Yusha Evans – Br meeting with parents
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seminara hamdulillah wa Salatu was Salam ala Rasulillah where Allah Allah He was happy as mine or should do in La ilaha illallah wa Tada hula Sharika wa shadow and the Mohammed and Abu rasuluh Ahmedabad, wa Salam o Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
How are you guys hamdulillah everybody's good
quickly in sha Allah, the programs that I look to roll out and things of that nature, and then we will have a very open discussion for parents I'll explain kind of to you guys what I want to accomplish to the youth program. And then I want to hear from you guys you know, do you things that you would like to see happen through the youth program, things that might be of concern to you suggestions, complaints, whatever it is, this is the time to get it all out Inshallah, who to ask because I want all of us to be on the same page, myself on the youth, myself and the parents. And then the parents in the youth is the end goal. We all are working together seamlessly in JAMA.
Yesterday I discussed with the youth a couple of initiatives that I have already begun working on and then the plan of the things that I want to get done and start having on a regular basis in the next couple of weeks. Inshallah, hopefully August 1, we'll have all this rolling out in sha Allah. The first thing I explained to them yesterday was the issue of youth lounges. The two lounges that are in the gym, we are going to make them fully operational and fully functional for the youth and shot along with the ANA. I had discussed the plan with the boys that were going to make their youth room kind of like a Moroccan style 10 theme with floor couches all around the wall, you know in some
some nice beanbags on the floor or a big rug or getting TVs on the wall. So that we can put up some, some Playstations so they can do like FIFA tournaments, Madden tournaments, we can sit together and maybe watch some of the football games and things of that nature coming up. And again, this will all be under my supervision when it comes to the boys room. My office will be right there. It's actually attached to the boys youth room. So but we want to give them something that's their own space. You know, that is a space that belongs to us. In sha Allah hotel is something they feel comfortable coming to something they are looking forward to coming to in sha Allah, huzzah Anna, and I mentioned
with the sisters, that once I finish getting a core committee for the sisters, I'm going to appoint them to have a budget, I'm going to work with the board and Shama who to Anna come up with a budget and then let the sisters design their own room, let them make let them make it how they want to make it because a woman's room needs a woman touch and that's not coming from me. So I'll let them do that in Shama Jota Anna, of course I'll be working as supervising with them but I want it to be their space, I want them to feel like this is something they've created that is their space and Shama Jota Anna
as well as we will be doing, you know, normal talks here like when we use here upstairs, it'll be just like this, you know, but also when those are not available, we will still be able to have like small Halaqaat from the boys room, I am working with the IT department to create a link where there will be a camera in that room that will link over to the TVs in the sisters room, so that they can be broadcast as well as try to hopefully inshallah create a link to the main hall where they can see the programs that are in the main hall if they want to come and lounge in their area and still take advantage of what's going on.
Then I discussed with them that there will be insha Allah Who to Allah three weekly programs that I plan to roll out in the next couple of weeks to start with three weekly programs that will roll out that will all have a theme behind them. Wednesday evenings we plan to do an educational series where we will start I'll be working with the the orlimar that we have here with the amount of Nadine with Chef Yasser I will also be working with outside she will can teachers to develop a curriculum from kind of A to Zed basically A to Z. I spent too much time in the UK A to Z
starting from the things that every Muslim must know by necessity the things that you have to know as a Muslim
Madura by necessity, and then going on to things like the pillars of Islam, Salah, and so on and so forth, giving our youth hopefully in sha Allah Who to Allah has strong connection to the foundations of their religion, and a connection to their Lord. So going over a series like series on Tauheed getting them to understand why Allah subhanho wa Taala is Rob, not just teach them about Ruby, but get them to logically grasp it. Why, why why is Allah? Or why should we, you know, have our reliance and trust on Allah Subhana Allah to Anna, because it's easy to teach our youth to have to walk with an Allah Subhana Allah to Anna, but if they don't understand who Allah is, if they don't understand
the here's the rub, that he is the controller of the entire universe, everything is in his domain, then it's hard to have that sure to work within Allah subhanaw taala. So trying to give them this connection through these Wednesday talks. And then we will divide that in half, the first half of Wednesday will be educational, the second half will be called the Youth Forum, where I will sit and brainstorm with the youth listen to them, what is the things that are going on in their life? What are the things that they are struggling with, at home, in school in with their peer groups, you know, hot button topics and issues, things that they normally are not going to bring to you things
that are not normally going to bring to any man or whatever. If they build that trust with me, I hope that will open up and share those things with me. So that we can create a think tank of youth to try to tackle these issues in sha Allah and then put out papers put out research material on this, that can become a standard of what can be used throughout the DFW area and hopefully the nation in sha Allah, my overall goal is to make the use of epic, the gold standard of the youth of the United States of America, I want to make the use of epic, a youth group that the whole country looks at and says whatever they're doing, we need to try to implement some of this because it's
working, that is my golden child, Montana. So that will be on Wednesdays, Friday evenings are going to have somewhat of a social thing to them. Because they're Friday evenings end of the week into school, you know, kids are all wound up from school so Friday's will be kind of more of a wind down thing where it'd be a social gathering like Friday Night Lights, you know where, where we have a small reminder and then we do something like we play basketball or sister social or, you know, we do something that is more social, involve creating that brotherhood and love for one another that I talked about in the clip about on Friday. I want to try to instill that in our youth brothers and
sisters in sha Allah Who to honor
that as well. We'll be if we have overnighters that will be on Fridays and things of that nature. If we have socials, we'll try to do it on Fridays. I plan to try to do things like you know, bring food trucks, you know, bring taco trucks bring ice cream trucks bring you know Mexican judo, drugs, all of that so that we have something active on Friday night for the youth. Saturday evenings, we plan to start eight inspirational series again, I'm going to work with him. I'm Nadine, Chef, Yasser. And this way, I will also bring outside speakers, where we will do more of inspirational talks, things that are, you know, designed to reach the hearts of the youth to kind of soften that the heart of
