Youth For Christ Military meets military-connected youth with authentic Christ-sharing relationships
From life change to leadership: God igniting a movement in tomorrow’s leaders through the life-changing ministry of YFC Military
DENVER — As the nation prepares to celebrate Independence Day, Americans all across the country are reminded of the countless sacrifices made each day by military members and their families.
Military-connected youth face unique challenges compared to their civilian peers. Families frequently move, making it difficult to establish a consistent community, while many children must cope with the frequent absence of a deployed parent. As a result, these young people often feel overlooked and struggle to find a place to belong.
Youth For Christ (YFC, www.yfc.net) is honored to serve these young people through their military ministry, YFC Military, by partnering with local chaplains, churches, schools and other like-minded organizations to reach military-connected youth.
According to Nick Kmoch, YFC Military Executive Director, “Often when people think of service members, both home and abroad, they don’t think of the families that serve alongside those people who put on the uniform. YFC Military is uniquely poised to step in to build relationships with those children.”
While YFC Military utilizes the organization’s time-tested mentor approach to cultivating authentic Christ-sharing relationships, Nick notes the inherent challenges in ministering to a community that’s continually changing.
Nick shares, “Wherever a service member’s deployment takes them, their kids often move there, too. We have the privilege of serving kids all over the world and building relationships to let them know that they’re not alone. We tell them that even though they might feel unseen, we see them for who they are.”
Nick says these shifting deployments can cause a variety of mental health concerns for young people.
“On average, these kids are going to move between six and nine times during their school-age years,” comments Nick. “Deployments can really cause anxiety and worry for teens, because not only is their home gone, but the people they trust are gone as well. They’re worried about their safety, they’re worried about whether they’ll come home or when they’ll come home. There are significant struggles in the military community with mental health, PTSD and injuries. There are a lot of spaces where these young people have had to embrace some of those challenges as kids.”
Yet despite these headwinds, Nick says he has witnessed powerful life changes.
Nick remarks, “For all of the challenges facing military-connected youth, it’s amazing to see the resiliency and the benefit that comes from their experiences. I see God moving in their lives in powerful ways. This is the next generation of leaders, and they are strategic Gospel carriers as they go to the four corners of the earth.
“YFC Military understands the challenges of military life, and we meet military-connected youth where they are to help them give life to their story. Our vision is that all of these young people are engaged in authentic Christ-sharing relationships, regardless of where their families serve.”
Youth For Christ (YFC) has been a leader in missional youth outreach for 81 years and is dedicated to uncovering God’s story of hope in the next generation that desperately needs it. YFC reaches young people everywhere, working together with the local church and other like-minded partners to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who then lead by their godliness in lifestyle, devotion to the Word of God and prayer, passion for sharing the love of Christ, and commitment to social involvement.
YFC chapters impact thousands of communities across the nation, seeking out and serving youth from all walks of life. Young people are silently struggling through a wide variety of challenging issues — and through the YFC ministry, God empowers them and they see the living power of a loving God. YFC trains its leaders in a proven, relational ministry model called 3Story®, which encourages staff and volunteers to be good news while also sharing the stories of the Good News of Jesus. It involves building relationships through the ups and downs of everyday life to lead people to Christ.
YFC has been a pillar of missional ministry since 1944, when Dr. Billy Graham served as YFC’s first full-time staff member. Since then, Youth For Christ has continued to be both a rural and urban ministry on mission, and it is always about the message of Jesus. Youth For Christ USA has over 113 chapters that impact communities across America and is one of over 100 nations within Youth For Christ International.
Photo: /yfc.net/
Learn more about Youth For Christ at its website, www.yfc.net, Facebook and Instagram pages or on Vimeo.
