30 Youth Pastors?

This year 30 youth pastors have connected regularly with teens through Campus Life programming!

I couldn’t believe it until I saw the official list of names. The local church partners with Youth For Christ to connect kids in Christ-sharing relationships. As kids meet Jesus at YFC we help them join a church family where they can grow for the long haul. Having youth pastors in the room expedites the connection.

Heather is the high energy, loving, Jesus-centered Junior High pastor at Clovis Hills. I recently got to hear from her about her time at Alta Sierra Campus Life this year. Check out her God story:

I (Heather) started going to Alta in August and by November I had girls coming up to me asking where my church was and when we have youth group. These three specific girls asked and ended up coming that Wednesday! Over time all three girls accepted Christ and started coming on Sundays too.

One of the girls was baptized just a month later and then another one in February and another one in March. They started getting plugged into service opportunities too, using their gifts and serving on the worship team.

Heather and her girls!

I think they came to Clovis Hills because honestly it fit their schedule and I seemed fun hah! In the early days the girls were telling me that they didn’t know God loved them that much and that they didn’t know the whole story of Jesus. I remember getting to encourage them to get baptized after they accepted Christ. I wanted them to have the experience of going public and having that accountability to walk it out. 

These girls are still coming and growing. The girls are learning how to have biblical friendships and their families have started checking out the church too. One of the girl’s dads actually just got baptized!

When I started with Campus Life this was a dream and a goal to have kids meet Jesus and jump into the church body. Initially I didn’t know if it would really happen. Who knew it was an attainable dream!?

Heather takes a hit at the Campus Life Nerf War

Alta Campus Life is a really big, dedicated group. At that size it’s harder to do games and we have to be really intentional to connect kids into small groups. Also, it’s really cool that three churches are partnering at Alta: Clovis Hills, The Well and VIA. We get along and everything hah!

At club we do a message and then kids break into groups to discuss what they heard. My role is to talk with as many students as I can and make connections. I sit down with them so I can see, hear, and know each student. I want them to know they are loved. 

Right now I feel for kids because they have to learn to be Christ-like in a really tough culture. They’re surrounded by revenge, anger, and gossip while trying to be different. I’m getting asked for advice about how to help them help their friends. These kids know what not to do, but are still learning exactly what to do if that makes sense.

Michael from The Well speaks at Alta Campus Life

Heather is a great example of the passionate, collaborative, kingdom-minded youth ministers that our valley has. As a group we share the vision that kids everywhere would have the opportunity to know love, life, and purpose found only in Jesus Christ. We have been able to reach more kids with the gospel as we’ve ironed out our kingdom-collaboration together.

YFC contributes to the partnership by intentionally engaging and inviting youth workers to the opportunity of increased ministry with lost kids in one of our 60 locations. (By the way, the average tenure of a youth pastor is around 18 months. Having a consistent and stable organization like YFC helps new folks merge into the mission rather than always restarting from scratch.)

After being processed as a volunteer these partners receive three annual YFC trainings that enhance and supplement them as leaders, and their YFC and Church ministries. YFC also provides a budget for each ministry site that allows youth pastors and workers to do more ministry than they could do with their own churches youth ministry budget alone. Additionally YFC has a staff person who regularly resources, problem-solves, and encourages these specific partners.

Jesus said “by this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Lost teens win when the people of God come together to encourage, equip and empower one another. I am honored that YFC is such a partner and I am so grateful for the trust and labor of the 30 youth pastors who have come alongside the ministry shoulder to shoulder!

Better Together,

Jameson