theirs to make them love the religion of Allah subhanho wa Taala a little more. And there's also a very huge Saturday night program, I'm trying to institute once a month, we are still running that around with the board. And if that goes through, then this will be something that will not only be a super appealing to our youth here at Epic, but I have a feeling it's going to draw youth from all over the DFW area. We instituted this program in the United Kingdom. A couple of years ago, we started it. And now in the UK, the brothers who are continuing this program are seeing between 600 to 1000 people in the masajid on Saturday nights for this program, and hamdulillah so we want to try
to get something like that going here and Sean long time. So those three things. Well, that will be the theme of those nights, Fridays and Saturday nights we'll always have a different
a different topic let's say one Friday night it might be you know, basketball and in remembrance of Allah the next one might be something else but there always be social Saturday evenings, we might start an inspiration series where the first Saturday is about you know, the hereafter series and the second Saturday might be something that is you know, it was about diseases of the heart or something like that, but they'll always have a recurring theme. And the goal is to have that all displayed on a board outside insha Allah Hotel de nada paperboard, I want to try to get a a TV out there, like the chaos that you have. Because our youth, if it's if it's on paper, they're never going to read
it. If it's on paper, they're not going to look at it. If it's not in a digital format, our youth are not even going to pay any attention. So we plan to have a digital format there that will have a calendar of events, you know, going through the series of what's going on so they can just come in look and see what's going on in you know no have that pegged in their mind of what's happening in Shama who to Anna, but with all of the programs, every one of them, it doesn't matter if it's educational. It doesn't matter if it's social. It doesn't matter if it's inspirational. There are four main themes that I will try to institute into every program. The number one theme is the social
bond of brotherhood and sisterhood. That's going to be primary learning that we learn to love one another have respect
for one another, have compassion for one another have you know create this group of brothers and sisters that rely on each other that are like one unit in sha Allah. The second portion of that will always be
about the remembrance of Allah subhanahu wata, Anna, always, always always having the remembrance of Allah and remembering where we are and what we are doing, and our purpose in life. So it doesn't matter even on social nights, we will have a reminder about Allah Subhana Allah to Allah, we will begin with a remembrance of Allah and in with the remembrance of Allah, that is always going to try to remain primary that we are learning something at every turn, even during our social gatherings, even if we're playing basketball, even if the sisters are are doing whatever they are going to do. And I'm going to take some advice from the sisters the things that they like to do. So we institute
those in Shama.
The third thing is a flop will always be focused in every single program manners of the etiquettes. Our youth are in need of manners more than they're in need of anything else. And I know this because I have youth myself, the youth need mannerism. And that is a big, big part of what I am planning to try to institute with them in sha Allah, I do want them to feel comfortable coming to the masjid. Yes, I do want them to feel comfortable coming to the masjid, I do want them to feel comfortable coming to the masjid no matter what level of religiosity they might be on right now. I want them to feel comfortable coming here.
And I want them to be able to make mistakes. If we do not allow our youth the opportunity to make mistakes, they will not learn from those mistakes, and they will not get lifeskills you all of you know that we learned a lot growing up from the mistakes that we made. So we need to allow them to make mistakes, because I would rather than make mistakes under our eyes so that we can guide them and correct them to make those mistakes out on their own or with their friends or peers who are not going to help them in correction of that. So we want to give them that space to make mistakes. But we want to also guide them guide them towards right mannerism, right etiquettes right actions in a
very
what is the word I'm looking for gentle is a little bit too soft of word, but in a caring manner as if we really do care. That is the goal is I want to treat your children like I treat my own children that we have some care and concern for them insha Allah Who to Anna, so a lot of them and etiquettes are going to be primary, you know, that is going to be above all things even if we're having a fun all nighter. etiquettes and manners at the house of Allah subhanho wa Taala will be laid down. And if those are violated, we will correct them in sha Allah to honor and I am a person who is very easygoing, I'm a very laid back individual, but there are certain red lines when it comes to respect
when it comes to respect of each other. When it comes to respect of myself when it comes to respect of Allah subhanho wa Taala Anna, respect to the house of Allah that I don't play with those are lines that will be drawn hard and fast. And the youth will get to know that and Shama
the, the the fourth thing that I always want to make sure that we're instituting and my brain just had to shut down. We had a flood the fourth
and I just said it and mentioned it a second ago. Let my brain ramble a bit for those of you here last night and you might remember what I said fourth, I said,
Salah ladies Hamdulillah, I was just saying that we were that was what was going on with that let me myself remember, sola, sola no matter what we're doing, no matter whether we're here at the masjid with the youth, no matter whether we're out somewhere with the youth, no matter we are on a camping trip with the youth. It doesn't matter where we happen to be. When it is time to pray, it's time to pray. And that's the end of that if we're at the masjid when the when the outcome is called. Everyone goes to pray except for the sisters who are excused at that time. But other than that, I'm not going to go pray until I make sure every single youth under my watch has left and gone to the
masala that is mandatory. If we're out somewhere in public, we're going to pray. The youth need to understand the importance of Salah that Salah is mandated no matter where you're at, there is no specific place for surah Allah Subhana Allah to Allah made the entire earth a masjid the entire Earth is a masala. So wherever we are, we're always going to make sure that we're instituting the Salah in Jamar in sha Allah Jota Anna so those are the four things I always want to incorporate into all of my programs is the social aspect is the religion of Allah subhanho wa Taala and the remembrance of Allah and something to take home as a learner. I flunked other etiquettes of a Muslim
and upright citizen and number four is praying on time making sure that we are praying Salah together in Gemma and we're not taking and cutting corners with that in sha Allah Jota Anna
but
for you as parents, one of the things that
I'm hoping that we can see and we achieve is I want to have monthly meetings with you guys every single month I want to sit down with the youth of epics parents, because I need to judge whether or not what I am doing is having an effect when they leave this
place, it's all fine and dandy if they do exactly what I want them to do, while they're under my watchful eye, that's fine. But if that is not transferring to home, if that is not transferring to school, if that is not transferring to outside of this place, then I'm what I'm doing is not working. And that's the way it was when I taught martial arts. I taught martial arts for many, many years and ran martial arts schools in Florida. And I always made sure to keep a constant contact with all of the parents because if what I am teaching your child here in this Academy, I would tell them is not transferring to home, if they're not becoming more respectful at home, if they're not
