Our Mission
The Mission
The mission of In The Gap is to equip and inspire youth and adults to be positive leaders who model integrity, passionately love Jesus Christ, and effectively influence children to do the same.
In the Old Testament times, during the life of Ezekiel, the Children of Israel defiled themselves and their land. They made no differentiation between clean and unclean, holy and unholy, and the Lord was not pleased. So, “[the Lord] sought for a man among them, that would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.” (Ezekiel 22:30) What a sad state of affairs. In the entire land, the Lord couldn’t find even one to stand before Him on behalf of the land.
Our goal is to guide young individuals to ‘stand in the gap.’ To show people the ways of Christ. To make a difference and be salt and spread light in areas where only darkness is found. When the Lord searches for someone to stand in the gap, we want Him to say, “I can and will use you because your heart is right towards me.” Psalm 34:15 says, “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.” God is looking for people to make a difference in the world today. Our desire is to raise up individuals who will seek to transform their community and nation, one life at a time.
Why We Do What We Do
Broken families, miserable homes, gangs, Grand Theft Auto, drug deals, prison…these are the environments that some of Oklahoma City’s children are growing up in. When they watch the news and see the police arresting someone for a crime, it is real. The man that was placed in the back of a squad car wasn’t a stranger; it was probably a family member, or in the very least, a friend.
When we ask kids what they want to be when they grow up, so many of them say, “I don’t know. I’ll probably end up in prison ’cause that’s where my dad and older siblings are.” So many of these kids don’t realise that they don’t have to fall into this trap of life. They don’t know that they have a chance at being a “somebody” and becoming not just good, but great.
When we go into the public elementary schools we teach character qualities like: Dependability – Fulfilling what I consented to do, even if it means unexpected sacrifice; Boldness – Confidence that what I have to say or do is true, right, and just; Discretion – Recognizing and avoiding words, actions, and attitudes that could bring undesirable consequences; and Self-Control – Rejecting wrong desires and doing what is right.
We show kids through stories, illustrations, skits, and object lessons how to live their lives based on character. Basically, we give them reasons to do what is right. We explain to them why they should do what is right. A lot of the time these kids don’t know anyone who would stop and explain to them why drugs are bad, why stealing is wrong, or why you should stay pure until marriage.
These kids are begging for answers, but they are being shushed by the world. So we step in and say, “They need to know. They need to hear the right answers.”