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The Story of YFC

Donate Now. Change The World.

About YFC

Youth for Christ is a worldwide Christian movement working with young people around the globe. Motivated by our own faith we give young people everywhere the opportunity to be followers of Jesus Christ.

About
History
Statement of Faith
Global Ministry Overview
From the International President
The Board of Trustees
The World Leadership Team

About Youth for Christ

Youth for Christ is a worldwide Christian movement working with young people around the globe. Motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ we share the good news of God with young people.

Youth for Christ is made up of tens of thousands of full-time, part-time and volunteer indigenous staff in more than 100 nations working together in giving every young person an opportunity to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

What do Youth for Christ programs look like? It’s like asking what the weather is like in the USA or Europe. It all depends on where you are. Youth for Christ uniquely reaches young people in ways that are relevant to them in the context of their culture and life circumstances.

Vision & Strategic Focus

Vision
As part of the body of Christ, to see that every young person in every people group in every nation has the opportunity to make an informed decision to be a follower of Jesus Christ and become a part of a local church.

Strategic focus
Youth for Christ reaches young people everywhere, working together with the local church and other like-minded partners to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who are characterised by godliness in lifestyle, devotion to the Word of God and prayer, boldness in evangelism and commitment to social involvement.

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History

For over seventy years, Youth for Christ has been communicating the life-changing message of Jesus Christ to young people. Youth for Christ was born in the mid-1940s through an impulse from the heart of God that simultaneously touched dozens of leaders in different places with a concern to reach young people normal church channels were missing. This led to dynamic young evangelists, using revolutionary methods, conducting lively mass rallies in dozens of cities under the name of Youth for Christ, in the USA and abroad.

With the rapid expansion of the movement there soon became a need for leadership and organisation and in 1944 Chicago pastor Torrey Johnson was elected Youth for Christ’s first president, with Billy Graham as it’s first full-time evangelist.

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History Timeline

  1. 1950's

    By 1950, Youth for Christ was already an international movement with Youth for Christ springing up in cities around the globe.

  2. 1968

    In 1968 representatives from different countries created the International Council of Youth for Christ.

  3. 70's & 80's

    Continued growth in ministry reach and ministry locations. Ministry models and ministry emphases were developed and refined to reach young people around the world.

  4. 90's

    In 1994 an extensive worldwide review was launched that led to the Organisational Development Study (ODS) Report. The ODS set in motion the most ambitious restructuring in Youth for Christ’s 50-year history.

Statement of Faith

  • We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
  • We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible and authoritative Word of God.
  • We believe in the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.
  • We believe that the salvation of lost and sinful people is by the grace of God through faith and the shed blood of the Lord Jesus and that regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
  • We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
  • We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost: they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
  • We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in Christ.

Because of You

The eternal value of reaching young people for Christ cannot be measured; however, these numbers allow us to celebrate what God is doing around the world because of you and the men and women of Youth for Christ.

110

Nations where Youth for Christ ministers

Numbers

  • 3.85 mil

    young people impacted by direct ministry

  • 265,863

    young people who responded to the Gospel

  • 1127

    local ministry centres

  • 59,436

    full-time, part-time & volunteer staff

  • 3.32 mil

    young people impacted by media ministry

  • 186,817

    young people in follow-up & discipship

  • 220,627

    registered prayer intercessors

  • 14,068

    churches that partner in ministry

These figures are a compilation of statistics reported on Annual Ministry Reviews from 2016 with 74 Youth for Christ nations reporting. They are close approximation but not absolute totals. Media ministry includes literature distribution, TV, radio and internet.

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coming soon

The Board

Youth for Christ International is grateful for the men and women who have served, and are serving, as Board of Trustee members. Over the decades they have provided leadership and governance to a large and diverse movement that spans the globe.

Subject to the Constitution and By-Laws of Youth for Christ International, the Board of Trustees shall be the governing body of Youth for Christ International and shall represent the interest of Youth for Christ as a whole.

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Howard Stevenson

Board Chair - USA

Dean Rueckert

Vice Board Chair - USA

Sue Koh

Secretary - Australia

Abraham Mantey

Ghana

Alfred McDonald

Jamaica

Peter

South Asia

Alfons Hildebrandt

Germany

Koekoes van As

Botswana

Nthenya Macharia

Kenya

John Bastian

Interim International President - USA

Jozef Gabor

Austria

Neil O'Boyle

Great Britian

Fernando Triviño

Colombia

Role of the World Leadership Team

  • Ministry management
  • Development and implementation of strategic plans
  • Assist member nations and pioneer ministries in achieving their planned outcomes by providing, research and development; training; training in fund development; ministry models; standards of measurement; facilitation for staff mobilisation
  • Oversee compliance and chartering

The World Leadership Team is made up of key leaders from the global Youth for Christ movement.

Members of the World Leadership Team

John Bastian

Chief Financial Officer; Interim International President

Hilary Lewis-Nicol

Area Director - Africa

Jose Carlos Gutierrez

Area Director - Americas

David Bonanno

Area Director - Asia Pacific

Edward de Kam

Area Director - Europe, Middle East & North Africa

Thomas Speckhardt

Director - International Community Coordinator for YouthCompass