becoming more disciplined at home, if those morals and manners I am teaching them are not transferring to school, if they're not getting better grades, if they're not getting all of that improvement outside of here, then they're just faking it with me. And realistically, they're doing what they need us to very good about that they're good at doing what they need to do while they're under my watchful eye. And then when they go home and just completely flies out the window, that's not going to work. I need it to be transferring outside of this place. Because I want our youth to become a representative of the epic of the youth of epic, I want them to be such good upstanding
youth and, and citizens and, and
classmates and pupils that people are like, you know, where are these youth coming from? What is what is the change in them, because of the programs that epic that's what I want to be the overall premise of this program. So with that, having been said, always know that anytime you have a way to reach out to me at any time, if there's anything that is going on with your children, that I can ever be of any assistance with, consider me an extended part of your family. My email is very easy. It's you shut dot Evans at Epic messenger that org, I check my emails frequently. Frequently, I if it is an emergency, if there's ever something you need me for, just put emergency in the in the
header line, put emergency in the header line. And let me know that there's an issue. Or if if it's more emergent than that, I will have a number that from my office that will always be forwarded to my cell phone when I'm not here. You can reach me that way. But always this easy to do it through email, because I'm always on that and checking that tell me what's going on how it can be of help consider me an extended part of the family in Sharma who to Anna, I'm hoping to build a rapport with your children that will allow me to help in that way Inshallah, that maybe they will listen to me in some ways they might even listen to their parents, maybe I will be able to get some things through
their heads that they won't get in other ways in sha Allah, we plan on institution instituting things like social media for them, a youth a youth epic Instagram, being very active on Facebook, because I know our youth live on social media they live they live in their that's like the virtual world that they they live in, I guarantee you every single youth. But most of us, I would say 99% of youth between like the ages of 13 to 30 that have a phone, their screen time is probably 1015 hours a day that they're on that screen that they're looking at that screen. So we want to take advantage of that instance to some things that are going to get out there with WhatsApp groups, social media
groups and things of that nature, so that they're already looking at their phone, let's get them on something that is beneficial to them Inshallah, because I'm sure out of 15 hours they spend on that a day, 14 and a half of it is nothing beneficial to them whatsoever. So we want to make sure that we change that, that dam, that around Insha Allah, as as well as when we're having regular programs, like youth educational programs, or we're having Holika and things of that nature where it's not Social, I'm going to make sure their phones are not out, we're going to learn to put that phone down a little while, you're not going to die, you're not going to have a heart attack and your Instagrams
not going to catch on fire, you know, your Snapchats not going to freeze, it'll be alright if you stay away from it for a little bit. So we'll try to slowly start weaning them off of being so attached and shallow to Anna. So this is my overall goal inshaAllah is to establish kind of this bond with the youth established the bond to where I become a extended part of your family with them, making sure that I'm instituting these four principles in every program that we do, as well as making that connection between myself and you, so that I know what's going on when they leave here. When they leave here, I need your eyes in the ears to let me know how am I doing? How are the things
that I'm doing here? transferring over to Home, and if we need to make an adjustment and make that a bit better, then we'll do so inshallah this is going to be a learning process is going to be a learning curve, inshallah. And I asked you to bear with me again, and reach out to me any anything, even if it's a complaint, even if you just are very upset with me over something that I did and you want to just have it out with me, please do so please do so that that's good for you sometimes trust me, it's good for you. Sometimes you just need to vent and let it out. And I'm more than willing to bear that burden Shawn lime. I'm not someone who's above criticism. Criticism is like the best
friend of any leader. Anyone who is in a position of leadership criticism is their best friend. It keeps them humble and it keeps them corrected in sha Allah. If not the
Two ahead of themselves so please make sure I'm the person you come to if there's an issue with me Come to me if there's an issue with me Come to me I'm available even if you want to sit down with me and have it out with me face to face, please do so let's do it in JAMA. No problem. I'll keep my black belts at home they're never for you guys inshallah never for you guys. Oh, also we want to try to institute I think the youth wanted to have some some maybe regularly occurring self defense workshops for sisters as well as well as brothers like real life self defense situations that youth would find themselves in and how in a real world scenario to defend themselves. That was one of my
expertise in martial arts I was a certified Krav Maga instructor which is hand to hand combat and street self defense. So I will try to you know institute that for them especially sisters sisters need to know how to defend themselves in situations in shot online. Now
any questions about what I've just said? Any concerns about what I've just said? Or any concerns you have in general things that you want to see happen? Things that you hope to see happen things that you don't like so far, etc? This is your time this is like a free form to have it out and get it out of your system inshallah I will take one from the brother and one from the sisters inshallah. Yes, brother. All right, come sit down block tonight.
To late, but when he used to say you,
Pacific
ages are not involved. What is?
What is your plan?
They can hear me anyway. Microphones now. You guys can hear me? Right? I've been told I have some what if?
I could just repeat the question, okay.
He's asking when we returns for youth, what age group are are considered youth. I don't know the way it wasn't before. But you know, for the programs I plans to institute, it most likely will be effective on middle school age, middle school age, through college, middle school, middle, middle school, through college. It does that sound like what you know what's been most before middle school through college. And I will tailor those programs, because you cannot talk to middle schoolers, the way you talk to high schoolers and college students, I we are going to tailor those programs. But that is something I'm going to try to learn on the fly once I see how those things are working,
because I could put it in black and white right now and it might necessarily meld right. But we are going to find two in the programs to wait and that's going to be also yesterday, I told all of the youth to we're going to create four
appointments within the youth. For brothers and sisters. One of those appointments will be an activities coordinator. That will kind of be like my right hand for brothers and sisters, someone who can learn the system the way I am doing it and can do things just like I do them.
