Recent studies indicate that U.S. church attendance is at a historic low. In a Gallup poll of 32,000 participants conducted between 2021-2023, only 30% of adults reported regularly attending church. The numbers are even lower among 18-29-year-olds, with 35% stating no religious preference and just 22% regularly attending church.
According to Youth For Christ President Jake Bland, these statistics offer a wake-up call for those seeking to minister to young people.
Bland noted, “A growing field of research is pointing to a generation in crisis, young people who are struggling with mental health issues and anxiety. And while Gen Z is open to Jesus and the hope of His Gospel, they are expressing an inability to trust traditional organizational structures and models.”
“Twenty-five percent of YFC campers make a first-time decision to follow Jesus"
Youth For Christ is committed to counteracting this generational crisis. As a leader in missional youth ministry for 80 years, YFC continues to seek out new ways to reach young people with the hope of Christ.
In addition to their landmark ministry programs with local partners, such as schools and churches, YFC also offers year-round localized Trips and Camps that provide vital community for underserved and overlooked students. In addition, the organization has created new resources for these events, understanding today’s youth landscape, while revamping training for cabin leaders, trip leaders and support staff. Mental health coaches have also been added to all YFC camp staffing.
And this approach is clearly working.
Bland said, “Twenty-five percent of YFC campers make a first-time decision to follow Jesus, compared to the 6% national average for other Christian camps. This continues to be a trend that we’ve seen year over year. 70% of YFC campers self-report that they experience a positive movement at camp toward a relationship with Christ; whether it’s for the first time, a recommitment or taking the next step of sharing their faith with others.”
Tito is one of 894 students who made a decision during Camp last year to follow Christ.
Tito recalled, “After a complicated family situation, my stepfather was deported back to Honduras. My mom became depressed and gave up hope. So I had to step up to be the man of the house. It was really difficult. I had to drop out of school to make sure my brother went to school. I felt overwhelmed. I tried going to parties and doing drugs because I thought that was going to help me with my depression and make me happier, but it didn’t.”
Tito continued, “I started hanging out with my friend Takoda and he began to tell me about God and how He can change my life. I started reading the Bible and truly believing in God. Takoda invited me to go to a YFC Camp at a Montana Ranch. It was amazing! On that trip, I made a commitment to Christ and got baptized. That was the best decision of my life! Now I just want to tell people about God and how He can change their life for the better.”
“Recently, one of our local YFC leaders rightly stated that ‘today’s teens need to heal and belong before they can hear and believe,’” said Bland. “After 80 years of cultural change, YFC’s mission remains unchanged: We strive to reach young people everywhere, working together with the local church and other like-minded partners, to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who 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.”
Youth For Christ has been a leader in missional youth outreach for 80 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 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 operates in over 100 nations and has over 1,200 ministry sites that impact communities across America.
Learn more about Youth For Christ at its website www.yfc.net, Facebook and Instagram pages, or on Vimeo.