A Night of Hope and Prevention: Join Us for a Community Update on Youth & Gun Violence in Muskegon
On Thursday, January 29, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, the Muskegon Methodist Ministry invites you to Temple United Methodist Church for a special community gathering focused on youth and gun violence prevention in Muskegon County, Michigan.
“The ‘thoughts and prayers’ just haven’t been working and aren’t enough” – Val Martin
This event is designed to foster shared learning, meaningful conversation, and fellowship among community members committed to making a difference.
Highlighting Local Youth Leadership with Muskegon Violence Prevention (MVP)
The evening will kick off with an inspiring presentation by Muskegon Violence Prevention (MVP), an organization – made of up youth ages 14-20 from schools across Muskegon County – that is making significant strides in our community.
Following their recent successful community-wide Youth Summit, MVP leaders will share information about their group and how members of our community can help support, and become involved, in their ongoing work.
SafERteens: Implementing Evidence-Based Solutions
I am honored to present an update on SafERteens, an innovative, evidence-based youth violence prevention program currently being integrated into four healthcare settings and three public school districts in Muskegon County. I’ll share promising early data, success stories, and personal reflections on living with and treating the aftermath of gun violence. I’ll also discuss how faith continues to motivate my work in this important area.
Honoring Lost Loved Ones: The Soul Box Project
Representative from the United Methodists at Church of the Dunes, and St. John’s Episcopal Church, in Grand Haven, Michigan, will introduce the Soul Box Project, a heartfelt initiative by members of the faith community, to honor and remember those lost to gun violence locally and across the state.
‘We do this with groups so that they can learn about the impact and have a visual about the actual numbers… when we hear about gun violence and we kind of lose perspective about how many people are impacted by it,” – Val Martin
The group will also share an invitation to the upcoming public unveiling of this instillation of 1,406 boxes.
Come Together for Our Youth and Community Safety
This event is open to all. We warmly invite you to join the conversation, lend your voice, and discuss how we can further unite our violence prevention efforts—for our youth and for a safer, stronger Muskegon and West Michigan Communities.