And that will be somebody that I will lean on heavily. Because I'm also working with outreach. I'm also going to be traveling once a month. I'm also a human being I could get sick next week and be out for three. I don't want anything to stop just because I'm not here. If the program is all really revolve around me, I'm failing, I'm failing I should be able to miss a week because of some surgery or whatnot. And nothing should stop everything should continue to function. So we'll have an activities coordinator that will kind of be my right hand for brothers and sisters. We will have an education coordinator who helped me coordinate all of the education based activities helped me
coordinate with with mmm Nadeem with a chef, he also with outside speakers, making all of that happen for me Inshallah, we will also have a secretary who will keep track of things like minutes keep track of WhatsApp groups, keep track of attendance, keep track of attendees and contacts and someone that can just kind of keep me in order insha Allah. And then we also have a treasurer, who will keep in track of our finances as they're coming in. And as they're going out, and also help us to learn how one thing I want to have from the youth I've got another goal I have from the youth is learning how to take care of ourselves a little bit. We're teaching them life skills, but also
teaching them some financial stability. Like we shouldn't always have to lean on the board to pay for everything you know, especially for the high school and college aged children, we should come up with some good ideas to kind of fund some of the fun things that we want to do so that we can stand on our own two feet. I want to teach our youth how to balance a bank account balance a checkbook learn credit, things of that nature, so that they can go out and be functional, learn how to iron their own clothes, learn how to change a tire change, oil alert, learn how to do things that every human being before the year 2000 had to know how to do in order to survive in the modern world. So
those things I want to institute in sha Allah, so middle school, high school, college and sha Allah.
There will be from amongst the youth, and those coordinators will get to choose three people to kind of facilitate for them they will have a subcommittee that will answer to them. And then the coordinator answers to me. So I'm trying to create this chain of command and responsibility to teach our youth how to assume these kinds of leadership roles and count
Have more have more responsibilities so that you know five years from now 10 years from now they're ready to take up leadership positions in business leader position positions in society in the masajid teach them how these things work inshallah a little bit of responsibility for them
there'll be one for brothers and one for sisters whatever I do for brothers I also want to mirror for sisters I want there to be quality across the board like that. But again, they won't be mirrored in exactly the exact programs for brothers and sisters no we're gonna cater them but I want to make sure that we're giving the attention fully to both equally if that makes sense fully to both equally inshallah
equal
Yes, yes, inshallah there will be Sister Yes.
Okay.
Okay.
On Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, also be open to
not they will be open to middle schoolers, and there will be some days where it's focused more on youth like I'll have you know, just the younger children for a program middle schoolers for program and there will be some programs that will kind of be more catered towards high school and middle schools, if we're discussing topics that are might be a little bit more sensitive to their years, that maybe Middle School is not quite ready for yet. So I will cater that as we go inshallah. But I will make sure that we are catering to both.
Also, that is across the board that there's no there's no that that start should or start in middle school, they should actually start in elementary school. But yes, that will be across the board. But we will cater certain programs that would need to be divided up differently like wood will cater that in Charlottetown. Also,
we are going to look for a sister
to be a part time youth coordinator. And if I'm right, there's a paid position part time youth coordinator paid position that will work with me because then then that will give me more easy direct access to the sisters and Shalmaneser to Anna in a more
in a more
permissible format if you want to say so we are looking for that. So any sister who thinks that she might fit for that I think I've already gotten one email from a sister from yesterday and his sister who thinks that that could be some of a fit first she has the time for it, she has the energy for it. Also, I'm looking for someone that can connect with the youth you know that can have some connection with a youth please email me you should at Evans epic messenger.org explained that you're interested in this explain why. Also, if you know a sister who might be good for this pillar to get in touch with me in sha Allah Allah, we are looking to fulfill that as soon as possible, because
then that'll help me because I have access to the brothers I have their own, we're on WhatsApp together and all that so I can reach out to them more directly, I want to create that same kind of straight line of, of communication to the sisters. So we're looking for a part time sisters, coordinator, youth coordinator, and so on a job.
So I just wanted to update this, we do have a youth coordinator and she is going to college in UTA and she asked to you know, be relieved and she's still going to be until August 15 So inshallah we are looking to fulfill that position. So please contact with weathernation And the question that sister had I just answered was, will I cater programs you know, towards middle schoolers and high schoolers and college students differently that's that's what I was entering Shala forgive me for not repeating that. Yes brother.
Very nice.
I don't expect an easy time but hopefully we get through in Java.
Of course, you can reach out to parents to help you as well. 100%.
As required,
I didn't want to ask about
sports teams, or sports news.
Right now, some of our kids would have to
join sports clubs outside like basketball teams, where they play against other teams, shorter
facilities, but it seems like it's just sort of haphazard or I mean there's there's not really any team
to play by yourself and your friends but
the question was about sports will we try to establish any organized team
Yes, that is something I want to work on establishing organized teams for brothers and sisters in sha Allah because their sisters like sports as well, like basketball, flag football, cricket, I'm going to leave to somebody who understands cricket, I have no idea soccer and things of that nature and I'm going to try to work with you know, other youth coordinators and other major masajid lie around the area to do the same thing and let's get together and have some healthy competitions. Inshallah. That's something I plan on working because I'm also going to try to establish those connections with the other massage and the other youth coordinators with other massages so that we
can because we're all working for the same goal inshallah. So yeah, we will try to make those teams and see if we can have some healthy rivalries going in chulmleigh. So yes, we will do that Jamba sisters yes.
