Club Beyond: Where friends, fun, faith connect

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Luther Mitchell Jr.
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Teenagers face many difficult issues today such as online bullying, educational stress, sexual pressures, anxiety and depression.  While there are many programs in our culture that deal with these issues, teens with parents serving in the military face additional challenges.   

That's where Club Beyond comes in. Club Beyond is a chapel-based, community-focused ecumenical program for middle school and high school children of military service members at U.S. bases worldwide.  Club Beyond provides a safe and welcoming environment where military teens can have fun, talk about issues they are having, build friendships and learn more about life and faith.

"This is a place where kids can be themselves," said Alicia Siefert, community director and local leader for Club Beyond. "We joke around a lot and have tons of fun, but we also focus on addressing the challenges military teenagers face today."

Club Beyond has more than 1,000 trained staff and volunteers across the world who are investing in the lives of teens and sharing God's love through mentorship and unconditional friendships. Club Beyond meets from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday nights. Weekly meetings include fun mixers, games, skits, food and good music.

Club Beyond staff and volunteer leaders spend time discussing issues unique to a military lifestyle such as relocating every one to three years, often to a foreign country, coping with the uncertainty of one or both parents deploying, leaving friendships behind and having to start new ones.

"Kids arrive at Luke and struggle to figure out where they fit in at school," Siefert said. "Luke doesn't have a high school, so some of their friends might not fully understand them. They leave friends they were really close with before they moved and have to re-establish their identity. Club Beyond staff and leaders are trained to help with that."

Club Beyond staff and volunteer leaders spend a lot of time investing in teens.

"Whether it's on campus as a tutor or off base at a favorite hangout, our leaders get to know kids," Siefert said. "We invest in them, and by serving, helping, loving and caring for kids, we build trust and mutual respect."

This year, the chapel is sponsoring a youth summer camp scheduled for June 6 through the 13. Teens are removed from daily pressures and concerns, and spend an entire week in an environment of excitement and energy.

In addition to being the director of Club Beyond, Siefert is also a high school music teacher.

"She has created a lot of excitement you can see," said Master Sgt. Felicia Montoya, Chapel NCO in charge. "She works really well with children and always has something fun planned for them to do."

Chapel leadership is excited about the new program.

"I'm looking forward to having this program at Luke," said Chaplain (Maj.) Larry Fowler, 56th Fighter Wing Chaplain. "The program is popular on overseas bases. The program emphasizes a faith-based model focused on building relationships with kids and providing a safe environment, which is important for addressing and understanding the issues our teens face today."

For more information on Club Beyond or to volunteer, call Siefert at 623-856-6211 or email asiefert@clubbeyond.org.