July 6, 2021
DENVER, Colo. – Youth For Christ’s (YFC, www.yfc.net) Military Ministry at Joint Base (JB) Pearl Harbor-Hickam, led by Chase McAllister, leverages the virtual landscape of 2020 to forge lasting relationships between the military youth of Hawaii.
When McAllister explored virtual alternatives to Campus Life Ministry during the pandemic, he discovered an invaluable resource to the transient lifestyle of military families. YFC’s Military Ministry typically hosts a weekly “Club Night” where military-connected youth find an environment to meet and make friends through Jesus Christ. When the group was not able to meet in-person for Club Night, students connected with each other online through social media apps, like Twitch and Discord.
“Connecting online outside of the weekly Club Nights allows us to get to know the students in their space and on their time,” says Chase McAllister, Ministry Site Director, YFC Military JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam. “Their sense of humor comes out, they find connections based on similar interests and they share their faith, their burdens and their joy.”
Once COVID restrictions were lifted and YFC was able to resume their in-person ministry, 50 people showed up to Club Night – as if they never skipped a beat while virtual. Most military families move to different bases every two to three years. Facilitating this online community helps students stay connected even after they leave JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
“YFC’s Military Ministry Leaders, like Chase McAllister and his team of volunteers, support our military-connected youth and their families with unconditional, authentic Christ-sharing relationships,” says Jacob Bland, President and CEO of Youth For Christ. “I pray that God continues to inspire our ministers with creative and unique ways to serve our military youth where they are and facilitate more lifelong, faith-filled relationships, despite the challenge posed by their transient lifestyle.”
Social media platforms have been an invaluable resource to youth ministry for military families during this past year. McAllister continues to leverage virtual opportunities for students – both current and former – to forge unique connections, in addition to robust in-person youth ministry.
YFC haschapters impacting thousands of communities across the nation that 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. YFC 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.
YFC 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 approximately 140 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, Jeff Tolson, 610.584.1096, ext. 108, or Deborah Hamilton, ext. 102.
