By Monique Roth
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — Chrissy Cifuentes and Ashton Cage are just two of the young adult leaders of The Movement, a recently re-launched organization in the River Parishes aimed at making a real and lasting difference in the lives of students. 

According to the group’s website, the-movement.net, “The Movement comes from a heart to see students move forward in every direction of life.”

Cifuentes, executive director, and Cage, the group’s founder and leader, met last year at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting at Riverside Academy, where Cifuentes teaches. Cage is the youth pastor at LifeHouse Church.

The two said they clicked immediately, and as Cage shared his vision for what The Movement could be with Cifuentes, she became passionate about becoming a part of the team.

“It just felt right,” she said about getting involved.

The duo said the vision of The Movement is to create a community that sees area students meet their full potential spiritually and academically and grow into their purpose.

Cifuentes said there are “no barriers” to who is invited to participate, adding middle and high school students of all religions and races are invited.

Cage first started a group through LifeHouse Church nearly five years ago called ID Clubs in which he visited high schools and reached out to students before school and during lunch in meetings where he, and others, would share a message and often feed students pizza. 

He said what started then has morphed into what is now The Movement.

A five-person team including Cage, Cifuentes, Angelle Marix, Cherie Gomez and Chris Davis lead The Movement, which recently reached out to nearly 350 students at Riverside and East St. John High School in just one week.

Cage said while weekly meetings are held at Riverside and ESJ, monthly meetings are held at Lutcher High School and Destrehan High School. Cifuentes said The Movement leaders are in talks with several other local high schools to start meeting with their students.

“God put together this team,” Cage said, adding he was excited to see more students get involved.

He said he knows one thing for sure — The Movement’s school outreaches are effective and important in the lives of many students.

“One student told me, “I leave hell at home to come here and get a sense of relief,’” Cage said, adding he has also counseled a female student who confided to him her boyfriend was trying to convince her to do sexual favors for his friends.

Cifuentes said because she is a teacher she is privy to see how much students deal with and endure. 

“There are hurting teens right here in this parish,” Cifuentes said.

She said during a teenager’s formative years students face relentless peer pressure in and out of school, and as a result spend much of their time and energy struggling to fit in, to win the approval of those around them. 

Other than school meetings, Cage and Cifuentes said The Movement will occasionally have gender-specific events and celebrations, including an upcoming Oct. 4 event geared towards girls at LifeHouse Church. They said many rallies and events will be planned for the whole group.

Cage said The Movement is striving to make a difference in three main areas in the lives of the students — educational, community and personal. 

In relation to educational development, Cage said The Movement will seek to establish tutoring programs, back-to-school events, anti-bullying programs and awareness on social issues, among other things.

Related to community development, Cifuentes said ideas for future activities include volunteering at nursing homes and veterans’ homes, food drives, mission outreaches and beautification programs. 

On Saturday, The Movement will take part in its first community development activity when it will join other groups and churches to participate in the inaugural Breaking Down Walls Fishing Extravaganza in Gramercy.

In the area of the students’ personal development, mentorship programs and small group gatherings are among some of the ideas Cifuentes and Cage are exploring. 

For more information about The Movement, including how to get involved or sponsor, visit the-movement.net.