Reaching out to kids during their loneliest months

Summer can be a surprisingly lonely time for kids used to seeing their friends daily at school. But thanks to your giving to summertime activities, Macomb Campus Life is deliberately reaching out by creating great connection times. 

Whether it’s a movie night at the YFC House, a miniature golf outing, camp opportunities or an afternoon together at the pool, you are creating plenty of ways for teens to hang out with friends and Christ-like adults. 

Kids are having fun, and they’re learning to know God; they’re learning how much He cares. 

So while school may be out for the summer, YFC’s doors are wide open, giving kids a chance to connect on a regular basis with one another, with leaders, and most of all, with Christ!

"This is my story"

Growing up with non-religious parents, I had never really had a relationship with God. Walking up to the doors of Campus Life, I was terrified! I just kept walking and I didn't really know why. I later realized it was God pushing me closer to His love. As soon as I walked in the doors I felt this love and joy I have never known before. 

Now all I want to do is show others that love, and tell everyone about my experience and love for God.

-A YFC/Bushnell Student

Reaching into their world in a life-changing way

Kids come out and shoot hoops. They enjoy a free breakfast. Many kids gather at the YFC House during the school lunch hour for pizza. Feeding and genuinely caring about teens builds trust. 

Along the way kids learn God’s story—and find out how He cares about a teen’s story, how He wants to write himself into a kid’s story, changing his or her life forever. 

Around 350 teens came to events this year. A good number of these went on to meet regularly with leaders to learn more about connecting with God. There’s more work to do, and over the summer kids plan to attend Christian camp and other activities — getting connected with caring adults, and with God!

An Unexpected Opportunity

Recently a bunch of Middle School kids went over to Todd’s farm for a cookout, swimming and summer fun. One girl stayed afterward and, as it turned out, she had a lot to process. 

Middle school is a time of varying degrees of chaos. Everything changes. Life is in a continuous state of transition. But life starts to slowly sort itself out, and just when it does, it’s time to make the next big transition: high school! 

This young lady was headed there. She would be going from the top of theMiddle School social chain to being a Freshman. New school, new challenges, and she was pretty scared about it all. You and Todd and the team at Campus Life Middle School are key to reaching into the chaos of Middle School with the message of Christ’s love and stability. Please pray that she’ll stay with us and attend Campus Life High School. Not all kids do. 

This was a key time to connect with this young teen, and you were there, partnering financially to reach into her life with God’s story of redemption!

One kid's journey to God

In our March newsletter we shared the story of a kid whose heart had turned toward hope in God. We asked for you to pray about his jour-ney to faith. This is his continued story. 

This young man had been closed to Christ for a long time. In fact, he was fairly hostile toward religion in general. He would tell you that some traumatic experiences had turned him away from belief in God. But as you know, God works in mysterious ways. 

As shared last time, he came back to Campus Life several weeks ago. Life had fallen apart for him. His long time girlfriend had broken up with him, and he was on a soul search. He was looking for a purpose. As God’s word says, “If you seek me you will find me.” Through the influence of YFC Campus Life and family, he responded to an altar call at a local church. This guy, an atheist just a few weeks before, has now trusted Christ as his Savior. 

So he brought his little sister to Campus Life. And I was able to strike up a conversation with her that started like this: “Have you noticed how your brother is differ-ent? What do you think happened?” 

“I don’t know,” she said. 

“I do,” was my response. 

Thanks for your prayers for this kid and his journey. Please pray for his new faith, a faith in Christ that you prayed for, a faith that you gave toward. You made this amazing thing happen for him, and through God’s power he is already at work reaching his little sister. Please pray for her to come to know Christ too!