That's definitely a good idea with my
patients
once in their life, and I do see all the programs out there different topics
so far,
so.
Yes, the question was about the and I'll take the otherworldly answer one at a time Shala.
Is it going to see you wanted to see if there was something Institute taking our children from through the Quran from cover to cover, you know, kind of in a in a in a systematic way in sha Allah? Yes. That is something I plan on sitting and working down with Mr. Medina and shift the officer who are both kind of experts in this field to work with us to make create a program like that Jama? Yes, absolutely.
They are.
They are going to get
that?
Yes. She asked about the MSA is a high school and college we discussed that with the youth last night I am going to establish connections with the college in MSA is and the high school MSA is and I'm going to become their point of contact for anything that they need resources. They need regular attendance to them. Even elementary schools when young men want to know if I'd be willing to visit them. Absolutely. I am going to be the contact point and resource so that I've already established a connection with UTD, it will start going to UTD on a regular basis on a monthly basis, I will do the same with the high schools and start working with them I will become their point of contact for
everything they need kind of developing a curriculum and a plan to kind of help guide them into doing some beneficial things with their time and MSA and show them and I've done that with many, many MSPs nationwide I've been to hundreds and hundreds of hundreds of universities all around the globe and seeing what kind of works and doesn't work so I'll try to help them and guide them on some of those points and Charma absolutely
get somebody who didn't answer you didn't have an answer anything have you? Have you asked yet no. Okay. hamdulillah yes
in it and they attend every day like from eighth to 11th
so they just memorize some of that that's a great thing. So are you have any plans for like half an hour a day or something or anytime you want your schedule? Because these are like you're always in the messages?
They spend 30 hours a week
just memorizing
but is it do you have time to give them something about the hour
the question was about the hip school students if given them some time because they memorize a lot of the Quran all throughout the week given them some time yeah, they shouldn't be yeah that I want them to become part of the program we need we need people like that. I don't know if I'm going to specifically have time to set out specifically for them we'll see Inshallah, who to Anna but if they're if they're youth, then they are more than welcome to join any of our programs, getting all that we are going to involve our youth and outreach. We're going to have a specific involvement for the youth with outreach and that's going to come through my education coordinator, directing youth
outreach. I'm going to be working with outreach committee to group the youth as a brother name Archana and I'm already working with to set up like della training programs for the youth get them involved in that was in connect those two, the two jobs that I am currently doing with youth and outreach kind of blend together and they in and hopefully inshallah you'll see after the next two, three months how they blend together. But yes, we're going to get them involved in Dawa. They are the foundation of Dawa the youth. They always have been they always should be in charge. So yes, absolutely. Sisters any other sister Yes.
Well
I'll have to say I don't know if 12. And I don't know if the kids young kids are under my, I don't know if that's under my banner or not, no, but I'll try to work with whoever is dealing with those. So maybe we can kind of make sure we're on this kind of interlinked page so that they are ready when they come in Shama?
Yep, I'll make sure that we're working together and Shama, Shama, that's a good suggestion, I'll make sure that we're doing that Jama Yes, brother.
The asset that is starting
on Wednesday night, like one one and a half hour series, every Wednesday, going forward for several weeks,
you also got the view of the next video.
This is talking about the conflict between I'm having Wednesday night show here. So starting programs on Wednesday night, there going to be some overlap, considering that there's four of us here. Now, there's always going to be some overlap between youth and between some programs that are going on in the main hall, just by the very nature
of the way it is. And that will be a thing where the parents and the youth will, I'm not going to hold anybody, you know, no accountable if they say, you know, I'd rather go attend chef, Dr. Seuss, sort of the use of what I ate, because he's going to switch it over to someone else and a few months, that is absolutely fine, because it's all part of the same education. You know, as long as they're getting the education. I'm not saying it has to come from me, you know, we're offering that service to them. If there is a parallel service that is going on with regards to education that they choose to do, and the parents choose to do with them. I'm 100% fine with that. That's, that's still
going in the same direction. That makes sense. It's not it's not where it is, I want them to only be sitting under our approach. No, no, no, we, if Wednesday is about education, and I'm holding something about education, it might be something a little bit different than what Schiff is doing at the moment, but if they want to go to that, that's fine. That's fine as well, Inshallah, it's fine. Does that make sense?
Yes, but then, then if it later on, if we started having a program in the main hall on Tuesdays, then I'll have to switch it to when you get I'm saying like, we have to kind of keep some, some consistency in sha Allah, it'll be a con, it might be a conflict now 234 months or not, might not be a conflict anymore, you get what I'm saying? We want to kind of keep that consistency, there is going to be some overlap. That's just the nature of having four amazing people, you know, heading a center like this, there's going to be some overlap. But we'll try our best to coordinate around that. And Shawn Montana, there might be even some some some Wednesday's where I say, okay, hey,
let's go sit and see if he answers class. You know, that might be our Wednesday education. Let's go Let's go spend the day in the main hall, we'll check answer because we are all working together. You know that that is the goal that we have is to work together and I want to just add something really quickly is that it will kind of mirror the words that you heard Jeff is for those of you who were here the other night, when he spoke about his q&a session and kind of his methodology and ideology of how he's going to about doing that. We have a very similar stance that 100 level non shake. So for for a long time since he was a graduate of Jemison, me and Medina, we studied under some of the
same same type of teachers and same ways I studied most of my teachers are Hanbali most of his teachers are Hanbali. But I've also been around long enough and I've traveled enough of the globe to realize how broad and how colorful the understanding of Islam is when it comes to fit when it comes to methodology. So I'm going to try to make our programs also represent that in JAMA to Anna represent not just one way not just one right answer one wrong answer one right way. The only right way is the way of the Quran doesn't know that is for sure. But how that is understood there is some variety in that and there is some permissible variety in that but just like Chef Yasha said there
there are certain places where I draw lines there are certain areas of either where I draw lines and say okay, no, we can't do that we're going too far there. There's issues like Like he said, when it comes to abuse of the companion note, we stop right there when it comes to you know,
you know, weird theories about the Quran or the profit and we there are certain red lines I'm going to draw, but within that we're going to try to be fluid very flexible with with understanding and shot along with to Anna, but I at the end of the day, am responsible for all the programs. So I will call that case by case basis, working along with people like Chef yesterday Imam, the dean, Mr. Jordan, all the people that I have to rely on on a global scale. Whenever I have questions about certain topics or issues that Hamdulillah 12 years of traveling the globe and spending time on or many teachers in Egypt in the US
Gay in here and in Saudi, I've developed a long repertoire of people I can reach out to. So I'll be using them to give me advice and guide me along the way Inshallah, but but we will, you know, try to be brought into understanding, withdrawing some kind of red lines that we don't go past and shot left, if that makes sense.
