BLAZE --Building, Leadership, Authority, Zeal, and Empowerment is a vision for harnessing the talent, drive, and awesome contribution that high school students can make to the work of building His Kingdom. 
Firmly rooted in prayer, BLAZE creates unity among students within a territorial area. It empowers young people as leaders and encourages them to build genuine and meaningful relationships, foster a spirit of community, serve their fellow students and teachers, and ultimately express the love of Christ through the transformation of schools, neighborhoods and communities. This effort began in Northeast Los Angeles. The first unity event was held at Hermon Community Church. BLAZE can be applied to Bible clubs in high schools throughout the United States and beyond. This strategy provides a structure that can grow quickly, bring together and build community among students from diverse churches, areas, and backgrounds, and significantly transform schools and communities. The next BLAZE event will be held on Friday March 25, 2007 and will be organized by the Marshall High School Bible Club.
Church of the City is actively seeking support to bring this vision to interested high schools, create and manage a network of training and support, offer mini-grants to schools for specific campus projects, network schools through technology, support and reward the work of Bible club leaders with stipends and other resources, sponsor regional and ultimately national gatherings of Bible clubs, and document the remarkable stories of transformation that are about to emerge. I look forward to what He has in store for all of us.
BLAZE OUTLINE
Building Leadership, Authority, Zeal, and Empowerment
an effort to organize Christ-based high school Bible Clubs
PRAYER
Prayer is the foundation of the BLAZE program It is the key that unlocks the door to the Kingdom.
- Youth with adult support organize “Prayer and Praise nights” gathering neighboring Bible Clubs at rotating churches each month.
- Students organize regular lunchtime prayer sessions at individual Bible clubs during the week and other community prayer and praise events as each Bible Club is led.
- Students conduct research on what students can pray for in the school, neighborhood, and community.
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UNITY
BLAZE creates unity while maintaining diversity. Unity is not conformity. Diversity is not division.
- BLAZE programs gather neighboring high schools together in unity to pray over and transform a specific area. (e.g. Northeast Los Angeles, Central Los Angeles, South Bay, etc. . .) High schools should be neighbors/ adjacent to one another.
- Creating unity among schools in a territorial area is another key of the Kingdom.
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EMPOWERMENT
Training and cultivating youth to be leaders equips them to influence their communities, nations, and the world.
- Adults are responsible for identifying existing youth leaders to support, nurture, and cultivate.
- Programs are youth led and organized with spiritual coaching and guidance of adult mentors and trainers.
- Youth Leaders will be responsible for outreach, communications, maintenance of lists, media, and other activities with adult support.
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COMMUNITY
BLAZE emphasizes creating a spirit of community and building meaningful bridges and relationships which are ultimately expressed through innovative service projects and activities that enhance the academic, social, and environmental quality of schools.
- Bible Clubs from neighboring high schools can collectively implement a campus beautification outreach event, help to organize and manage other clubs’ participation in campus beautification efforts, conduct and manage one-on-one student tutoring, arts and music workshops, or other activities for students who need assistance in the school, organize food and toy drives, hold teacher appreciation lunches, and design many other unique and innovative activities tailored to meet the needs of each school.
- An emphasis on building relationships and creating a spirit of community take place first. Other outreach activities such as lunchtime concerts and after school performances can also be included.
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