Youth for Christ’s mission is to reach young people with the hope of Jesus. But sometimes God reminds us we are not just witnessing to the youth—we are reaching their parents, their teachers, and their families. Here are a few stories of God reaching adults through YFC.
Paul (Deaf Teen Quest)
I recently met with the director of the Community Center for the Deaf in Cleveland. We’ve been trying to build a partnership with them for a while now. It is a secular organization, but during our conversation he told me, “I don’t mind that you’re a church.” I clarified that we are not actually a church, but we are a Bible-based ministry. Then, the Holy Spirit nudged me to ask him what he thought about God.
The director shared that his parents were involved in youth ministry when he was a kid, but they never learned sign language. He became bitter that his own parents would dedicate themselves to teaching the young people at church but never made the effort to communicate with their own deaf son. At 18 years old, he left the church and never looked back.
I talked with him for a long time and offered to meet up to share more about the Bible if he was interested. He’s experienced years of bitterness towards the church, but I might have been the first person to tell him about God in his heart language.
This man’s story is the same as most deaf adults. I am so grateful for Deaf Teen Quest and the opportunity to create community for some of these deaf kids who might have never had it before.
Marlena (City Life)
Sometimes we receive miscellaneous calls at the City Life Center. Recently, a young lady called looking for housing. She shared her experience at church and how the elders were not supportive of her and her husband. She had been feeling very discouraged. I listened to her story, and we talked for a long time. I shared a verse with her that has been on my heart:
Psalm 91:15 (NIV) — He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
We cried together on the phone. She has been calling me every day since then.
This experience reminded me that what we do does matter. Even though my role is more behind the scenes than working directly with the kids, God is using me in this ministry to reach the broken.
Ray (Juvenile Justice Ministry)
Last Thursday at one of the facilities, we were going through Scripture with the boys. At the end I extended a call to salvation, and nine youth raised their hands to accept Jesus. We talked through what their decisions meant and prayed over them. Then I told them I would come around to write down their full names so I could get them each a Bible.
While I was walking around taking names, one of the guards put her hand on my shoulder. I looked up as she took the paper from me and wrote down her own name.
Tears welled in my eyes. “You just blessed my soul,” I said. That day was another reminder that we’re not just ministering to the youth at YFC. We’re ministering to the adults in their lives.