Youth For Christ Alaska
Approximately 110,000 teens between the ages of 11-19 live in Alaska. In a state dictated by extreme weather, many teens struggle with isolation and depression. In fact, Alaska’s suicide rate remains among the highest in the country at around 30 deaths per 100,000 people. Suicide is the leading cause of death among Alaskan youth over the age of 15. This tragic trend is even more prominent among the Alaska Native community. In 2019, Alaska Native female youth had a death rate five times higher than white females within the same age range. These issues have only been exacerbated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
Youth For Christ’s (YFC) Alaska chapter seeks to change these statistics. They plan to do this by placing an emphasis on developing authentic Christ-sharing relationships with youth in the Last Frontier. The YFC Alaska chapter serves the entire state. YFC Alaska reaches students in public schools, community centers and even the Alaska Native community. They come alongside youth struggling during the most pivotal moments in their lives.
Christopher Gatch, Executive Director for Youth for Christ Alaska, said, “The entire state of Alaska only has 700,000 people, but since we are such a big state, youth are extremely spread out. Because of this, we can’t limit ourselves to the road or school systems. Our solution? We have a staff member who hops in a bush plane and flies all around the state, bringing items such as sugar, fruit, or other items people who are spread out might need. This staff member has an Alaska Native adopted daughter, and that helps her connect with the Alaska Native community.
Ethnically Diverse
“We have some of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in America. Of course, we have Alaska Natives but Pacific Islanders, Sudanese, Egyptians, Russian, Ukrainian, and Arabs to name a few. Why do they all come here? I don’t know, but we are ready and willing to share the Gospel with them!”
Gatch continued, “What unites all of these teens from different backgrounds and cultures is the deep desire to hear the Gospel. With so many cultures mingling, the schools can get pretty dangerous. There’s one neighborhood that has a shooting a week that other ministries refuse to go to. However, we are there in the midst of the chaos, sharing the Gospel. We go to a behavioral health hospital every week to talk to the students and hear their stories. Every single teen there has either attempted suicide or injure someone else. We go every week to pray with them, hand out Bibles, and share the Gospel.
“Due to our extreme weather, we can’t do a lot of activities outside since it’s often in the negatives. A lot of our ministry is indoors, and that’s where our Campus Life ministry really shines. In the dead of winter, it’s pitch-black outside. The kids go to school in the dark and come home in the dark. We come together and provide a safe place to play games, share the Gospel, and just have community.”
Gatch says the crux of the ministry is prayer. “Consistent prayer is crucial,” Gatch explained. “We have a group of volunteers pray around East High School every single week. We had five students show up to Campus Life before the pandemic. When we started again when things opened up, we had 80! It was so packed, a volunteer had to stand on the counters to address the students. This year, we are praying for 150 students eager and ready to hear the Gospel and have their hearts changed by Christ.”
