MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – For three years, a local program gives young people on probation the chance to look at life from a new perspective.

Thanks to a partnership between Cottage Hill Baptist Church and Juvenile Judge Edmond Naman, a volunteer program allows youth and their families at Strickland Youth Center to experience a new way of life.

CHBC Pastor Alan Floyd said this program is all about helping the community.

“We feel like we have an opportunity and an obligation to talk about spiritual things,” Floyd said. “It’s amazing how the parents and guardians and those young people, these young people, react and say: “You know, I want to make a change in my life. In every aspect of my life,” they say, and they know the key. “We help them understand that the key is a relationship with God because He is the one who can change the heart.”

During this eight-week program, Pastor Lonnie Lundy leads discussions about orientation, family, work ethic, future plans, and more to instill a sense of purpose and hope.

According to Judge Naman, there has been a steady increase in the number of young people coming to the Strickland Youth Center in the past year, mostly due to a common trend.

“98 percent of the kids that come to me come from a really stressful home,” Naman said. “Single parents or grandparents raising children don’t have what they need. We have seen how a lot of disorder begins in our children’s lives and how the time they spend in that church changes everything in many cases.”

Last Thursday, many young people in the program and even their parents decided to get baptized, showing off their renewed lifestyle.

“We feel very fortunate to have Country Hill Baptist Church,” Naman said. “Not only are they serving themselves, but they are also reaching out to others and trying to make our community better.”

“That’s really our goal,” Lundy said. “This is a lifelong change for them.”

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