USA (MNN) — It's hard to believe summer is more than half over, but it's been full of good news. At least it has been full of Good News for unsaved kids going to summer camp. It's all part of Youth For Christ's summer camp ministry in the United States.
YFC's Mark Jevert says, "Camp is a part of the rhythm of life for many kids in the summer — whether it's sports camp, band camp, or YMCA camp. And yet, because of family circumstances, finances or whatever, there are thousands of kids who have never had this experience."
Jevert says YFC is helping to change that. "The ministry of Youth For Christ here in the United States is focused specifically on lost teens. Last week we had a camp in Island Lake, Washington, and hundreds of kids had this experience for the very first time."
Reading from a letter from a YFC volunteer at the camp, Jevert reads, "We had 38 kids come from our middle school in Tacoma, and 26 of those kids either got saved or recommitted their lives to Jesus. Wow, what a wonderful first time experience for many! I'll bet the atmosphere in [their schools] will really be different this year."
While Youth for Christ has been around for years, Jevert says it's a little different than it was 10 or 15 years ago. He's says YFC is focused on lost teens. "Our focus specifically is on kids who have never been inside the doors of the local church, communicating the life-changing message of Jesus Christ to them — ministry in juvenile justice institutions, with teen parents, with our urban centers."
He says teen ministry is difficult today because of the gulf between the church and the culture. "Today, that gulf in our culture is bigger than ever as far as where the church is and where kids and families are that are not part of the local church. So Youth For Christ helps bridge that gap in so many ways."
More students are heading out to camp next week. Each person going to camp represents a person who can't afford to go. Jevert says, "We're always looking for people to help with the process of sending somebody to camp and hopefully for the first time making a decision to trust Christ as their Savior."
He says helping a young person go to camp is a great return on your investment — an investment that will have eternal value.
