Dear Friend of YFC,

"But, I'm just not comfortable doing THAT!" You've probably heard someone say that recently. Maybe it was a family member, a co-worker, someone on a sports team. The truth is, most of us are not usually willing to regularly step out of comfort zone.

One of the amazing traits of our ministry staff is that, for the most part, they step out of the comfort zone regularly to reach lost kids.

If building relationships with kids means taking on the challenge of the high adventure ropes course - they do it....even if standing on a thin cable 40 feet in the air is not their first choice of activity. If going outside the zone means sitting with a kid they've just met and sharing the love of Jesus to someone who's hurting - they DO IT! Going outside the zone might also mean spending an overnight awake with a group of slightly hyperactive middle school students to play games, have fun and share Christ.

Take Ray Lightcap, our Spiritual Development Director, for example. He and his wife Ruth (Teen Parents) spent the week of Blazefest last month heading up our meal team for both the kids and the artists who came to serve. Saturday, Ray and Ruth served up the hot dogs and soda to the several hundred people gathered for the Fest...and for the hiphop music (not usually on Ray's most-listened-to list) playing there.

A girl named Faith came up to him and asked Ray if he remembered her. He did not, but she went on to tell the story of how he prayed for her at Blazefest last year and what a tremendous impact Christ is having in her life today. One girl, one connection, one impact of Christ over a year's time. It took Ray's going into the uncomfortable zone to be encouraged by Faith's story. Jesus' love for US is the calling on us to serve Him and to share that love, forgiveness, salvation and gift of Heaven with lost kids.

Probably the biggest news at the new YFC rec. center in Halfmoon is the "mud-slinging" going on in the future home of The Edge Climbing Gym. Crews are putting up the cement surface on the walls, in preparation for their final construction phase. Interior wall frames, wiring, plumbing and other sections are now going in...all at the same time, so the place is much busier than it's been in a few months. We even have our front door in now as you see below:

We are grateful for the progress, but realize that we have a long way to go to its finishing, and more people and funds that need to be raised up in order to reach that goal.

Our ministry staff are just about ready to launch this new school year of weekly ministry. Pray for them, their families and our many volunteers. Without our volunteer core, we could not sustain the ministry we currently have as well as move forward to new areas. Specifically, would you please pray that God would indeed bring about new people to become involved as staff and volunteers for YFC.

Thank you so much for your support and prayers for this ministry. God bless you.

For the sake of the kids,

John Richmond

Executive Director, CDYFC