Youth for Christ (YFC) is reporting the salvations of nearly 8,000 young people as God moved in a powerful way through the ministry in 2023. YFC recently released the U.S. organization’s ministry report for 2022-2023, detailing several milestones, including a 20% average increase across all of its ministry sites and 7,855 kids who came to know Christ. “The 20% increase is across all our ministry metrics when averaged. This means that, across our 1,200 ministry sites in the USA, more kids are sharing their name with a YFC leader, engaging in Christ-centred relationships, making a decision to follow Christ, and plugging into discipleship,” YFC President and CEO Jacob Bland said in a statement on the organization’s website. As CBN News has reported, YFC has been involved in youth outreach for 79 years. It’s a Christian movement with more than 130 chapters located across the country, helping 11 through 19-year-olds uncover God’s story of hope in their own story through authentic relationships, shared experiences, outdoor adventure, mentoring, small groups, and more.
It partners with local churches and other like-minded organizations to raise up life-long followers of Jesus to be leaders by example. “From holding rallies with Billy Graham in the ’40s to entering campuses to reach students in the ’60s to now empowering community leaders to build meaningful relationships with young people everywhere—it’s our aim to walk with young people through their story, and to be the friend and mentor that we’ve longed for ourselves,” the nonprofit organization explained on its website, using the theme “Give Life to Your Story.” “Every day we strive to engage young people who feel isolated and overlooked, whether they’re struggling with anxiety, locked up in juvenile detention, deaf or hard of hearing, feeling unsafe at home or just learning that a parent has been deployed,” Bland explained. “One of YFC’s key distinctive’s is that we pursue kids where they are, instead of expecting them to come to us. Together, through trusted relationships, we point them to Jesus, who gives life to their story.” The YFC report also reveals that more students are pointing their friends to Jesus Christ.
“We also saw 25% more kids relationally sharing their faith with their peers this year compared to last. They are living out YFC’s ‘3Story way of life’ and it’s this rising metric of young leaders that has our full attention,” Bland said. “Frankly, Generation Z seems to be much more open to discussions about faith among their peers than the generations that immediately preceded them. It’s clear that this is a strategic opportunity God is creating for ministries like YFC and our Kingdom partners.” YFC describes its 3Story concept as an integral part of its strategy. The concept incorporates three key narratives: God’s story, my story, and the stories of young people. “When the circles overlap, it means friendship is growing, trust is building, transformation is happening,” Bland pointed out. Compared to the previous year, YFC’s annual report also noted:
7% more teens made a first-time decision for Christ.
38% more students engaged with local churches this year.
21% percent more kids began sharing their faith with their friends.
YFC’s leader said even though last year was a great year for the organization, it wasn’t celebrating numbers, scope, or scale. Instead, it was celebrating how Christ is moving.
“These are more than numbers — every number has a name, and every name has a story. The harvest is ripe among this generation and Jesus is still calling us to pray earnestly and trust Him as Lord of the harvest, the solution for every soul, every story,” Bland noted.
Source: CBNNews
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