Ministry Is There for Young People Who Are Struggling and Alone—and Shares with Them the Hope of Christ
October 26, 2020
NEW YORK CITY — Providing young people with a chance to be followers of Jesus Christ, Youth For Christ (YFC, www.yfc.net)is not only impacting an entire generation—from juvenile offenders to teens living in under-resourced families—it’s doing so in local areas across our land more effectively than ever. And it’s continuing to work through COVID-19, with such creative methods as outdoor gatherings, virtual meetups, and much more.
Youth For Christ—through ministry arms such as Campus Life, Deaf Teen Quest, Campus Life Military, City Life, Parent Life, and Juvenile Justice Ministry—extends the unconditional love of God and caring support to teens whose choices and circumstances might lead them down into a negative spiral. YFC helps teens overcome the dark temptations by sharing the light and hope of Jesus Christ—one person at a time.
Daniel Sanabria, executive director ofYFC New York City, explains that after going virtual for six months because of coronavirus restrictions, his group is now back meeting with young people face to face. They’ve also bought a truck to serve their community. “God is good, and our staff is trusting in God every single day,” he says.
Adds Sanabria, “The truck we bought is an 18-footer box truck. We bought it so that we can provide a fast delivery of products, such as furniture, to young people who come out of jail.” YFC New York City, he says, partnered with a local church, Park Slope Christian Tabernacle Church in Brooklyn, to buy the truck. “We have an opportunity to serve our community in Park Slope with food and pantry items, but also to bring furniture across the city to young people in need.”
The past few months have been very “tough,” even “crazy” and “overwhelming,” in New York City, he reveals. Yet “we’re still working, still providing, still producing a lot of disciples—and we’re reaching kids with the Gospel,” says Sanabria. “And that’s the whole point, right? It’s about walking with kids in an effective Christ-sharing relationship. God has provided for us. God has opened the doors to people and organizations for us. And we’re here for the long term to walk with these kids.”
Helping teens find Christ-centered role models around them and a new peace in Christ, no matter what issues they might be dealing with and no matter what is going on around them, is the goal of all of YFC’s ministries, wherever they’re located.
To keep his important ministry growing, Sanabria calls attention to a key upcoming #YFCBeTheStory Virtual Benefit for YFC New York City on October 29. “We want to save the young people of New York through the Gospel. We read the Scriptures regularly with them and we do mentoring, and we’re really pumped about that. We want all of our friends and partners to be a part of what we’re doing here in New York City.”
Over 160 YFC chapters across the nation seek out and serve youth from all walks of life. Many teens are silently struggling through a variety of challenging issues—and now they see the living power of a loving God.
Youth For Christ staff and volunteers are encouraged by the YFC 3Story concept, which is based on the belief that kids will be reached for Christ when met at their point of need—and as workers connect their stories with Jesus’s story. The ministry efforts of Youth For Christ are changing lives, one young person at a time.
Youth For Christ’s 3Story 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 in order to lead people to Christ. For more information, visit 3Story.org.
Nationally, Youth For Christ is telling inspiring stories like these through#YFCBeTheStory, an initiative to help spread the word across the nation about how YFC chapters are making a difference in their communities.
Youth For Christ has been a pillar of missional ministry since 1944, when the Rev. 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. YFC reaches young people everywhere, working together with the local church and other like-minded partners to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who 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. Youth For Christ operates in over 100 nations and has more than 160 chapters that impact communities across America.
Visit the Youth For Christ media page here. Learn more about Youth For Christ at its website, www.yfc.net, Facebook and Instagram pages, Twitter feed @yfcusa or on Vimeo.
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To interview a Youth For Christ representative, contact Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Harrison, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Deborah Hamilton, ext. 102.
