YFC Golf Outing 2017

On July 31st, Youth for Christ held its annual Golf Outing at Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Country Club. We had 78 total golfers and close to 100 present for the evening program, which included over 30 donated silent auction items. Thank you to those who volunteered to help make this event a success, and a huge thanks to our sponsors. An event like this is not possible without your generosity.

Sponsors: SVL Productions, Inc., Jack Wolf Auto Group, Schmeling, Lorna Haugen Tutoring & Editing, A & B Freight, Business Advisors, Dan & Jean Clark, Edgebrook Physical Therapy, Eldridge Roofing, Indelecon, John Widell Construction, Larson & Larson Builders, Members Alliance Credit Union, Prairie Street Brewhouse, Rock Valley Credit Union, Stenstrom Petroleum, Stifel, Swedish American Foundation, Ticomix, Trekk, Tuneberg Dental, Wells Fargo, & Woodman’s

Stories: An Evening of Fellowship & Celebration (2017 Annual Banquet)

Powerful stories were shared. Our vision was embraced. And the lives of young people will be changed. We are extremely thankful for our 2017 annual banquet!

We greatly appreciate our guest speakers: Carandus Brown (Rockford Housing Authority & Total Faith Community Church), Mike Brown (President and CEO, Rock River Valley YMCA), Gus Carter (Assistant Principal, Auburn High School), and Regina Hayes (Parent/Guardian of City Life student). Thank you for sharing your heart for youth and our community!

We would also like to thank Mayor Elect Tom McNamara for his presence and support!

Finally, we could not do it without our Sponsors. Thank you to our Platinum sponsor, Subway, as well as Field Fastener, SVL Productions, Dr. John & Dena Koehler, Ticomix, Inc., The Crosby Law Firm, Jack Wolf Chrysler Jeep, Members Alliance Credit Union, Chuck & Karen Blomgren, David Zierke - State Farm Agent, A & B Freight, Anderson Toyota, John Widell Construction, Business Advisors Group, Lori Haugen Tutoring, and Culver's. We are so appreciative of your contributions!

Join us on April 11th for YFC's Annual Banquet

Stateline Youth for Christ’s second annual fundraising banquet will be held at Giovanni’s on April 11th (6-8 PM). The title of the event (“Stories: All Things New”) captures the heart of YFC’s mission: to help young people see how their story is connected to God’s greater Story, that new life can be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

This year’s event will feature a variety of guest speakers. We will hear from individuals connected to YFC’s ministry as well as influential leaders from community partners such as the YMCA and the Rockford Public Schools.

We will also highlight our various ministry models, which include Campus Life, City Life, Core, and a soon-to-be-launched Juvenile Justice Ministry.

We want those in attendance to gain a quality understanding of what we do while also seeing our long-term vision. In an effort to expand our ministries, it’s our hope that more people would embrace our mission and consider ways to support Youth for Christ.

Please join us on April 11th. Click here for registration information.

The Value of "Authentic Christ-Sharing Relationships"

A former pastor of mine once asked me what I remember better: A) the five most influential sermons I’ve ever heard; or B) the five most influential people in my life.

Now please hear me: I fully support biblical preaching and believe in its power and importance in transforming hearts. But my former pastor’s question magnifies a critical piece to our spiritual maturity: Relationships have serious influence. It’s through life-giving relationships where growth in Christ is uniquely developed as stories are shared, struggles are heard, and hope is found.

Some of the best ministry advice I’ve ever been given is simply this: Listen. Through asking questions and listening, a genuine relationship is launched. Walls come down. Trust is built. One’s humanity is dignified. And channels are opened for the grace and truth of Christ to resonate most deeply.

Youth for Christ emphasizes developing “authentic Christ-sharing relationships” with teenagers. This means that ministry leaders not only seek to introduce teens to Christ, but they’re also developing healthy relationships with them.

I’m coming to appreciate this emphasis more and more. Young people are wrestling with a host of issues. Depression, family dysfunction, and negative peer pressure are often defining their stories. Moreover, questions surrounding topics like sexuality, self-worth, and future aspirations are frequently unanswered or untouched.

Youth are too often devoid of positive relationships where there is constructive dialogue on life’s challenges. It’s vital that we create safe space for young people to discuss their fears, doubts, and pain. This space creates opportunities for growth in Christ to take place together, within the context of an authentic Christ-sharing relationship.

