Youth For Christ recently released the U.S. organization’s ministry report for 2022-2023. The review details a number of milestones, including an encouraging 20% average increase across all outcomes and 7,855 kids who came to know Christ.
According to YFC President and CEO Jacob Bland, “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-centered relationships, making a decision to follow Christ and plugging into discipleship.”
Meeting Kids Where They Are
For more than seven decades, YFC has served as a pioneer in missional youth outreach, helping 11–19-year-olds uncover God’s story of hope in their story through authentic relationships, shared experiences, outdoor adventure, mentoring, small groups and more.
Bland said, “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. One of YFC’s key distinctives 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.”
Students are also pointing other students toward Christ.
Bland noted, “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. 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.”
3Story Strategy
YFC’s 3Story concept is an integral part of the organization’s strategy, forming a holistic approach to ministry that incorporates three key narratives.
Bland shared, “3Story is how we live in relationships with God and others. The three circles represent 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.”
The report also noted that compared to last year:
- Seven percent more teens made a first-time decision for Christ.
- Thirty-eight percent more students engaged with local churches this year.
- Twenty-one percent more kids began sharing their faith with their friends.
“Because of God’s faithfulness, 2,907 kids became multipliers of the hope of Christ!” Bland enthused.
Yet even as YFC looks back on a phenomenal year of ministry, Bland notes the numbers only matter because they tell a story.
Bland said, “In YFC, we aren’t celebrating numbers or scope or scale. We celebrate 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.”