Kingdom Worker Connection

Transcription

1 Kingdom Worker Connection EMBER 17 A PUBLICATION OF THE MINISTRY OF CHRIST IN YOUTH

2 2 EDITOR S NOTE CHRIS ROBERTS COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR The year 18 will be a year of Thank Yous for CIY. After 50 years of ministry, there are plenty of Thank Yous to hand out. But the greatest and most resounding Thank You goes to our Almighty God in Heaven who has graciously walked the ministry through so many moments over the past five decades. He has placed a righteous work at our feet, and those of us who have been called to ministry here are incredibly grateful to our Father for entrusting to us the work of His Kingdom. Many of you have also answered His call on your lives to be Kingdom workers some of you perhaps while attending a CIY event or joining us on a mission trip somewhere around the world. And to you we also say Thank You... for trusting us with your students, for partnering with us on this most important of missions, and for being faithful brothers and sisters in Christ pursuing God s glory in all that you do. It is with great joy that we prepare to celebrate the work God has done through the ministry of CIY. And we re excited to launch that celebration with this 50th Anniversary edition of the Kingdom Worker Connection. There are some fun surprises in this issue, and we know you ll love reliving some of the memories of the past 50 years. But most of all we know you ll join us in going before God and saying, Thank You! STAFF LIST CIY PRESIDENT ANDY HANSEN andy.hansen@ciy.com EDITOR CHRIS ROBERTS chris.roberts@ciy.com ART DIRECTOR AUSTIN EIDSON austin.eidson@ciy.com CONTRIBUTORS CALEB CLARK, BECCA HAINES, WADE LANDERS, MARK RANKIN, SCOTT WALKER, AUDREY WUNDERLICH, DREW YOUNG SUBSCRIPTIONS P.O. BOX B JOPLIN, MO (888) 765-4CIY To be added to the CIY mailing list, or to receive the Kingdom Worker Connection via , please contact marketing@ciy.com. KINGDOM WORKER CONNECTION

3 3 KINGDOM WORKER CONNECTION CONTENTS STAFF 2 PRESIDENT S LETTER ANDY HANSEN 4 KINGDOM WORKER WEEK 17 6 CONTRAST MOVE & MIX 8 COVER STORY 50 YEARS OF MINISTRY 12 FINDING FAITH IN IRELAND 24 POWER UP SUPERSTART 28 ONE-ON-ONE WITH MERCI NEFF BELIEVE 30 STORIES FROM THE ROAD ENGAGE 32 SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT 33 FINAL THOUGHTS SCOTT WALKER 34 CIY PROGRAMS 35 CHRIST IN YOUTH

4 4 PRESIDENT S LETTER It truly was an historic day as I recently signed papers that officially recognized Christ In Youth as a nonprofit organization in Ireland! In reflection, I recalled the very first CIY Summer Conference in 70 that more than 500 students from 25 states attended in the Kiamichi Mountains of southeastern Oklahoma. The testimonies of students who attended that first event were impactful statements of life change and a passion for Jesus, and a desire to use gifts and talents for the Kingdom. Now 50 years since the start of CIY in 68 the ministry provides 111 events and trips, with more than 80,000 students attending. And on top of all that, a dream of global expansion has been realized with the launch of a European office. Just as there were great risks in launching a new movement of youth ministry in 68, God continues to move this organization out of its comfort zone. In 18, CIY will add 11 additional MOVE and MIX summer events. In we will add, Lord willing, 10 more on top of that. This means God is positioning CIY to reach more than 100,000 students in the U.S. in with an additional MOVE event in Ireland. As our Founder Bob Stacy has always declared, Praise To Him Who Specializes In The Impossible! Andy Hansen PRESIDENT CHRIST IN YOUTH KINGDOM WORKER CONNECTION

