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MARCH 5, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
Bringing passion and purpose to RAISE28 BY CAT SHANNON
Transforming conflict into conversation BY CAT SHANNON
For just over two years, community organization Advoz worked with middle and high school students in the Elizabethtown Area School District to reduce conflicts and promote restorative practices. Although the Lancaster-based organization’s participation in the district ended after grant funding ran out, Advoz saw positive results from collaborating with
the students, and it’s now looking to expand Advoz partnerships with other districts in the county. From Elizabethtown, Advoz staff members worked with ninth-grade students in the School District of Lancaster to highlight mitigation of classroom conf lict and improve communication skills. “We focused on an introduction of conflict skills, ‘I’ messages, and the various conflict styles of different people,” See Conversation pg 3
Keith Cullen
life-changing Gospel of Jesus.” He also wants to highlight and honor the history of RAISE28, which was founded in 1982. “We have seen many changes in more recent years,” he shared. “Some challenges will be how we might incorporate some old ideas in new ways. Though we have much work ahead of us, we have an excellent team of staff and volunteers that share in this ministry - some we may not have met yet!” Located at 105 Fairview St., Mount Joy, R AISE28 offers a f t e r - s c h o o l p r o g r a m s fo r youths in kindergarten through 12th grade. “We enjoy a good amount of games and activities, share a meal together - provided free by our volunteers - and spend time learning from the Bible,” Cullen remarked. “Additionally, we host community events throughout the year; offer free programs such as music and karate lessons; and provide academic services and professional development such
as tutoring, volunteering and internships.” Cullen moved with his family to Mount Joy in 2020. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Vicki, and their daughters, Charis and Magnolia, ages 4 and 2, respectively. “A few of our favorite things are going on bike rides, hiking and birding, reading and singing and dancing,” he said, sharing that his personal hobbies are varied as well. “I have my hands in a little bit of everything, but I enjoy training in MMA, skateboarding, playing guitar and learning Spanish.” He’s optimistic about what the future holds for him at RAISE28, and he’s passionate about sharing the organization’s services with even more students. “We’re excited for all that God is doing in our community,” he said, “and we look forward to serving alongside those who share the heart of our mission.” For more infor mation on RAISE28, visit https://raise28.org.
School District of Lancaster students participate in a peer mediation training.
Lanco Senior Softball league seeks players BY GEORGE DEIBEL
If you are 58 years old or older and enjoy staying active, the Lanco Senior Softball league is looking for you. Men and women within a 100mile radius of Lancaster city who are interested in playing can contact league president Dave Dean at 610-334-1124 or email treasurer Dave Zerbe at dzerbe @comcast.net. “We are looking for players,” said Zerbe, who resides in Strasburg. “Anybody interested in
playing should call or email and give us your contact information so we can follow up with you. But if there are people who can’t play anymore, but would like to help coach, we’d be interested in those people.” Each team has a coach and an assistant coach, and some serve as league officers and board members. Lanco Senior Softball, which started in 1990, currently has about 200 players divided among 12 teams split into two divisions, American and National. See Softball pg 2
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“I
came to know Jesus when I was 15 years old,” said Keith Cullen, the new director of student ministries at RAISE28 (formerly Rainbow’s End Youth Services). “Introducing young people to the good news of Jesus is just me sharing what has been shared with me.” Cullen assumed the role in late January, but he was already very familiar with the youth center and its mission, having served on the board for the previous two years. He grew up in Romulus, Mich., and attended Moody Bible Institute in Spokane, Wash. For five years prior to his new position, he served as a youth pastor in Mount Joy. His diverse background also includes working for Jon Brandt Landscaping and Excavating in Elizabethtown and for WellSpan in mental health and applied behavior analysis services. When the director of student ministries opportunity arose at RAISE28, Cullen was eager to step in. “Being a board member for two years prior has given me more of a bird’s-eye view,” he said. “When the opportunity came, I sensed it to be the right move and all in God’s timing.” In his new position, he wants to absorb as much information as possible and form strong partnerships, he said. “My goal is to learn all that I can about our ministry to best serve our community,” he explained. “My aim is to collaborate with students, parents, volunteers and community leaders to discover how to best fulfill our mission of reaching local youth with the
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