The goal for the club was simple: Create a community-based Pathfinder club through the local charter school, while providing a positive outlet for students to connect with the community, invest in their future and encounter God.
However, both Principal Jeff Wilder and the District Superintendent Thomas White are products of Adventist education and club ministries. The two men noticed students slipping through the cracks, getting in trouble at school, or simply struggling with their studies and knew something had to done.
Drawing upon their memories of Pathfinders, they saw the opportunity to create an uplifting, faith-centered space where students could thrive. As a result, at the beginning of 2020, the wheels for the first community-based Pathfinders Club were set in motion. However, the pandemic thwarted their plans and led to a four-year pause.
Fortunately, God used that time to align planning and leadership to make the Pathfinder Club a reality. In 2023, Sandrew King, executive coordinator for Lake Region Conference youth, young adult and camp ministries, was hired as the school district’s community and parent liaison. He would recruit kids from the community and invest the community in the school. This made him the perfect person for Superintendent White to approach for the role of Pathfinder director.
However, they soon met a unique challenge: finding a church sponsor. As a rule, Pathfinder clubs are church based. Since Pathfinder ministry is a staple of most Adventist churches, finding one that did not support an existing club proved difficult. After five and a half months of dedicated searching, City Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church in Detroit agreed to serve as a sponsor, and the Inkster Community Nighthawks Pathfinder Club officially shifted into gear.
The goal for the club was simple: Create a community-based Pathfinder club through the local charter school, while providing a positive outlet for students to connect with the community, invest in their future and encounter God.
Once the club was established, it began to flourish as an after-school program open to the public. To date, 127 youth are signed up for the ministry and they’re participating in a drum core and touring places such as Camp Au Sable, Andrews University and Oakwood University. “We want the kids to visit these colleges and see what's possible,” King said. “We want them to begin to hope and plan for their future.”
The club is incredibly active. Three Pathfinders oversee community service activities, which has resulted in involvement in a Memorial Day parade and a community cleanup. Plans are underway to purchase equipment to mow lawns in the summer and shovel snowy walkways in the winter for the community.
Being open to the community, the Nighthawks Pathfinder Club creates a wide reach with a profound impact. However, the club is not immune from challenges. “Many of these kids are below the poverty line,” King says. “We were able to buy some T-shirts but mainly we have to rely on the blessings of the community.”
With the fast-approaching 2024 International Pathfinder Camporee in Gillette, Wyoming, they recognize they don’t have the luxury of much time to raise the necessary funds necessary to attend. They hope congregants and community members alike will help fulfill the students' dreams of attending this signature faith-building event with 60,000 Pathfinders from around the world.
American International Academy’s motto is “Love, Laugh, Learn” which pairs perfectly with City Temple church’s motto of “Show, Share, Create.” These words create an ethos for Nighthawks Pathfinder Club, encouraging them to engage with their community in a more meaningful way.
Indeed, many students reference the community they’ve found as a positive influence on them. Corey Royal, a 16-year-old junior at the charter school, says she was inspired to become a Pathfinder, as it allows her “to go out and meet new people and try new things.” Antashia Davis, 15, voices a sentiment shared by several other Pathfinders: “I like the feeling of being part of a family.”
The Inkster Community Nighthawks Pathfinder Club has left an indelible mark on the students, offering them an outlet for other-centered activity and a chance to be the hands and feet of Christ. “We’re trying to minister to the hopelessness of this generation,” King says. And by the looks of it, the Nighthawks Pathfinder Club has succeeded.
Nicole Brown-Dominguez is a Chicago-based freelance writer.
