Patterson spoke about local gangs. He described the arrival of members of the St. Louis Boys and their clashes with a local gang, the Springfield Runners, near Parkview High School last spring.

The grand jury met, examined gang activity here, and handed up 39 indictments. Gangs, Patterson told the Rotarians, are "continuing associations of three or more people for certain criminal conduct ..

. ." And with crack cocaine selling for more in Springfield than in St.

Louis or in other large cities, he said, there is an economic incentive for gang activity here. Patterson said that when he attended a presentation by gang expert Steve Nawojczky at a local middle school, Nawojczky, a former Little Rock coroner, asked the students how many knew gang members. About a dozen youngsters, Patterson said, raised their hands, indicating that they did.

Young people here are at risk of being drawn into gangs, Patterson said. Some of them are attracted to the gang lifestyle and imitate the clothing and other behavior, sometimes including the use of guns to settle conflicts. "Prevention," he said, "is as important as prosecution #233 .

And a lot of prevention is finding ways for young people to be accepted and to be kept busy." The Community Partnership of the Ozarks, on whose board I sit, is taking gangs seriously. CPO has brought in Nawojczky twice and assembled other gang experts to raise community awareness.

Some 500 people attended one presentation. Public school students and parents have been briefed about gangs; teachers and school counselors have been trained; a gang prevention tool kit has been developed and distributed at presentations, like the Rotary one I attended. CPO has also trained speakers to address PTAs, neighborhood groups, churches about gangs.

In addition, the Council of Churches of the Ozarks is working with a faith-based subcommittee of the CPO Gang Task Force. The subcommittee organized a brainstorming forum, and it is now getting out information about gangs to the faith community through the Springfield Area Youth Leaders' Network, according to David Hockensmith, executive director of the Council of Churches. "Many churches," Hockensmith said, "just don't have gangs on their radar screens as yet.

But that is changing through CPO and other community and faith-based organizations." Churches and other faith communities, he said, have programs in place or in the planning that can help meet "the affiliation needs" of young people they want to belong so they don't seek out gangs to meet those needs and to provide their identities. "If you have positive affiliations and role models and neighborhoods," he said, "then you can keep young people out of gangs #233.

They will grow into responsible adults." A friend, once a pastor in Oklahoma City, tells a true story of the positive influence faith communities can have upon young people. He received a phone call one night from the grandmother of a teenager named John, who was missing.

John was a sometime member of my friend's church. The boy's father was in prison, his mother dead, and he lived with his grandmother. My friend got into his car and went looking for John.

He found him at 2 a.m. wandering the street with some other boys.

My friend and his wife took a personal interest in the boy and became parent figures to him. They helped get him into the Job Corps and years later, "He's a success," my friend said. "He's a long-distance truck driver.

He's married. And he has children of his own. He says I saved his life.

"Our church culture showed him that he was a person of value." Communities of faith can inoculate young people against gangs. Pastors, youth ministers, Sunday School teachers can reach out to the young, especially those like John who are at risk.

We can mentor them, inculcate good values and strong character in them and help them if they get into trouble. Knowing now that I can do something to help solve the gang problem, I do not feel quite so scared. Just motivated.

The Rev. Kenneth L. Chumbley is rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Springfield.