Support Teen Parents
As everyone prepares to celebrate Father’s Day, Youth For Christ (YFC), a leader in the missional ministry community in America for 77 years, acknowledges and supports all fathers, no matter their age or capabilities. YFC offers Juvenile Justice Ministry and Parent Life programs. YFC leaders have the unique privilege of working with expectant and parenting teen moms and dads. They come alongside them during pivotal and trying times to provide loving encouragement and prayer.
Many teens in the justice system are young fathers, something that Alex Mathew, YFC’s local executive director, takes to heart. Mathew mentions how God has uniquely positioned YFC for such a time as this.
“We are not a normal youth ministry.” Mathew said, “We work with high-risk youth from juvenile offenders to teen parents. However, we want to have authentic Christ-sharing relationships.”
Supporting Teen Fathers
Mathew continued, “At Youth For Christ, my job is not to change people. It’s to model what Christ did for me and accept all my students like a father in Christ. If each dad knew that one of his most important roles on earth is to be a loving father, lots of lives would be changed.”
The CDC reported that “teens need access to youth-friendly support from parents and other trusted adults. They need someone who can play the important role of helping them make healthy choices about relationships.” The support that YFC mentors supply for teen parents is crucial for their mental, emotional, and spiritual health during such a trying time in their lives.
One teen dad said, “My YFC mentor helped me with a lot of things. I have learned how to become a better man. My mentor guided and helped me through the situations I am actually in.”
