This month, in our Day of Prayer and Fasting, we highlight one of our ministries in a very sensitive nation. This particular ministry model described is akin to Britain’s Got Talent or American Idol. You will be thrilled to read that Youth for Christ is helping “fan into flame” (II Timothy 1:6) the gifts of God that are within teenagers! Take some time to read this Scripture. Pray and think about ways that you in your ministry can empower teenagers. As teenagers, Marilyn and I were drawn closer to the Lord and into our life-long calling of service by YFC staffers who saw gifts in us and gave us platforms and possibilities from which to hone them. The rest is HIStory, His Story!
- What gifts has God given YOU that are being fanned into flame by your participation in Youth for Christ?
- What gifts has God given the teens you know and minister with that YOU can help release, reward and even redeem?
You will read that after the “stage time,” the teens are invited to camp. Take time to pray for all of the camps happening during these months around our world. Youth Camp is, statistically, the Number One place where teenagers give their hearts to Jesus!
Also note that our Day of Prayer and Fasting devotional is posted within the Hands Across the Seas website, a ministry to the women of YFC, coordinated by my dear wife, Marilyn. We also celebrate that for the first time in our YFC history, there are three women on our YFC International Board and that there are over 10 women serving as National Directors around the world. God bless you ladies as you carry the responsibilities of these very consequential roles on behalf of a generation and for the Glory of God.
You can read the article here: YFCWomen.org or continue reading below.
Teens Onstage
Written by a young lady who is on the main volunteer leadership team in one of our sensitive nations
The YFC K**** Teen Club (KTC) holds two major events once a year. One is a talent show called Teens Onstage (TOS) and the other is a Youth Camp. Basically, Youth Camp follows right after Teens Onstage for a very special reason. Most of the public and the teens in K**** look at Teens Onstage as just another talent show. But the truth is, for our team at YFC, from the time we start planning for TOS until the end, it’s all about getting connected with the teens, making friendships and building a bridge of trust and love with every individual teen that comes in touch with us. For us, this is the beginning of creating an atmosphere of the trust and love the teens eventually get glued to as they keep in touch with us and come to our other events – in this case, the Youth Camp. The reason for this is because our mission is to ultimately reach out to the lost youth in K**** with the Good News of Jesus Christ. It is at Youth Camp that we are able to freely share the Gospel message with teens and tell them what Jesus has done for them and give them an opportunity to hear and respond to that message of love and hope. Therefore, though this makes TOS just a part of the bigger picture, to us it’s a very special piece of the puzzle.
In planning TOS, we only have a handful of leaders but all of the preparations are handed over to the volunteering teens that have taken part in previous events organised by the KTC. We have a name for this very special team of volunteers called the V-Force. The number of volunteers changes every year as teens come and go. This year we had close to 35 volunteers who helped with painting the stage backdrop, creating the V-Force t-shirts, transporting various items to the place the show was to be held and covering all the tiniest details which led to getting everything up and running for the day of TOS. This time was a refreshing time as everyone came and worked together not only in the preparations but also in building friendships with one another and with us. It was an awesome time! It was so uplifting to be surrounded by a group of teens so uniquely talented and capable of things we discovered for the first time. It was a group of teens who willingly gave time to come after school not only to help carry the workload but also to be part of the fun, surrounded by people they know love and care for them. There were a few new volunteers, which was very encouraging as they were brought along by their friends who were already part of our volunteer group.
The numbers of performances vary from year to year, but it was this year that we had the biggest number of performances. Another amazing testimony is that we had a few performers coming from two strong Buddhist Schools which we have been challenged to reach out to over the past few years. All of these answers to prayer came from the time we had spent praying together. In connecting with the performers, we have a few weeks before the show during which we organise a place for the performers to come and practice. These practice sessions are crucial as they are the first steps to connecting with these teens by just talking with them, encouraging them in their performance and in giving some practical advice. The practice sessions were great this year as many chose to come and practice with us at the place we provided. Therefore, it is clear to see that God’s hand has been in all of this and He is the one who has made all of this possible. The impact is great as all the planning that has gone into TOS is now paying off as teens are beginning to sign up online for the Youth Camp this year which will be in August. We thank God for making us part of His kingdom work in reaching out to the lost youth in the city of K****!
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“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:2-6
- Please pray for the many YFC camps going on around the world during this season! Thank you!