‘Like-Minded People Sharing the Mission of Reaching Kids through Christ’

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—The thriving ministry ofYouth For Christ (YFC, www.yfc.net) is a worldwide Christian movement working with young people around the globe. YFC International, (the parent organization for YFC Nations), through partnership with World Link, enables YFC USA to cultivate relationships that develop better leaders, share resources, fundraising efforts, and develop potential for missions.

Participants in World Link programs, such as YFC International, are selected through a merit-based scholarship process that combines the participants’ ability to adapt to another culture and their potential as a future leader in their home countries.

Ryan Dougherty, a YFC International liaison, works closely with World Link and the over 100 YFC Nations Chapters across the globe. “What God is doing through YFC and World Link’s partnership in other nations is so remarkable; it helps us learn what could be adopted in the United States. These relationships help us share those ideas and initiatives.”

According to Dougherty, youth issues are not necessarily “cultural” in nature. What YFC has learned in its partnership, is that there are many similarities concerning the struggles kids face no matter what country they live in—so “building relationships in these partnerships help all of the ministry leaders better understand that some youth issues are truly universal.”

Said Dougherty, “There are many successful global partnership programs that are thriving due to the YFC and World Link partnership.” To name a few: YFC BiG JAWS and YFC India; Northern Colorado YFC and YFC Mexico and YFC Indian River and YFC Puerto Rico.

• YFC BiG JAWS and YFC India: YFC BiG JAWS, in Indiana, partnered with YFC India. This was a unique opportunity for YFC—India is quickly replacing China as the emerging growing youth market, due to being very under resourced. The YFC BiG JAWS ministry was both needed and welcomed.

• Northern Colorado YFC and YFC Mexico: YFC Mexico was new a new ministry without many resources. Through the sharing of resources, Northern Colorado YFC helped them reach 20,000 kids within a couple of years of this special partnership.

• YFC Indian River and YFC Puerto Rico: YFC Puerto Rico had acquired property that they wished to develop into a new summer camp for its ministry. YFC Indian River in Florida, helped build the camp in Puerto Rico by making regular trips and lending a hand.

How has COVID-19 affected successful partnerships like these? Travel is difficult, but with virtual communications, YFC and World Link have created an opportunity for the leaders to share struggles, celebrate their successes, and pray together as a community.

“This pandemic has brought us together with the similarities of issues that we as a world are all dealing with. It helps leaders of the movement see just how uniquely connected we are,” said Dougherty. “YFC has a mission of providing adult oversight and guidance to kids who lack adult involvement in their lives. We strive to help them assimilate into a family life, attend school, and lead a well-rounded, productive life. The ministry we share is holistic: Jesus is, of course, our main focus—but we understand that other needs must be met for these kids. We are connected with like-minded people all over the globe who share the same mission of reaching kids through Christ.”

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 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, Jeff Tolson, 610.584.1096, ext. 108, or Deborah Hamilton, ext. 102.