October 7, 2025
Youth For Christ Alaska is reaching Indigenous teens with the life-changing power of the Gospel
Christopher Gatch, Executive Director: ‘What unites all of these teens from different backgrounds and cultures is the desire to hear the Gospel’
ANCHORAGE, AK — Youth For Christ (YFC, www.yfc.net) is committed to reaching young people with God’s love by walking alongside teens through pivotal moments in their lives. This mission compels YFC to seek out those on the fringe of society who are often overlooked and underserved.
In Anchorage and beyond, YFC Alaska is ministering to such young people, a large number of whom are struggling with poverty and mental health issues. Nearly one-third of Alaska’s children have parents lacking secure employment, while 28% live in households burdened by high housing costs. Alaskan teens are also more likely to experience depression and suicidal thoughts compared to a decade ago.
According to Christopher Gatch, Executive Director of YFC Alaska, “Many of these young people are lacking love and relationships. With our Indigenous youth, I’ve heard stories of youth being kicked out of the house; just complete rejection.”
Another challenge, says Gatch, is the decentralized nature of the Alaskan population, where some live “on-road,” near the road system, or in “the bush” — vast swaths of wilderness only accessible by plane.
“A lot of our resources go into the Bush Ministry, as flights there can be $1,500,” remarked Gatch. “So, we look for ways to reach more Indigenous youth through the road system. This means looking for ways to connect with these teens when they come into town.”
As a result of these efforts, YFC Alaska is reaching a large number of young people through a local behavioral health hospital, which has even begun incorporating Scripture into its curriculum. The team is also making inroads through their Juvenile Justice Ministry (JJM).
“With JJM, we’re limited to seeing those young people just one hour each week,” noted Gatch. “During that brief time, we try to build a relationship with these students, while communicating the Gospel openly and clearly, sharing how Christ can work through circumstances that aren’t always ideal.”
YFC Alaska also utilizes Campus Life, a ministry dedicated to helping young people navigate the pivotal years of middle and high school. Gatch in particular recalls one Campus Life leader whose resilience paid off in seeing lives changed.
“Autumn Person has been working in Campus Life for many years, building authentic relationships with young people. It takes time to build trust and demonstrate consistency for kids by faithfully showing up week after week, year after year. This year, she had seven of those young people come to Christ all at once. I admire Autumn’s tenacity and ability to remain faithful, while creating wonderful events like Friendsgiving during Thanksgiving; doing this work for years and not always seeing fruit right away, to finally seeing seven young people come to Christ this season.”
Yet, no matter the ministry, and no matter the location, every student shares one common need.
Gatch said, “What unites all of these teens from different backgrounds and cultures is the desire to hear the gospel. What we can do is share what we’ve experienced ourselves, and how Jesus has healed us and made us healthy emotionally. We bring vulnerability, honesty and transparency. We let the student know. ‘Hey, we’re here for an hour today. We’ll be back next week as well. And we’re going to bring the same transparency, vulnerability and empathy.’”
Youth For Christ (YFC) has been a leader in missional youth outreach for 81 years and is dedicated to uncovering God’s story of hope in the next generation that desperately needs it. YFC reaches young people everywhere, working together with the local church and other like-minded partners to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who then lead by their godliness in lifestyle, devotion to the Word of God and prayer, passion for sharing the love of Christ, and commitment to social involvement.
YFC chapters impact thousands of communities across the nation, seeking out and serving youth from all walks of life. Young people are silently struggling through a wide variety of challenging issues — and through the YFC ministry, God empowers them and they see the living power of a loving God. YFC trains its leaders in a proven, relational ministry model called 3Story®, which encourages staff and volunteers to be good news while also sharing the stories of the Good News of Jesus. It involves building relationships through the ups and downs of everyday life to lead people to Christ.
YFC has been a pillar of missional ministry since 1944, when Dr. Billy Graham served as YFC’s first full-time staff member. Since then, Youth For Christ has continued to be both a rural and urban ministry on mission, and it is always about the message of Jesus. Youth For Christ USA has over 113 chapters that impact communities across America and is one of over 100 nations within Youth For Christ International.
Learn more about Youth For Christ at its website, www.yfc.net, Facebook and Instagram pages or on Vimeo.
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To interview a Youth For Christ representative, contact Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, Dawn Foglein, ext. 100, or Daniel Moyer, ext. 104.
