Connection, authenticity and belonging. Essential needs in the life of every person but what do they mean for today’s teenager? For the modern day latch key kid it is a community of available and caring mentors. For the unchurched it is the fostering of authentic friendships with Christians instead of being looked upon as a one time prayer or “project.” For those with a life story of personal brokenness it is learning to trust and release those burdens to someone greater than themselves and ultimately find belonging. Understanding these concepts, Rocketown Florida opened November 2009 to answer the call. In just over a year 30,000 kids have walked through its doors, 400 bands have performed and over 150 have committed their lives to Christ. At its heart, Rocketown’s mission is to impact the lives of teens by creating a safe haven that is culturally relevant but eternally significant. “Kids lives are changed through relationship rather than praying a prayer and never seeing them again”, says Danny Kanell, Rocketown’s President, “there is follow up and a trust level”. For the occasional concert attendee the impact may not be as evident but in the lives of the teens that come everyday and stay until closing, a place like Rocketown makes all the difference.
Modeled after the one that opened up in Nashville eight years ago, Rocketown FL is within a five mile radius of several public schools. Its central location and programs attract a diversity of students from different socio economic groups. From the underprivileged kid lacking a support system to the private school rich kid to whom religion has become mundane - all are welcome here. “Every kid who walks in the doors is worthy of love and attention,” says Theresa Mazza, Operations Director, “that matches our model and mission. What all these kids find is that they are the same as everyone else and they find identity in that.”
Rocketown does not consider itself a “Christian teen center,” exclusive to Christian kids. Rather it is a place where you accept kids where they are at. “If you come having preconceived ideas and stereotypes,” Mazza says, “your going to miss the message of what Rocketown is about.”.
Attracting teens is the fundamental building block to Rocketown’s success. Kids come for the great music venue, skatepark, coffee bar and the variety of programs that speak to their interests. While there, Rocketown staff members build relationships and create an inviting community of acceptance and fellowship. Through discussion groups and Bible studies, teens are connected with local churches and youth groups. Rocketown’s goal is for kids to discover God’s purpose for their lives. Through their creative programs they expose the kids to new interests and talents. For 19 year old Shane Rocketown was pivotal in guiding him towards a future in ministry.
For most of his young life, Shane battled crippling feelings of low self worth. Eager to prove himself, he excelled at sports but did not find the validation he so desperately sought. As his personal life continued to spiral out of control, Shane attempted to take his own life. At the hospital he cried out to God for grace and his life was spared. Although he would face further doubts and trials to come, Rocketown planted the seeds for equipping Shane to find his true purpose. He enrolled in the discipleship training school, Youth with a Mission (YWAM), where he trained intensively for three months followed by a two month mission trip to Angola, Africa. “God is everything and a part of every big decision in my life,” he states. From being there to cut the opening day ribbon for Rocketown’s inception to instilling a passion for his future vocation in youth ministry, Shane is a notable example of how God uses a place such as this. Rocketown shows teens, like Shane, that they are worthy and that their validation does not come of their own accord but from God himself.
To learn more about Rocketown visit www.Rocketownfl.com
Featured in the online webzine OnCourse, May 2011
oncourse.ag.org
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