Youth For Christ Joins Forces with Community Partners to Build House with Message of Reconciliation

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Youth For Christ Joins Forces with Community Partners to Build House with Message of Reconciliation

 

‘Our Motto Is to Live Here and Lead Here’; ‘That’s What We’re Called to Do as Christians’

 

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — As communities across the United States try to recover and rebuild following months of racism, riots, a pandemic, and an uncertain future, Youth For Christ (YFC, www.yfc.orghas found a way to drive home — literally — a message of reconciliation.

 

This summer, YFC Northern Indiana teamed up with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne UNITED, the Fort Wayne Police Department, and Brotherhood Mutual to frame a house for a deserving family.

 

Youth For Christ Northern Indiana City Life leader Nygel Simms says the collaboration by community leaders in Fort Wayne demonstrated that reconciliation is possible by welcoming people together who have different strengths and perspectives.

 

“Our motto is to live here and to lead here, and today we actually get to live up to those standards as we get to inspire and lead our kids to lead in the community that they’re from,” Simms said. “What’s so powerful when we all come together and build something together, like this house that we’re building for a family, is our differences come together and we can make a major difference. It’s not what sets us apart, it’s that we have different perspectives and when they come together, major things happen.”

 

YFC of Northern Indiana rolled up its sleeves to give back to the community and strengthen bonds among YFC volunteers, students and community partners.

 

“That’s what we’re called to do as Christ-followers—to put our love into action, through the context of relationship but also through the context of hard work,” said Chris Todia, CEO of YFC Northern Indiana. “This is a demonstration of the hard work it’s going to take to build community. There is real reconciliation that needs to happen. There’s real work that needs to happen in this community.

 

“At Youth for Christ, our ministry is based entirely around the concept of proximity, of us getting close with people and seeing how God works in the midst of that,” Todia continued. “We believe that when proximity happens, transformation happens. That also is the case within community in general.”

 

Nationally, Youth For Christ is telling inspiring stories like these through #YFCBeTheStory, an initiative to help spread the word across the nation about how YFC chapters are making a difference in their communities.

 

Youth For Christ has been a pillar of missional ministry since 1944, when the Rev. Billy Graham served as YFC’s first full-time staff member. Since then, Youth For Christ has continued to be both a rural and urban ministry on mission, and always about the message of Jesus. YFC reaches young people everywhere, working together with the local church and other like-minded 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. Youth For Christ operates in over 100 nations and has more than 160 chapters impacting communities across America.

 

Visit the Youth For Christ media page here. Learn more about Youth For Christ at its website, www.yfc.netFacebook and Instagram pages, Twitter feed @yfcusa or on Vimeo.

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