Our first City Life program was Monday Night Live. Think “youth group for non-christian kids.” We had over 70 teens and about 30 adults, definitely surpassing my expectations for how many people would be there.
The volunteers did amazing jobs engaging with the teens and fulfilling their roles. Everybody was fed, then we got everybody mixing with games and breaking the ice. We broke out into smaller groups so kids and adults could get to know each other around tables. Everybody was engaged 
and it was really nice.
Then I had a chance to share the gospel and we had 15 kids raise their hand and say yes to Jesus for the first time! I had them stand up and then we prayed and I had them practice praying outloud, following after me.
There were also another 10 kids that said they wanted to learn more about Jesus, receive a Bible and join a small-group Bible study. That was really amazing. It was a really great time, I was blown away.
One of the things that God really highlighted for me was the willingness of the teens. They want to know Christ, you know, but they don’t know how. And they feel like they have to stop doing things before coming to Him. In light of that I was blessed to tell my testimony and I think they related to it.
On this first Monday Night we had a cross-section of our YFC ministry. Kids were there from the neighborhood, from local group homes, and even from Campus Life programs. Everyone seemed to mix well and afterwards the team did a great job cleaning up which I was so thankful for.
The very next day we had a boxing class and 30 teens came so the whole gym was full. 7 volunteers, pro and amateur athletes, came together to lead the workout. The kids said they loved the community and really needed the workout and said they wanted to come back. And then the next day we had an after school hangout and I had 15 kids come hang out and do jewelry making and play basketball. It was a time to get to know them better and build the relationships that are the foundation of our ministry.
There’s been so much leading up to this that right now I’m honestly pumped and tired at the same time! I am very relieved to see that the vision panned out, knowing all the work that my team put in. The Lord came through and so this good start was a huge blessing! I’m pretty sure we’ve connected more kids this first week than we did all of the year preceding the renovation. That’s pretty cool!
– Jacob, City Life Coordinator