5 5 CIY s executive council signs documents on Nov. 14 that officially establish CIY in Ireland. In March 18 an office is scheduled to be opened in Dublin. On hand for the signing of documents were (from left): Mark Hand, vice president of operations and finance; Andy Hansen, CIY president; Jayson French, vice president of programming and global expansion; and Ryan Claborn, senior director of finance and operations. Such expansion seemed impossible just a decade ago. The efforts of expansion of events in the U.S. and Europe, connecting with students daily on a digital platform, and advancing the momentum of a generation of Kingdom workers all seems very daunting. But we serve a great God! An extensive study of Irish students was conducted by David Kinneman of The Barna Group on behalf of CIY. The results of this study were published in a book called Finding Faith In Ireland. The following are just a few quotes from the book: 67 percent of Irish young people have never read the Bible on their own account. Young Christians have a lot of questions and doubts about the Bible s trustworthiness. Some young people and youth workers say there is a good deal of pressure from peers to suppress Christian behaviors. The majority of Christian youth in Ireland (55 percent) does not know any adult who regularly talks with them about their faith. Christian events may be a place where youth can encounter spiritual guides and youth leaders. Such programs seek to enhance connection both to Christianity and to other Christians. Christian students find youth events to be important to their persistence in the faith. Youth workers say they have seen long-term results among youth who attend Christian events. A recent Barna Study observed that if a Christian has attended a Christian event, he or she is significantly more likely than those who have not attended one to report a personal prayer life (53 percent vs 25 percent), to attend church monthly (53 percent vs 22 percent) and to say that Jesus had deeply transformed his or her life (25 perfcent to 11 percent). God has placed on our hearts a desire to partner with our brothers and sisters in Ireland to build a national CIY team to respond to the unique opportunities and shifting challenges of raising a generation of students to become Kingdom workers. It s going to be messy, challenging, changing, thrilling and wonderful as we observe God s provision and eventually thousands of students in Ireland (and throughout Europe) responding deeply to the call of Christ and Kingdom work! Such expansion will take consistent prayer, a movement of God s power, and the provision of resources necessary to make such an impact. I m overwhelmed that students who attended CIY events this summer have already raised more than $158,000 to help launch a CIY office and event in Ireland! THANK YOU for YOUR commitment to the ever-growing ministry of CIY! Some of you have been involved since the first event in 70, others have joined this vision just recently to all, again, THANK YOU. We look forward to what God has in store for CIY in the next 50 years! To purchase a copy of Finding Faith in Ireland, please visit barna.com. To participate in CIY s 50th Celebration, please consider joining us on Aug. 30, 18, at the John Q. Hammons Convention Center in Joplin, Missouri, for a celebration banquet. Speakers, worship leaders and artists from all 50 years of CIY s events will be on hand to help us celebrate the work God has done through this amazing ministry for half a century! CHRIST IN YOUTH

6 6 THE CHURCH IS... CHANGING THE WORLD Kingdom Worker Week challenges students to embrace the church STORY & PHOTOS BY AUDREY WUNDERLICH Seven days, five live locations and an average of 1,100 daily viewers makes CIY s second Kingdom Worker Week a huge win in encouraging students to live out a life of Kingdom work. Kingdom Worker Week CIY Æffect s all-digital event was held Nov with viewers tuning in from all over the U.S. Students and leaders were encouraged to visit kingdomworkerweek.com for daily devotionals, challenges, Kingdom worker conversations and a live video each night. The theme for this year s Kingdom Worker Week was The Church is. Each day s theme completed the sentence such as The church is more than a building, or The church is all about Jesus. Students worked through aspects of what the church is and how Kingdom workers can make a difference in their communities by being a part of the church. We are pioneering a whole new way to encourage students to do Kingdom work, said Æffect s Senior Director, Eric Epperson, to the students of Johnson University (Florida campus) where the first live Kingdom Worker Week show was broadcast. Live locations for Kingdom Worker Week included the Student Union Building of Johnson University in Kissimmee, Florida; the youth group room of Life Pointe Church in Clarksville, Tennessee; the lobby of the headquarters of the nonprofit organization Rapha House in Joplin, Missouri; the dining area of a Chick-Fil-A in Dallas, Texas; and at CIY s Jr. high weekend event, Believe, in Portland, Oregon. We picked those locations intentionally, Epperson said. Each of those locations highlighted a different way that the church and KINGDOM WORKER CONNECTION

