Alaska ICE puts forth focused efforts with faith communities because of the natural, positive environment that faith communities provide for healthy youth-adult interaction. This faith initiative (formerly known as Alaska Faith Communities Concerned for Children or AFCCC) is designed to be a resource for faith communities as they assume their role in positive youth development.

The Assets Framework clearly shows that the best way to build strong, healthy, caring youth is when everyone in a community (family, schools, faith communities, health care institutions, businesses, arts programs and youth groups) takes part in the social and educational growth of our youth.

Alaska ICE is prepared to provide training, workshops, and assistance with the Assets Framework and provide interactive demonstrations which illustrate how assets work and how to build them. A library of youth development resources such as books, pamphlets, email newsletters, and websites will be available to assist faith communities in developing assets. Our Alaska ICE Community Engagement Educators are also available to coach to faith communities during this process. Ideally, an alliance of faith community asset builders will be realized as part of this initiative, and children and adults of all faiths will benefit from our efforts.

The Faith-Community Mission of Alaska ICE

The Faith-Community mission of Alaska ICE is to provide communities of all faiths with the tools and support to build assets in youth. Our goal is to promote positive youth development by preserving, sustaining, and building upon the foundation of healthy relationships that exist within faith communities.

Alaska Homilies to Help Kids Succeed is a publication written for use by faith communities of all kinds. The format of Homilies enables each of the 40 Developmental Assets to be described in a homily, or brief sermon. For each asset, this publication contains a page of ideas that individuals and groups can use to help foster Developmental Assets in their faith community.

Find out more about Alaska Homilies and get your free copy today!

The Role of Faith Communities

Youth development includes all parts of a child’s social, emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual growth. There are opportunities within faith communities to carry the assets message into every class, activity, relationship and worship service. Because faith communities bring generations together naturally, it makes sense to tap into the culture of relationship building that already exists.

Faith communities are the places where youth know that values, leadership and service to the community will be emphasized, modeled and rewarded. There is no other aspect of our society that is more constitutionally, morally, or practically suited to model this framework. Who better to focus on increasing the likelihood of healthy positive behaviors than the spiritual body?

Alaska ICE partners with the Spirit of Youth campaign to formally recognize the efforts of youth in the field of faith-based community service at the annual Spirit of Youth Awards Banquet. Faith-based service is performed on behalf of, or as part of one’s faith. Previous nominees have provided fellowship and support to their peers, as well as service to those in need locally, and across the globe.

Winners of 2010 faith-based SOY Awards were Jamie Walker and the First United Methodist Group, both from Fairbanks. Complete list of 2010 SOY Award winners.

Nominate a teen you know for a faith-based SOY Award and recognize them for the wonderful efforts they put forth in your community!

From the Search Institute's Center for Spiritual Development in Childhood & Adolescence, researchers have found that spiritual development in youth is mostly missing from academic disciplines. Read some fast facts here.

Faith-based Strories

3-29-2010
Pastor Helps Teens Take Flight
A rural Alaska pastor, Grant Funk, is on a mission to produce pilots and flight mechanics in a region where jobs are scarce and people fly everywhere. Teens in three remote high schools have the rare opportunity to take flight lessons for class credit.

10-18-2007
Youth-Adult Engagement Opportunity for Your Community
For 2007-08, the Alaska Initiative for Community Engagement and the Association of Alaska School Boards are offering reimbursements for community activities that encourage intentional adult-youth partnerships. Reimbursements for up to $500 are available for adults and youth to work together on a community service project.

4-1-2007
2007 Spirit of Youth Award Winners
The Spirit of Youth recently held their 9th Annual Awards Banquet recognizing amazing youth and youth-friendly businesses from all across Alaska. Here are the winners for 2007!

3-29-2007
A Lesson Learned
A couple of weeks ago I had the misfortune of severely injuring my hand in a climbing accident; however, it was a great opportunity to see the heart of two MEHS students and learn a lesson in consideration and compassion from two young ladies here at Mt. Edgecumbe.

11-13-2006
New youth center coming to Juneau
Juneau doesn’t exactly have many positive options for young people to get together and hang out. Members of the Juneau Christian Center are working to change that. They are building a modern youth center complete with computer stations, pool tables, homework areas with iPod connections, and even a climbing wall.

11-10-2006
Joel’s Place supports youth of Fairbanks
Each year Alaska ICE, through its Faith Communities project, offers stipends to faith communities statewide for youth-adult community service projects. Joel's Place recently received two stipends for creative, asset-building activities that will enrich the communtiy of Fairbanks.

3-4-2004
Anchorage Church Embraces Asset Building
One organization that is embracing the assets message is Amazing Grace Lutheran Church in Anchorage, and on a recent Sunday they made assets the theme of their worship service.

For more information about Alaska ICE's efforts with faith communities, contact us at (907) 586-1083 or via email at alaskaice@aasb.org