Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.

Chicopee man seeks help to start faith-based teen center

Date: 7/27/2010

July 28, 2010

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor

CHICOPEE -- Chicopee resident Michael Schieb believes area teens need a place for safe, positive Christian-based activities and has started an effort to bring a youth center to the city. He and his two partners are seeking both volunteers and contributions to help them reach this goal.

Schieb, who described himself as a born-again Christian at age 51, modestly said he believes God inspired him.

"I feel God doesn't speak to me in an audible way," Schieb said to Reminder Publications. "He gives you ideas; pushes you to take steps."

Schieb said the idea first came to him three years ago and he questioned how it could be accomplished without financial resources. The answer was to establish a for-profit business that would support the teen center.

In a letter seeking support, Schieb expressed a concern for the level of teen violence and acknowledged there are programs addressing it.

"All are good," he wrote, "and should continue, however, the carnage also continues and the problems grow worse. We as a society may never stop it completely as it is an age-old problem."

Schieb believes the faith-based teen center can help and the first step in establishing it is to "open a small venue to show videos, introduce our ideas, general interests, welcome volunteers (both youth and faith) organize advisory boards (again including youth and faith members), present guest speakers, and raise funds through product sales and contributions from patrons, local concerned citizens and major corporate sponsors."

Schieb is hoping area churches will come together to support the Victory Heart, the name of the proposed center. He doesn't see the center as promoting one denomination or doctrine of Christianity, but would give participating churches the opportunity of presenting programs describing their faith.

"Saving souls is more important than arguing over doctrine," he said.

The center would have both dress and behavior codes and Schieb said he would like to see the sort of modesty and restraint in fashion and speech that typified the 1940s and 50s.

"We want to teach not just rules and regulations, but what God says," he added.

An Air Force veteran himself, Schieb also sees the storefront as a way to present programs for veterans and to have an "alternative meet and greet" for single people that would revolve around board games instead of "alcohol and dim lights." He would like also to focus on volunteer activities that would improve the city.

The storefront location would be an intermediate step towards the establishment of a larger center. He declined to speak about the business that would support it other than to say he has seen a model for it in another state.

Schieb said the supporters of the center are "going to be proud of what we're doing because we are doing it for God."

Schieb can be contacted by mail at Victory Heart, P.O. Box 1296, Chicopee, MA 01021 or by phone at 598-0701.