7 7 Kingdom Worker Week host Eric Epperson interviews Kingdom workers at places all over the U.S. (left), while also giving daily challenges to students (above). Kingdom workers are doing cool things in various communities. So, we traveled east to west, experiencing different ways the church raises up Kingdom workers. Æffect utilized Facebook s live broadcast function for its nightly show, and created a program that mixed live footage with pre-recorded segments to give Kingdom Worker Week a true talk show feel. Each live location featured a different Kingdom worker, such as rappers KJ-52 and Datin, Beatboxer Rubox, former AT&T Vice President Cynthia Marshall, author Trillia Newbell, musical artists Brady Toops and Merci Neff, Chick-Fil-A owner and operator Louie Murillo, and more. These Kingdom workers were selected intentionally to display a variety of talents, skills and abilities that are all being used to further the Kingdom with the hope of illustrating for students how they might also use their own God-given talents for something greater. We want to see a groundswell of churches using Kingdom Worker Week as a way to propel service opportunities in their own communities, Epperson said. We will continue to build on discoveries in technology as we look forward to year three of Kingdom Worker Week! Kingdom Worker Week 18 is currently slotted for the week of Nov Students and leaders can continue to access all the Kingdom Worker Week material from 17 for free at kingdomworkerweek.com, as well as view all the nightly shows on Æffect s Facebook page (facebook.com/ciyaeffect). Other individual videos from the week are also available on Æffect s YouTube channel. CHRIST IN YOUTH

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9 9 A RELEVANT CONTRAST MOVE and MIX programs prepare for summer 18 by diving into the book of 1 John STORY BY CHRIS ROBERTS GRAPHIC DESIGN BY AUSTIN EIDSON & MARK RANKIN The development of 18 s MOVE and MIX themes started just like every other year with programming directors sitting around a table and praying together. Themes of CIY programs are too important not to be directed by God, and everything CIY creates is intentionally grounded in God s Holy Word. And as those programming directors began to share ideas around that table and dissect various issues today s teenagers are dealing with, the Holy Spirit began to make clear a very specific concern among many Christians around the world today. Our culture today is one where many young people are making concessions about Jesus and trying to mold Jesus into what feels comfortable about their own lives, said Taylor Brown, CIY s MIX director. They think they don t have to change and they can stay where they are and do what they want. But the Apostle Jonn says, No! I know a source of deep joy and light and security and peace. His name is Jesus. I m not afraid of where our culture is heading today because it looks a lot like the culture when the book of 1 John was written. This is not new. John was dealing with it then, and the things he says in that book are exactly as relevant today as they were then. The conversation, therefore, turned to the question of how to dissect and deliver the teachings of the book of 1 John to a Jr. high and high school audience teachings that are definitively black-and-white. The idea of Contrast as a theme seemed to be apparent to the team. (Continued on next page) CHRIST IN YOUTH

10 10 John spends the first part of the book saying that Jesus is real and he s seen Him and touched Him and He s here for you, said Lane Moss, CIY s MOVE director. The whole rest of the book is him explaining what a life following Jesus looks like. And he basically delivers that by saying, Here s what it looks like, and here s what it doesn t look like. Moss said that landing on 1 John as the foundation for the theme of Contrast was only the first step. As with every year, the MOVE and MIX teams then had multiple conversations and meetings with Bible college professors and youth leaders from all over the country, asking them to speak into the creation and development of programming for 18. And through that process two things became apparent pretty quickly: First, the book of 1 John is not the easiest book to unwrap; and second, it s the perfect book for today s culture. John was writing to a younger generation of people than what he grew up with, Moss said. And in many ways that generation was trying to shift Christianity into something it s not. We can t be Christians and not care about the church or each other or people who are different than us. This book is John s way of calling them back to what a life spent following Jesus really looks like. It s a challenge that it s a non-linear book, Moss said. You can t just trudge through it. So we re taking it by theme, which is basically how John wrote it. If you stretched a slinky out, that s what the book looks like because he circles back over and over again. While the non-linear nature of the book does pose a challenge, the daily themes do create a journey. You start with who God is, then are challenged with the question of whether you believe or deny Jesus, and then if you do believe are you going to obey or rebel, and if you Our world is only heading more in the direction of needing to hear this. We need to spread John s message of loving more than hating... And ultimately [1 John] is a book filled with so much grace and love. do obey it should look like love, and perfect love casts out all fear. Every day there s a fork in the road that leads to the next fork as you journey through this, and I love that. MOVE and MIX will be sharing daily themes more closely in 18 than they ever have before. This year s daily themes are: Light and Dark (exploring the difference between living in God s light and out), Believe and Deny, Obey and Rebel, and Love and Hate or in MOVE s case, Love and Fear. These daily themes are ones that Brown said will help reinforce the core values of what it means to be a Christian which is something Jr. high and high school students need in today s ever-shifting culture. If you talk to any business leader or CEO, they ll tell you that the one thing that an organization absolutely cannot lose is its core values, Brown said. And in this book, John is saying, Hold on! This is a core value of who we are. We are people who believe Jesus, obey Jesus, love Jesus and love like Jesus. Let s not water down any of that. Our world is only heading more in the direction of needing to hear this. We need to spread John s message of loving more than hating. And though this book is filled with contrast in a way that at first blush might make you think, Gosh, it s so stark! Am I even loving God right? Ultimately it s a book filled with so much grace and love. It starts with the qualifier that you are loved and that Jesus is your advocate standing in front of the Father right now, defending you. And now that you know that, let s talk about how to follow that light. To read more about the Contrast theme for MOVE and MIX in 18, please visit ciy.com/move/18 or ciy.com/mix/18. MOVE will be touring through 36 events, while MIX will host 24 events. Registration for these events is currently open. KINGDOM WORKER CONNECTION

