We’ve often heard the phrase “act your age”. When you consider age and actions, it’s hard to believe that the vibrant, relevant, youth-focused ministry of Youth for Christ is not actually a teenager, but an organization that, through prayer, provision, and God’s continual blessing, is celebrating 75 years in 2019. The best of both worlds: young at heart with the wisdom of years!
Beginning in 1944 on the prayers of people wanting to reach young people, with rallies in the Chicago area drawing at least 70,000 people and hundreds receiving Christ, and banding together with people with similar hearts around the country, the movement of Youth for Christ was born.
Not long after, Youth for Christ became a world movement, starting with Britain and China. Today, Youth for Christ works in over 100 nations around the world, many of them celebrating decades of youth ministry as well. One of them, Youth for Christ Colombia, recently celebrated 45 years of outreach. “What a joy it is, to be able to say that in spite of so many things that have happened during this time, our work has been sustained and maintained. All thanks to the fact that God has been in the midst of all things,” said Fernando Triviño, current National Director of Youth for Christ in Colombia.
Fernando himself came to know Jesus through the work Youth for Christ was doing at his school when he was a teenager. He, along with thousands of other young people, have met Jesus and had unforgettable experiences through Youth for Christ over the years.
At an early all-night prayer meeting, Youth for Christ founder Torrey Johnson prayed, “Oh God, we want this kept on a miracle basis. We want everyone to know that God’s hand is on this movement. We want folks to see that this is too big and too great for any man or group of men to accomplish by themselves. We want folks to say, ‘God did it!’”