The Month of Military Children
April is dedicated to the Month of Military Children. This honors the sacrifice military children make as part of a military family. There are currently 1.2 million military children of active-duty members around the world. With that said, there are over 430,000 military-connected 11-19-year-old youth stationed at U.S. military installations all over the world. These military families average moving three times more often than civilians.
Youth For Christ is a fixture in the youth ministry community in America for the past 77 years. These statistics show the importance of Youth For Christ Military outreach. It’s a place for young people connected to the military to feel like they belong. For this reason, Youth For Christ partners with local churches, schools and other like-minded organizations reaching youth through unconditional, authentic Christ-sharing relationships.
The Transition
Maddie Spencer holds the role of YFC’s Military Ministry Director. Spencer said, “Being a mentor, I’ve had to learn the normal rhythms of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) season. We would make our best efforts to say goodbye to those moving, but it was never easy. With that said, it was a great joy when we were able to connect students to YFC at their new base. We would know that there would be a welcoming and familiar ministry to make their transition easier. However, this was not always the case.”
“For military families across the world, the conflict in Ukraine is more than the news. It jump-started the waiting game of being called to serve. For military-connected youth, conflict not only means the departure of a parent, but a change of life plans. When these situations happen, military families proudly serve. With that said, this is often done with great sacrifice such as missed graduations, extended deployments, and delayed moves that might involve moving mid-school year.”
Spencer says, “These youth should be looking ahead to prom, sports, and graduations. Unfortunately, military-connected youth are often bracing to send off loved ones for long periods of time. As Christians pray for the people of Ukraine, they should remember to keep military families in their prayers.”
Thank you for your support of our YFC Campus Life Military Ministry.
Photo credit: Photo by Benjamin Faust on Unsplash