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12 HISTORY OF THE MINISTRY OF CHRIST IN YOUTH 68 A BEGINNING... The ministry of CIY was founded by Ozark Christian College professor Bob Stacy. Articles of operation were signed in May 68. The first official event a crusade in Tulsa for the region s churches was held that summer.

13 13 THE LEGACY OF A MINISTRY Sometimes to look forward, you first must look back; CIY is eager to celebrate God s work of the past 50 years STORY BY CHRIS ROBERTS GRAPHIC DESIGN BY AUSTIN EIDSON & CHRIS ROBERTS Like so many other great endeavors throughout history, Christ In Youth started with humble beginnings on the back of a restaurant placemat. The restaurant was Howard Johnson s in Springfield, Missouri. The placemat belonged to Bob Stacy, a professor at Ozark Christian College. And sitting around the table with him on that day of Dec. 9, 66, were his wife, Nell; their good friend, Rose Ann Tyler; Mark Davis, a college student; and the Stacy s 6-year-old twins, Roger and Rhonda. The group was catching dinner after attending a speaking engagement at Evangel University, featuring David Wilkerson an evangelist who had founded Times Square Church in New York City and was best known for his book The Cross and the Switchblade. In the three years prior to this evening, Stacy had developed OCC s high school assemblies, utilizing OCC students to travel around the country to lead praise and worship times for students in Jr. high and high school. Davis was one of the college students on those assembly teams, and he had joined the Stacys and Tyler to listen to Wilkerson s talk about working with students in NYC. The Holy Spirit sparked something in their hearts during Wilkerson s speech, and the flame began to burn brightly by the time they were sitting in the restaurant just an hour later. After hearing (Wilkerson) speak, it brought to mind that we needed to do something with our youth, Stacy said. We started talking that evening around the table about what we could do, and the more we talked the more excited we got. I had to write down our ideas, and what began to take form was the first steps of a new ministry called Christ In Youth. We called it our dream. (Continued on next page) CHRIST IN YOUTH

