Zeal Movement from Eli on InkLink on Vimeo.
MANCHESTER, NH – On Thursday Pastor Jesse Clinton opened the doors of the Zeal Movement church and welcomed members of the community to join him in a new endeavor – the launch of Youth of the City Teen Outreach program.
The Zeal Movement occupies a segment of 351 Chestnut St., the former location of the Manchester Police Station.
Clinton said the aim of the program is to connect inner city youth with a network of role-models and mentors in a faith-based community.
“If you’re going to be here, you’re going to be a mentor,” he told the crowd of about 40 who attended the Feb. 17 organizational meeting. “If you’re handing out food, you’re a mentor. If you’re doing security, you’re going to be a mentor.”
Others who are participating in the program and came out to speak to attendees included Stephanie Bergeron, executive director of Serenity Place. Although Serenity Place is a secular organization, Bergeron said that she looks forward to working with Clinton, citing similar ideals and shared goals between the organizations.
Also involved is Jessica Sugrue, CEO of YWCA New Hampshire. She spoke to the group, and applauded Clinton for providing a forum for inner city kids “to discuss the issues in their community.”
Zeal will officially launch its youth program in April of 2017. Clinton plans to use his space to engage young people through games and music. Ultimately, he says, the focus will be on community.
It’s an issue that is close to Clinton’s heart. Passing back and forth on stage, and speaking emphatically to his audience, he recalled the teachings of the prophet Isaiah.
“Be of the cause of the fatherless,” he quoted, gazing out at the faces in the crowd and declaring, “I was the cause of the fatherless, that was me,” thumping his chest emphatically.
Clinton said he grew up in a single-parent home in a poor neighborhood. By his own account, it was because of the influence and mentorship of faith-based programs which led him out of that situation.
After high school he attended college and found himself in a good job working for Comcast.
He stayed with the company for seven years. One evening, while consulting with a firm in Philly, he remembers looking out over the skyline of the city from his hotel.
He recalled, “there was something in me that said, this is not it … you’re not going to be at Comcast forever.”
The very next day Clinton received a phone call from a former mentor and working pastor, who asked Clinton if he would ever consider coming to the ministry.
“I’ve always felt that in my heart it [has been] one to give back,” says Clinton. “That’s what it was that drove me to leave Comcast … it was the call … the call to give back and help people.”
To learn more about Zeal, or to become involved in the program, visit www.thezealmovement.com or visit them on Facebook.
