Cal Farley’s Christ-centered atmosphere is at the core of our entire program.

As you can imagine, the young people we serve come from many different faith backgrounds. Still others have no exposure at all to the idea of faith in a loving God. By presenting the gospel gently, but in its full integrity and with a spirit of loving patience, the hurting children at Cal Farley’s have room to ask their often frank, tough questions:

‘Why didn’t I have enough food to eat?’

‘Why wasn’t I safe at home?’

‘Can I learn to forgive my mother?’

At Boys Ranch, our caring chaplains, house parents, caseworkers and more welcome questions like these — and others far more pointed — voiced from our children’s unique perspective on their lives.

“The messages at chapel are really good, they’re inspirational,” said Garrett, 16. “There are times I’ve had tears streaking out of my eyes during the service, because as they’re speaking, God is speaking to me.”

We know that by demonstrating Jesus’ example of humility, service and unconditional love for our youth to see, we create an environment that allows both their emotional and spiritual healing to begin.

Beyond the open acceptance of life at Boys Ranch, our young people have a number of opportunities to explore or exercise their faith.

As you might expect, Sunday mornings mean Sunday school for younger children and chapel services, which all our youth attend. Mid-week devotional times, shared as home groups, reinforce the messages being taught in chapel each week.

Sometimes, the impact is cumulative, positively impacting our youths’ outlooks slowly over time. Other times, though, a heart is touched more directly.

“My friend came up to me after home devotional one night,” Garrett recalled. “He said, ‘I’ve decided to give my life to the Lord’ … I almost cried right there.”

Beyond weekly activities for all Cal Farley’s youth, additional opportunities exist for young people who want to deepen their faith. Prayer rides, a unique twist on a horseback trail ride, offer our young people a more intimate way to connect with God in peaceful solitude, sometimes for the first time in their lives. Older children who embrace their relationship with Christ may apply to lead Sunday school for their younger peers. These youth commit to weekly devotion and preparation meetings with the chapel staff to ensure they are prepared to facilitate these discussions.

And, of course, the importance of serving others is as crucial to our young people’s emotional well being as it is to their religious faith. Youth who demonstrate a desire for service are encouraged to participate in group activities such as mission trips or other group outings that let them put their faith into practice.

Regardless how our young people choose to put their faith into action, Cal Farley’s caring mentors are here to support and encourage them with both spiritual and emotional healing.

“You’ve got to forgive others, just like God has forgiven you,” said Aliyah, 14. “Everybody is going to make mistakes. You’ve got to forgive and restore that relationship.”