Breaking Barriers

Dear Friend,

You probably hear often in the news about citizens of a particular community coming together to break down barriers they're struggling with.  It may be an effort to combat racism, poverty, or it might be rallying around a common cause such as cancer research.

Just last week, the 207 freshmen from Gloversville High School came together for three days of Point Break anti-bullying programs aimed, as the local newspaper put it, at "break ing barriers."

Our staff were so thrilled with the kids' openess and response in small group and large group sharing times.  The Gloversville-based Leader Herald newspaper offered up this extensive article about the students' experiences at Point Break.  
As the article accurately states, the freshmen will now be paired with upper classmen for the Bridges Peer to Peer Mentoring program. The mentoring program includes 25 selected juniors and seniors who were recommended by high school faculty and have had training in teamwork and leadership skills. One of those classes was partaking in the Shiloh's Edge Challenge ropes course earlier this year that forced teamwork and trust between the mentors.

Please pray for our staff as we have Point Break programs next month for South Colonie and Voorheesville schools. This program impacts an entire school culture in just four years!  We are so grateful for the changes and challenges kids embrace as a result of Point Break.

Thank you for praying for us and for the kids to whom we minister. Thank you also for your very generous giving.  I hope to see you at one of our annual banquets, starting a week from this coming Sunday. Please check the panel to your right for more information.

God bless you!

For the kids,


John Richmond
Executive Director 

Are We "All In?"

Dear Friends

"Speak In, Buy In, All In"  This catchy phrase came from City Life Director Andy Lightcap as our senior leadership team recently discussed a new leadership strategy we're pursuing for YFC's ministry.

Andy explained that knowing that each of us will have even more freedom to speak into the various ministries of Youth for Christ gives him greater "buy in" to each one and helps him be committed to being "all in" in our vision and mission.

As I thought about this idea, it occurred to me that we've all been giving these three concepts as we pursue life in Christ and as we seek to share his life-rescuing message with kids.  When we build a loving relationship with a young person, we are gradually given more and more freedom to speak Truth into their lives.  As they see us care for them, hold them accountable and continually love them regardless of their actions, their walls begin to drop and we can share more of Christ with them.

This "permission" to impact a lost kid's life is really the bottom line "buy in" for each of our staff.  We LOVE kids, we CARE FOR kids, we want them to know Christ.  We know that so many lives are broken, hurting and hopeless. But with an open door to their lives, we can bring the Light of Jesus to them every day.

The "all in" part really finds it's root in our calling - we are CALLED to reach lost kids.  Our staff in rural, suburban and urban communities; our guides at The Edge-Halfmoon, our mentors in Teen Parents or our staff on wilderness trips are indeed "ALL IN" with the mission of reaching "every young person...one kid at a time."  There's no compromise, no turning back.

What have you put yourself "all in" for?  How have you used God's call on your life to speak in to lives around you?  It requires us daily to seek after God, to dig deep into His Word and to ask, "Lord, what do you want from me today?"

Thank you for praying for our staff. Thank you for praying for the kids to whom God has given us the privilege to minister. While we move forward in this new school year and as we see new ministry areas build and grow, we covet those prayers more each day.

Thank you also for giving to YFC so generously.  There are many new opportunities ahead of us.  We have a cafe and gymnasium at the Adventure Center to equip.  We desire to build more faithful partners like you to get behind this ministry.

Together, we are indeed "all in" for the cause of the Gospel of Christ. God bless you!

For the kids,


John Richmond
Executive Director 

All It Takes Is One Person

Dear Friend,

Her name was Gracie.  If you met her, you would probably consider her a typical teenager.  No one really knew the pain she was experiencing.

Her father told police that her boyfriend had recently broken up with her.  The related emotions weighed all too heavily on her. She wrote on her Facebook page, "God hates me." The only response she got was stunning, "...and so does everyone else."

Gracie felt she had no one else nor anywhere else to turn in her most vulnerable moment.  She decided the only way to stop the pain was to end her life - and that's just what she did.

I share this true, very recent story with you not to shock you or to make you sad - but to CHALLENGE you...to CHALLENGE us. If one person had told her that she was loved; if one person had let Gracie know that there still was REAL HOPE in life; if someone spoke Jesus' words of forgiveness and healing to her, Gracie would probably still be here.

It's our responsibility every day to communicate the life-rescuing message of Christ to others.  We are all charged with it.  For us at YFC, we are more specifically called to share that Hope and Truth with teenagers.  And the amazing thing is that it really can take just one person: a staff member, a volunteer, a neighbor, a youth leader - just ONE to make all the difference in a kid's life.

As I sit here today, I am so grateful for the hundreds of lives we've been able to speak into at YFC.  Staff were sharing today about conversations they had with kids throughout this past week, some of which led to kids turning their lives over to Christ!  The relationship with those kids started with "just one" - conversation, staff, volunteer.

Be sure you are speaking God's Hope, Truth and Love into someone's life today.  You never know how much of a difference that "one" effort of reaching out can make.

Thank you for praying for us and for the kids to whom we minister. Thank you also for your very generous giving.  I  hope to see you at one of our annual banquets, coming up early next month. Please check the panel to your right for more information.

God bless you!

For the kids,


John Richmond
Executive Director