Sister I think it's the sisters turn on Shama now come then I'll come to you, brother. Yes sister
because the a concern
the question was, would there be any specifics about homeschooled youth and dealing with the challenges of the homeschool youth emailed me about that, and will will will discuss that in JAMA Hutan. It's not something that's crossed my mind. But now that you've mentioned it, send me an email, and we'll discuss that in Shama. Shama? Yes, brother in the right there, then, then I see you in the front brother.
Will I have any programs for parents related to us matters? Yes, I am going to meet with the parents once a week. And then that, that that will be kind of like what this was a half and a half, where I will spend 30 minutes kind of explaining to you guys, some things I've learned about the youth, maybe a remembrance, or a reminder for the parents and hamdulillah and then take your feedback, so we'll split it half and half with that inshallah. And also, I will be doing for the general community, it was announced that I will be doing two Saturdays, every single month in the main hall main program for the entire community. My topics will be focused on mainly around Darwin Sharma
hotel, because that's kind of like my area of expertise. So we'll be things about getting you know, the community motivated and involved in Darwin Dow related topics, but I will be doing the first and third Saturday of the month in the main hall and shalom.
Sister Yes.
Playstations
Yes, ma'am.
My concern is that kids
are spending significant amount of time on space issues. So they'll I think they'll have one open access to no more restriction work.
hours, okay. Yes, everything will have restrictions, the life has to have rules and regulations. For the things the question was, are there going to be Playstations? In the youth room? They already are on those things. Enough? I know my son is too. So are they going to have unrestricted access to come to the masjid and be like, glued to the TV? No, no, no, that will be kind of relegated to certain there'll be certain hours after school where, you know, if the youth want to come here directly after school, and, and, and do some things, there'll be certain set hours, okay, you guys can play and it'll be very regulated of what they can, what they can play, like, you know, sports games and
stuff like that they want to compete with each other. And we might at some point have like tournaments, like FIFA tournaments, where they can have healthy competition with each other Madden tournaments, but it will be very restricted in Java. And it will always be under either my eye or the
Activities Coordinator who again, I'm going to choose very carefully to be kind of my right hand to be very responsible for that matter. There will be restrictions. I'm not sure exactly, I can't give you like timeframes. And yet because we haven't even got it open and going yet, but we're working on that, but everything is going to have some kind of boundaries, there has to be boundaries, inshallah.
to the gym, some of the boys, my son, a 16 year old, and, you know, they come to spend a lot of time at the gym, which is good. But you do have programs, you know, that you're going to be building out. But is there any way to, you know, like, okay, living 30 gets cut off, it's time to go home, you can look because you know, they come home really late, especially the weekends. Anyway, to cut that short a little bit. Because previously during Friday nights, what would happen is the kids would be here 12 o'clock, one o'clock when they're going to 711 which is not normally the neighborhood, getting paid and stuff like that. So yeah, you can come here for those who do not have licenses or
those.
Yeah, no, that will be restricted for like all nighters, you know, we're not going to stay till 12 One o'clock in the morning, even our Friday night because then I know those youth are not getting up for Fudger the next morning, it's going to be hard for me to get up from London the next morning, you know, so there will be cut off times and I will try to make sure that the youth are getting home. Now once they get in their cars and leave the Masjid. You know, I can't really you know, follow every one of them everywhere they go. I hope they end up going home. But if they don't, that's where I'm going to need the parents to reach out to me and say, Hey, these youth they're
leaving the masjid on Friday night, then they're leaving you at 11 They're not coming home to one. That's where I'll step in and try to find out what's happening and what's going on and
yeah, there will be concrete cut off times.
Because I want the parents to know what time the program's end, so that they should know what time they should expect their children to be home. Because if not, there's, there's some disconnect there. If you don't know what time you're, you know, if my child is going out somewhere, I need to know what time, okay, you're going to a program, what time does it end? I don't know, you're not going, you know, I mean, or I'm telling you, when it ends, it ends at this time, and you did the home by this time. So I will be working with the parents with that to make sure that we keep, you know, healthy schedule, because even even during this the school year, yes, Friday and Saturdays are
a bit off, but we can't, you can't let them be up to three in the morning. I mean, that's just there never going to recuperate from that. Because there's no such thing. One thing I have learned, and I've I've learned through my own studies and travels and stuff, you don't catch up on sleep, there's no such thing. There's no such thing sleep that is missed is never caught up on it, there's no way you're not going to say I'm going to sleep two hours tonight, and I'll sleep 10 hours tomorrow. And that's not the way the body works. That's not the way the circadian rhythm works is detrimental to a young developing mind to not get a certain number of hours of sleep every single night. They their
brains doesn't function, right. So we will make sure that we're keeping that. And I will also take, you know, advice from the parents like general consistent with time, on Friday and Saturday nights, you want your children to be home to make sure that I am ending the programs by a certain time. So that means if they're not at your house by a certain time, then they went somewhere else, you know, because I made sure that they were off the premises by such and such time Java, we will keep the parents in the loop with that and make sure that there is some standard to that. Yes, brother.
