places where people are taught skills, such as computer skills, where students are taught, as a place where people can see fathers involved with children. “We want the centers to become the lead in a mentorship program where adults teach kids social skills. At South Madison we already have a Brother to Brother program and a Sister to Sister program. These are our flagship programs. Harris and Scaife are making these things happen.” Beside the community centers’ initiative, last year Neikirk said Union Chapel Ministries began organizing cookouts in the Whiteley and Industry neighborhoods. The cookouts will continue during the summer. He said the cookouts are an opportunity to build relation-

ships between Union Chapel Ministries members and inner city residents. Another program is running buses to the inner city and downtown Muncie every Saturday morning to pick up young African Americans and bring them to Union Chapel. Neikirk preaches at these meetings, which attract 60 to 100 young blacks per week, while the Rev. Terrance Bridges leads the worship service. Neikirk said he would like to promote interaction between these young blacks and the mostly white youngsters who attend Union Chapel. “Youths are our treasure. We feel we need to pay more attention to them and begin to end the segregation between young whites and young blacks in Muncie,” he said. Neikirk wants to use the church 180 Program (which stands for a 180degree turnaround in attitude) to begin to integrate the youth communities. Union Chapel has 400 to 600 young members. Neikirk would like to see the young African American, Hispanic and white youths work together on common programs. Toward that end, the church is embarking on a project to build a $2 million youth facility. The church has 1,500 to 2,000 parishioners. It needs a bigger sanctuary to accommodate this membership, which is split into three services every Sunday. (For the Easter service, which attracts about 4,000 people, Union Chapel Ministries uses a larger facility, such as Emens Auditorium at Ball State University.) NEIKIRK SEE PAGE 30

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