Banquet day is one of my favorite days of the year," said Janelle Heying, executive director of Teen Central in Manheim. "To see so many people gather together to hear about what God is doing through the people and ministry of Teen Central and to feel how many supporters love, pray for and deeply care about the future of the youth who we serve daily is a powerful and beautiful experience."

Teen Central's annual banquet will be held on Tuesday, March 26, at the Junction Center, 1875 Junction Road, Manheim. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and the banquet will run from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

The event will feature a buffet-style meal provided by Country Home Catering. The menu is still being finalized, Heying said, but it will feature whoopie pies from Amy's Mixing Bowl and a sundae bar served by Teen Central's board members.

A variety of items will be up for grabs at a silent auction during the banquet. "We try to include a compilation of handmade items, theme baskets and local experiences, all while simultaneously promoting the small businesses, churches and community members who support our ministry in this way," Heying shared.

The banquet guest speaker will be pastor Jose Jimenez, who currently serves at Activ8 Church in Lancaster. Heying first met Jimenez in 2019 when the pastor led a Bible study with high school students at Teen Central.

"It was clear upon meeting him that he had a passion for connecting youth to Christ," she remarked. "Hearing parts of his testimony, his heart for serving those around him and getting a glimpse into his ministry from some of his former students while he was serving as the director of Teen Haven - the youth outreach of Water Street Mission - I knew that he could easily share about the work that youth centers like Teen Central do, and he has seen firsthand the transformative power of God through ministries like ours."

The banquet is Teen Central's largest annual fundraiser. While it is free to attend, an offering will be received, with proceeds directly benefiting the organization's ministry and the youth it serves.

All programming at Teen Central is offered free to students in grades five through 12. "Our goal is to provide spiritual development and quality life experiences for the youth of our community," Heying said. "We do so by providing weekday programming, special events and other opportunities for youth to gather in and outside of our youth facility. It is our hope to provide positive activities, mentoring relationships and to promote social, intellectual, emotional and spiritual growth."

She credits volunteers, staff and supporters with making the mission of Teen Central possible.

"God is doing big things at Teen Central, and I have seen Him powerfully transform brokenness into beauty," she shared. "I see young leaders being formed and encouraged, students thinking of others' needs before their own and genuine and kind youth discovering their gifts and using them to impact those around them. To be able to say that Teen Central gets to play a role in their lives as they continue to discover who they are, learn and grow is a true blessing."

The deadline to reserve tickets for the banquet is Saturday, March 16. Tickets may be reserved by calling 717-664-2990 or emailing info@teencentralmanheim.org.