It’s my hope that Stateline Youth for Christ can embody building such relationships with teens in our community. Please pray for fruitfulness in our ministry, and please also consider joining our team of ministry leaders who are actively pursuing our youth.

-Haddon Anderson

Stateline Youth for Christ - #GivingTuesday (November 29th)

A week from today, Stateline Youth for Christ is excited to participate in #GivingTuesday. 

We are thrilled to bring life to the stories of our youth! Will you help us mobilize our ministry by supporting Stateline Youth for Christ on #GivingTuesday? Specifically, we are seeking to raise funds to develop ministry presences in more area high schools.

Here's a reflection from one student on their involvement in Campus Life, "Though my immediate family is still split up, I know I have a second family in Campus Life. I have found a community that loves me, believes in me and will be there for me."

It is our prayer that as students encounter new life in Jesus Christ, they see hope in their spiritual, social, academic, and personal lives. 

Join our efforts in investing in our community's young people by making a monthly or one-time gift at statelineyfc.org/give. 

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, 11/29 and like our Facebook page for updates regarding our ministry. Thank you for considering YFC!

Shoes That Empower

Stateline Youth for Christ recently did a shoe drive. We rounded up around 3,000 pairs of shoes that came from a variety of places, from schools to businesses to churches. We were amazed at the immense amount of high-quality shoes that flooded our office. People did not view this as an opportunity to get rid of junky, heavily-worn shoes. Donors rather included shoes with great value, from fine-looking dress shoes to little-used athletic sneakers. I had to stop and ponder the thoughtfulness of young people who gave away fresh-looking pairs of Jordans, Steph Curry's, and Nikes. Their generosity is powerful!

We would like to thank everyone who contributed to this shoe drive, and the awesome thing is there are numerous positives to collecting all these shoes. We worked in partnership with Funds2Orgs, which is a for-profit social enterprise that creatively seeks to provide an economic opportunity for those in developing nations, while also helping raise funds for local organizations such as Stateline Youth for Christ.

Their website highlights how this works via shoe drives,

“The shoes you collect are consolidated by Funds2Orgs and shipped to developing nations around the world. In turn, the shoes are sold by micro-entrepreneurs who seek a hand-up, not a hand-out, from poverty.”

So not only will these thousands of shoes be directed to people in need, they also raise money for Youth for Christ’s work locally and empower people in developing nations through micro-entrepreneurs. (If you’d like to learn more of how this process works, you can click here to read specifics on the Funds2Orgs website.)

There is great beauty in this model of philanthropy. Many Christians are re-thinking effective models of charity. I have been sensitive to this after reading an influential book by Bob Lupton entitled Toxic Charity. Sometimes our well-intended efforts to care for others, centered upon hand-outs, can actually disempower and rob people of dignity. The shoe drive fundraising of Funds2Orgs is a socially responsible way to invest locally and wisely promote the welfare of those in developing countries.

And this fits perfectly with who we are at Stateline Youth for Christ. We long for our youth to be transformed by “new life” found in Jesus Christ, and we then pray this empowers them to serve Christ through the skills He has given them.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the shoe drive. It has been a “win” for everybody!

"Give Life to Your Story"

Everyone has a story. Unfortunately, the stories of too many of our youth are defined by difficulties. Depression, loneliness, pain, and confusion are common themes. Stateline Youth for Christ's motto is "Give Life to Your Story." We seek to “give life” to the stories of our youth through our ministries. We specifically long to witness young people filled with new life that is found in Jesus Christ. Rather than see stories characterized by despair, we long to see stories redeemed through faith in Christ.

Stateline Youth for Christ is actively engaging youth in our community, forming relationships in schools, churches, and our local Y.M.C.A. Through these programs, we have the privilege of watching youth encounter faith, hope, and love. God is doing a beautiful work as young people see how their story is connected to God’s greater Story.

As I lead Stateline Youth for Christ, my vision is to simply reach more young people with the hope of Christ. Would you consider partnering with us? Here are three opportunities to support our work:

1. Prayer: Please pray that God would transform youth in our community, and ask Him for direction and strength for our organization.

2. Financial Support: A generous, monthly donation carries major significance as it helps us construct programs and plan for new avenues of ministry.

3. Volunteers: We desire servant-hearted volunteers with a heart to develop meaningful relationships. Your investment in just one young person can have ripples for eternity.

Do not hesitate to reach out to me to learn more about Stateline Youth for Christ and my passion for this ministry.

In Christ,

Haddon Anderson

handerson@statelineyfc.org