Brother, mashallah many people move to Dallas area, including myself and family just for that environment. So they're struggling with our daughters how to, you know, to get to new new friends. So we have established programs always let the new guys get together. So I was hoping like an annual program, they will be for the sister for the grant introduction, or was introduction or ongoing introduction for the new Congress. 100% Yeah, and also, maybe we can use a database for them to kind of match with families together was like 12 years olds, girls, that does not even come to the lessons. So I really wish that Mrs. Pregnant. Otherwise, you would find that newcomers are
isolated, things like that is a very good idea. Put it down on on on black and white and send it to me in an email. Because then I can take that, copy it and put it in kind of like my spreadsheet of ideas that are always going to be running through my head and I'm going to try to be instituting the programs. You might tell me today. And I forget next week, you know, I mean, but when it's in black and white, it gives me something because I kind of am very systematic about the way my brain works and the way I do things. My wife says I have an OCD about information. And I like it to be written down. I like it to be somewhere where I can go back and look at it in Java. So send that to me, just
like ask us history about homeschooling, email me, email me and if you ever send me an email and it's about something that you want responded and I don't respond to it right away because I literally get I have 245,000 unread emails right now but I'm making sure that the ones from Epic are always flagged as important. Follow it up see whether you should Did you catch this I sent you an email just make sure because I'm always going to try to at least respond with a received that we'll get back to you as soon as possible. So if you don't get that from me within like 24 or 48 hours email me again, just just just remind me we all need to be reminded I'm not a youth youth as per se
I'll be 40 next year in sha Allah but my mind still slips from me a little bit so we'll work on inshallah once they get we have a sister and then I'll come to you and Shama
Yes sister
an amazing day
this is asking about programs from volunteers. That is something we will work with and it's also going to be part of outreach as well part of the outreach program. So yes, we will be we're going to try to make sure that the volunteers of epic are appreciated and that they're shown that their commitment to the masjid for the sake of Allah subhana wa Tada is appreciated Yes, absolutely sister inshallah. Yes brother
I saw every week we have a process for
the kids
genius in the background, the Application Builder for software because
years of your
life
Then
yes,
there is an app for epic Yes. Right all of that is on the and I think the youth programs are started going on there right inshallah they should
just to social media it'll be on social media I think I'm going to work with the brother to make something specific for the youth inshallah with Medina apps we're going to work on something specifically for the youth we talked about that right incorporating some yes
yes, what is the name of the main app
epic Islamic center epic mustard
why yeah
yeah, we will be will be coordinating massively on social media for the youth inshallah and we have the app man right here we're going to be working on something specifically for the youth because they are a digital they live in a digital world.
Okay, well, one sister and then mother we had Yes sister.
The activities they charge
it, how is it going to balance here? How is it going to go with our school? Or is there going to be like,
organized communication ahead of time that?
Yes.
The sister is asking, you know, the youth are excited, they want to be involved, you know, but they also want to make sure that during the school year their studies or exams, or is there going to be a way that I'm coordinating that that they know things ahead of time, so they can make a formal plan. Yes, that's why we want to get a kiosk a TV out there with all of the programs so they can see them we're going to that's why one thing I want to coordinate with a brother to create an app just maybe for the youth to where they can log on to that and see everything that's going on so that they have that plan ahead of time. And that's why I also will be using the four chairpersons that I choose in
their subcommittees to make sure that we streamline the process of information coming and going. So that if somebody wants to help and or if even one of my chair persons has exam or something coming up, they let me know so that we can date and then they find someone that can step in for them. Yes, we're going to try to make this a very
smooth running process almost like a well oiled diplomatic machine, like a political machine that just works in child long time. But again, some of that is going to take ironing out the wrinkles ironing out the kinks, and it's going to be a little bit rough going in the beginning, but hopefully we'll get it all smoothed out soon and Shama
Yes.
Every other month or every month, take incomplete patterns and the kids and like you taking the youth and social services and outreach and other community that we have established through the education
module progressive adopter program and have you go out there and work together cleaning up whether a house or cleaning up the street 100%
event have the youth and the parents and other committees
Yes, the there was talking about you know, on a regularly occurring basis getting the youth involved in the other things that the committee is involved in social services like you know, trash cleanup, helping, you know, homeless shelters and soup Yeah 100% I want the youth out there involved and we want to do it through the proper channels through the masjid inshallah. Yet, we promoted we tell them, hey, this month, we're going to do some we have to do some, I want to make sure our youth are giving back because the youth of epic are privileged, mashallah to Anna. And then some fortunately, sometimes they behave that away. I'm sure you guys do almost everything for them. And that
unfortunately leads them to be a little bit lazy. So we're going to make sure that they are out giving back that they realize the privilege that they have, and they use that to give back and show the gratitude to Allah subhanho wa Taala by getting out and helping the community so I'll maybe ask them this month, we're going to do something in the community. What do you guys want to do? Here are the programs that Epic is involved in Let's choose one, let's go to that committee. Let's go to that, you know, chain of command and let's find out how we can get involved and we'll promote it as a big program and get our youth out there. Let them get their hands dirty a little bit in chama Yes
for sure. They'll learn you learn gratitude when you give back that's when you learn through gratitude when Allah has blessed you and you return that blessing by helping others so I'm going to try to instill that into their their brains inshallah. Yes, sister and then a brother inshallah. Yes, sister.
