Winter 2015 - Metro Maryland Youth for Christ

MeTro MAryLAnD
STorieS
Winter 2015
GivinG
Life To My STory
by Chip Pierce
Over 35 years ago, my story connected with
YFC’s. I was captivated as I sat on the steps
of my family room and listened to one of the
Campus Life leaders talk about Jesus to a
room full of high school students. Even at 11
years of age, I was drawn to the conversations
and to God by what I heard. By the time I was
a senior in high school, I sensed God was
calling me to be a part of the YFC movement.
Chip Pierce and Family
This calling was confirmed during college as I interned for two summers in
Baltimore with YFC and spent my first year after college with YFC in the
Philippines. In the early 90’s, I had the privilege of helping YFC develop their
middle school outreach in the Baltimore area.
In the mid nineties, I decided to attend graduate school, but continued to
volunteer with and support YFC. Then in 2001, I returned to YFC as a
Ministry Director, as MMYFC was experiencing tremendous growth in
ministry and wanted to make sure it was done in a healthy and balanced
manner.
Over the past five years, I’ve had the opportunity to also be a part of YFC at
the National level. I serve on the National Campus Life Team and as a
Regional Campus Life Coordinator. Both of these positions focus on helping
ministry teams develop and maintain healthy and thriving ministry sites.
It has been a tremendous blessing to be a part
of the YFC movement all these years. God
continues to use YFC to challenge and stretch my
relationship with Him and increase my
dependence on His grace. YFC has indeed given
life to my story.
“Chip makes Campus Life ministry around the
country better. He invests weekly into the health
and growth of the Southern and Eastern Regiions
through empowering those Regional Teams. We
are all grateful for the time and energy that Chip
invests, but more than that – we are grateful for
his heart for the Father and for lost kids.” Allison
Johnson, National Campus Life Middle School
Director
GIVE LIFE
TO YOUR
STORY
TM
HeArT of GrACe
GAMe on
Alive 2014
Middle School Conference
For 25 years now, every November, MMYFC has hosted
our ALIVE Middle School Conference in Ocean City, MD.
Our recent conference was GAME ON time for over 2,000
students, leaders, staff and volunteers.“Runks” (a big
6’2”kid himself), shared hilarious stories, all the while
communicating God’s truth with clarity and depth. Kids
were drawn to both Runks and Tyra Lokey, as she shared
her incredibly powerful story and performed a song in
sign language with over 100 of them on Sunday morning.
Add to that great worship, workshops, small groups and
free time, and it was definitely a weekend to remember!
For the past 15 years, Ann Crandall has
been volunteering with MMYFC by helping to stuff and mail thousands of letters
and publications. Ann raised her own ten
children, helped raise grandchildren and
ran a daycare in her home for 25 years.
She was referred to Youth for Christ by her
pastor, when her one teenage grandson
Ray was having problems.
Mark Miller,
on staff with
YFC, worked
with Ray for
the next six
years and in
the process,
Ann became a dear friend, wanting to give
back in some way. She loves kids and values the relationship she has had with
MMYFC over the years. Ann claims that
as she gets older, mailings are something
she can do to help make a difference in
kids’ lives. Thank you Ann for your countless hours and heart full of grace and love!
“Everyone can be great because anyone
can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t even
have to make your subject and your verb
agree to serve…You only need a heart full
of grace. A soul generated by love.” Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
oUr MiSSion
YFC reaches young people everywhere,
working together with the local church
and other likeminded 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.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MMYFC GO TO
WWW.MMYFC.ORG
The Staff of Metro Maryland
Youth for Christ wishes
everyone a Blessed 2015
ConTACT
MMyfC
8900 Belair Road
Baltimore, MD 21236
410-529-4434
www.mmyfc.org
JAKE HELMS
CoMe AS yoU Are
Over 150 high school students
and leaders spent the first
weekend of the new year in
Gettysburg, PA for our annual
Avalanche retreat. Due to
weather conditions, outdoor
snow sports were cancelled,
but that didn’t damper the
spirits of those in attendance!
The hotel hallways were filled
with laughter and commotion,
the conference room filled with great energy and
meeting times, being challenged to “come as
you are”, and free time was spent at local indoor
facilities.
Messages given by YFC staff encouraged
students to consider a relationship with God,
understanding that He made them, doesn’t make
mistakes and created them with a purpose. They
were challenged to accept what Jesus had done
for them and the hope He offers us.
Small groups gave kids an opportunity to discuss
what was presented with their leaders, and
consider what it meant for them. Some made
first time decisions to follow Christ, whereas
others decided to take their faith more seriously.
This retreat is a great opportunity to build
relationships with those young people who
attend weekly Campus Life club meetings. It also
allows kids a place to get away (from a largely
electronic world they live in), consider what God
means in their lives, and go back to their
communities refreshed and encouraged – that
God calls all of us to come as we are!
UnifieD
UnDerGroUnD
Reaching the Subculture Communities
Unified Underground “UU” is Youth for
Christ’s national ministry to reach subculture youth, including Skateboarders,
Punks, Goths, Hardcore, Metal and HipHop among others.
Begun in Louisville, KY in 1998, UU
joined forces with MMYFC in 2006,
under the leadership of Loyal Thurman,
as an outreach to this ever-growing
community of kids. Since then, UU has
blossomed into a national ministry of
YFC, with locations now in Florida,
Michigan, New York, New Jersey and Indiana.
Here in Maryland, bi-weekly or monthly
“shows” are hosted in Catonsville, Annapolis, White Marsh and Linthicum,
with anywhere from 35-300 youth in attendance. “These shows are raw and
many local bands get the opportunity
to play for an audience of youth who are
looking for community and acceptance”, according to Loyal Thurman.
UU’s staff have opportunities to mingle
during these concerts and listen to what
is going on in the lives of kids. Staff
share Christ’s love and hope by establishing friendships with kids who are oftentimes hostile to the gospel. If you’re
interested in more information, contact
[email protected]
MeTro MAryLAnD
8900 Belair Road Baltimore, MD 21236
2015 DATeS To reMeMBer
2015 DATeS To reMeMBer
WINTER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Feb 27-28
IMPACT 2015 HIGH SCHOOL CONFERENCE
YOUTH FOR CHRIST
R
Ocean City, MD Convention Center
MAY 12, 2015
www.impact.mmyfc.org
- March 27-29
SAVE THE DATE
METRO MARYLAND
Join us & other friends of
Youth for Christ at our
Annual Fundraising Dinner
ANNUAL FUNDRAISING DINNER
www.mmyfc.org
PERFORMANCE BY
GUEST
GUEST
SPEAKER
THE VOICE HIGH SCHOOL RETREAT
Cape Henlopen, DE
June 23-28
HEATWAVE HIGH SCHOOL RETREAT
Wildwood, NJ
June 28-July 2
YFC HIGH SCHOOL CAMP
Northbay in Northeast, MD
July 12-18
YFC MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMP
Northbay in Northeast, MD
July 19-23
FRANCESCA
BATTISTELLI
KEVIN SORBO
Featuring Kevin Sorbo & Francesca Battistelli
Martin’s West - May 12
CROSSROADS MIDDLE SCHOOL RETREAT
Cape Henlopen, DE
August 14-19