Youth ministry veteran Amy Williams ministers to teens involved in gangs and those lost in the criminal justice system with a key strategy of life-on-life mentoring.Amy Williams' WebsiteWorth Seeing: Viewing Others Through God’s EyesAmy Williams on IVPressWHAT YOU'LL LEARN:Seeing People “through the lens of God” in Daily Interactions and Decision-MakingMeaningful Inclusion with At-Risk YouthLearning More from These Youths than Any Other GroupABOUT THE GUEST: Youth ministry veteran Amy Williams ministers to teens involved in gangs and those lost in the criminal justice system with a key strategy of life-on-life mentoring. As a certified gang intervention specialist, she heard God's call to move into a Latino gang neighborhood in Chicago's Humboldt Park community to be a "Hope Dealer" doing street outreach and walking life with young people on her block. Amy is project coordinator at New Life Centers, bringing in restorative justice programming to youth at juvenile prisons. Amy has been a youth pastor, a reentry coordinator, and a youth mentor and advocate. She is a graduate of both University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and National Louis University. She resides in Chicago and loves salsa dancing and is a true beach baby.TIMESTAMPED SHOWNOTES:01:22 - Introducing Amy Williams05:42 - Amy's inspiration to work with high-risk youth06:42 - ...deepest pain can become greatest passion07:25 - ...pull for the underdog07:54 - Seeing People “through the lens of God” in Daily Interactions and Decision-Making08:07 - ...evaluate ability to see people through the lens of God08:42 - ...seeing the value and worth of young people09:09 - ...God created them for a purpose09:48 - Meaningful Inclusion with At-Risk Youth10:13 - ...moving from being watched to being seen10:49 - ...inviting them into a space where they should already be invited to11:12 - Justice and Mercy11:37 - ...the call is to serve both the harmed and the harm-doer12:05 - ...spirit of mercy12:31 - ...not "What's wrong with you?" but "What happened to you?"13:02 - ...compassion for both14:54 - ...understanding but not agreeing15:40 - ...opportunity to chnage the direction of kids' lives16:57 - ...hope that her book would inform us about the issues and help turn compassion into action17:25 - Learning More from These Youths than Any Other Group19:55 - The Need to Belong21:26 - Doing Better22:07 - ...include people who are involved in the situation22:57 - ...create spaces for the voices25:08 - What keeps you going after decades of such intense work?26:12 - ...God-given work26:37 - ...community of support27:06 - ...lost too many young people-- someone is praying for help28:43 - Give our young people a chance29:21 - Getting in touch with Amy Williams: ahopedealer.org29:49 - Book on ivpress.comDID YOU APPRECIATE THIS PODCAST? Checkout previous episodes, leave a review, drop us a note or support the mission here: oururbanvoices.com