No, no. Outreach is she's asking is the youth is my outreach responsibility just for youth? No, no, I'm overall outreach, all outreach
Just email me. So you want to be involved. I'm creating a list of few people who've emailed me, my first goal was to get the youth kind of up and running. Because if we leave them to their own, you know, to their own whims for too long, we already know what can happen. So I wanted to get them kind of functioning, rolling. And then we're gonna start doing the same thing with with the outreach we already have. I've already instituted, I just taught on Monday, we've already got a full fledged program with why Islam coming up. There'll be an eight week course it's going to be announced very soon, you'll be registered for it. And we're going to do an eight week bi weekly data training
series with myself chef Yasser Mufti was in con and one other brother, I can't remember the name off top of my head. But yes, we've already got one major program going, and we're going to start instituting many things for outreach Inshallah, but I wanted to make sure we get the youth kind of off the ground first, because you cannot leave them with nothing for a while, because they get in trouble like that. So yes, outreach will start rolling out very soon, I'll be sitting with outreach committee that's already established to start creating a similar hierarchy to where things run, even if I'm not here, and we'll start getting involved in outreach and that we want to one of the goals I
have is to make epic, an epicenter for Dawa in the United States and an epicenter for reverts. I want this to become a home for people who want to become a Muslim, or even people who become Muslim all over the globe, country, I want them to know that Epic is as a resource for them, you know, Inshallah, the goal here is to see the Revert population grow every single year, and not just grow by taking shahada, but grow by them staying in the community, they're still here with us. So that is my goal. And Shawn loves to bring new Muslims into the fold of Islam here at Epic and keep them in the fold of Islam here at Epic through our services. That's my overall goal as being a revert
myself, I know how much of a challenge it is. So we plan to address that and Champa
100% everybody has access to that training is gonna be completely open. We actually need as many there is no such thing as having too many people in outreach. As volunteers. There's no reason we need help, as well, as the brother said, with the youth programs. I'm not going to be trying to run these as a one man captain of the ship micromanaging No, we're going to need the parents involved. If I plan to do outings, I'm not going to try to keep manage 4050 6070 100 youth on my own. We'll be reaching out to you guys and get sister chaperones get brother chaperones, so that there's you know, 1520 eyes on our youth at one time, not just to, you know, so we will be reaching out to you, for
those of you who are not part of it. The telegram broadcast group for parents, there is a group for epic parents on telegram please send them an email and say you want to be part of the the broadcast group on Telegram, give me your phone number and I will add you to the telegram telegram group it's a it's a channel where I can broadcast things that are going on for the youth or things that the parents need to know. And so you'll be in the know and I'm going to use that regularly Inshallah, so that you're in the know, and if I need help, I'll reach out through that that platform say hey, I'm having a program next month. I'm going to need two brothers. Two male chaperones two female
chaperones, who's interested, let me know so please make sure you're a part of that inshallah with Iona. Yes, brother.
Brother.
More than houses
are the best people to give Dawa to because they are our direct neighbors. They have hopped on us. Yep. I've already been over there. I've already walked through that neighborhood. And I'm my eyes are on it. Shawn law but but I'm one I'm slowly My mind is running in those directions. You know, but things have to build up to that. I know. And that's when I went over there and looked at it. And hamdulillah forgive me, I didn't email you back. This first week has been a whirlwind. If I haven't emailed me by back in this first week. I'll get back to you starting on Monday Tuesday in sha Allah this first week literally has just been like you know, a storm. I don't I don't know where I'm
coming or going asleep like three hours a night. But we'll get I'll get into that job. But I did go over there and look at that community and yes, we need we need to that's our neighbors. We have to at least show some concern for the Machame Yes, I'll take one more because then we can go and get ready for Salah one more sister one more brother.
You should that Evans that epic mastered that order.
You should them as a Miss epicmix. Should that were any more sisters have a question? No. Brother any more questions? No. Last one more of a community question. But I was hoping that we go beyond just educational intervene and so on and so forth. Because we want to get the youth can do so much more than just
education. There's also things about getting them involved in political action committees. It's also things about getting them out and about leadership roles in the community. And there's so many other resources we have in our community. There are people who are willing to put
Some career coaches, there are people who are like,
Yep, this is where they need to get 100% He was saying, you know, try to involve the youth in more things other than just, you know, religious activities and things of that nature getting involved in, like, you know, political understandings and things that yes, but that is where I will be leaning on those services. What I explained today was just kind of what I'm taking under my, my own guide, things that are outside of my scope, suggestions you have like, this are the perfect thing to email to me. So I can put them in a pointer, so that later on, you know, I can say, when I want to actually things kind of smooth down and calm down, I can start branching out and saying, Okay, we
want to try to get involved in this and that, so I'll have those resources. And I'll remember those ideas, two months from now, because it's a good idea now, but a month from now, I'm probably going to have floated way out of my head. So send me an email in Sharla.
For example, is quite involved in these things. And certainly in Derrick facts, about workshops on coding and career skills and so on. 100% directly involved with with the or any of those things, but this is how you directly Yes, get an extra credit on something on the other hand, know, that's all part of life skills. When I when I said I want to teach our children life skills, it was just how to function in society, you know, how to actually, you know, if God forbid, something happened to your parents tomorrow, you know, how would you function as a citizen, how would you function as a, as an as a, as a semi adult in this world. So that's all part of life skills. So send me those
suggestions, you should have events that haven't mastered at our work. And we'll we'll start instituting those, but the things I talked about today were what like the next two months, three months that I'm going to start trying to roll out. And then once things are running smoothly, and I start seeing how the ship is going to sail then we can start adding some more things to in Java, if that makes sense. I want to kind of keep it very small at the beginning kind of this focus very small till we get that going well, it's kind of like working out you know, I mean, I don't want to go and try to grab every weight in the gym right away you know, just let's get what we can get going
smoothly. And then we can slowly start adding to that and John, I don't want to I don't want to overwhelm myself or anyone else as well. So we'll start adding those things as we go again. Any suggestions? Any questions? Email me you should Evans epic messenger that org and I will see you guys again. Again, we'll meet back up in a month every month I want to have this meeting. But if you know there's something you desperately need to talk to me about, you want to discuss with me? Just get in touch with me we'll make it happen inshallah. BarakAllahu li come Jimmy I was Salam aleykum Rahmatullah care to Subhanak Lumo and be handy go shadow Allah, Allah, Allah, ancestor Fuqua to be
like Santa Monica