14 CRUSADES In the summer of 69, CIY hosted its first area-wide crusade in Tulsa. At the end of the crusade, 34 students made commitments to pursue vocational ministry. CONFERENCES In the summer of 70, CIY held its first summer conference for high school students. It was held at a camp in the Kiamichi Mountains in Oklahoma. There were 500 students in attendance, including CIY s current president, Andy Hansen. EXPANSION In the summer of 73, CIY moved its summer conference to Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center. The number of attendees at this point was slowly creeping toward 1,000. PTTKOK The theme at the first CIY conference was Praise To Him Who Specializes In The Impossible. By the mid-70s the theme had become so popular that one of CIY s directors wrote a song associated with it called Praise To The King of Kings A DREAM COME TRUE In the spring of 69, CIY established its first headquarters at an office space in downtown Tulsa, OK. KW COMMITMENTS Students attending CIY s first conference were called to make Kingdom worker commitments. This challenge to respond to Christ s call on their lives continued each year following, and is still a challenge presented to students at CIY events. CIY S FIRST RESOURCES The first resources developed by CIY were created by Tim Coop specifically for Jr. high students. They were printed by College Press Publishing and distributed widely throughout the U.S. By 72 these materials became a staple of CIY s ministry. It didn t take long for God to begin to make that dream a reality. In early 67, Stacy approached then-occ president Don Earl Boatman about raising money for CIY. Being the missions-minded president that he was, Boatman gave Stacy approval, and shortly after the high school assembly teams began holding Deeper Life Crusades, during which Stacy began taking up offerings for CIY. Stacy also began holding Wednesday night prayer meetings at the college, asking people to pray for the development of this fledgling ministry. Stacy also sent out a letter to 75 preachers and editors asking their opinions on the variety of things he hoped CIY could offer. It was his hope God would use CIY as a resource and partner to the local church, and he knew that buy-in from these churches would be a key indicator that this dream was something God wanted to make real. I remember standing at the mailbox, putting in a few letters at a time and praying over each one that the Lord would answer me through those letters. And He did!... And everything that happened after that just continued to confirm. Everything. I remember standing at the mailbox, putting in a few letters at a time and praying over each one that the Lord would answer me through those letters, Stacy said. And He did! We got a reply from 75 percent of them, which is a great reply to any letter. And all but one of them said, Do it! So we took that as an answer to prayer. And everything that happened after that just continued to confirm. Everything. In 68, when Bob Stacy turned 34 years old, CIY officially started with its first-ever crusade held at the assembly center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The CIY crusade was offered for churches throughout the area, and Stacy got area high school and college students to help him advertise by visiting local malls and city sandwich boards to post flyers and create some word-of-mouth buzz about the event. NATIONWIDE By 78, CIY had offices all over the country, including WA, CA, KS, TX, GA, OH, NY and OK A 10-YEAR MILESTONE By 78, CIY had become a well-established ministry that was all the buzz for high school students all over the country. Crusades and conferences were well-attended in locations all over the U.S., and students were encouraging friends to attend year after year. The newspaper (Tulsa World) also did a write-up on our new organization and the event that was happening in the city, Stacy said. It was so well received that the mayor came and welcomed us that first night. That was the first thing we did, and it just grew from there.

15 15 The first CIY summer conference was held at a camp in the Kiamichi Mountains of Oklahoma. The theme for the week was Praise To Him Who Specializes In The Impossible. A banner hung on the stage proclaiming that theme. The banner continued to be hung on the stage of CIY conferences for many years throughout the 70s. The crusade was such a resounding success that it was a no-brainer to continue holding them in the years following. CIY crusades would continue well into the 80s, but in 70 Stacy created something that would forever change the ministry of CIY. It was in that summer CIY expanded from crusades to also include a summer conference. The first one was held at a camp in the Kiamichi Mountains of Oklahoma in fact the idea for the conference was pitched to Stacy by that camp s director at the time. Stacy recalls he wasn t sure what to expect for that first conference, and that he set his attendance goal low at only 250. But more than 500 ended up attending, including a youth group from Michigan that had a student by the name of Andy Hansen who, 48 years later, is CIY s current president. I had never been around hundreds of Christian students before, Hansen said of that first CIY conference. At first we weren t sure what to think of our youth minister packing us in a van to drive 15 hours to the middle of Oklahoma. But the power of the teaching and worship and the call of Bob Stacy as we went to Encounter time to say, God Speak to me that radically influenced the direction of my focus and my life s desires. It was a big impact on my commitment to Jesus Christ and my willingness to give the best of my talents to the Kingdom. THE ORIGIN OF CIY: According to Bob Stacy, CIY founder, the name Christ In Youth Inc., was the first idea he came up with. It was born from a combination of the mission behind the ministry and the passage of scripture found in Colossians 1:27, which says, To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Though the logo and the ministry have gone through a variety of evolutions over the years, the name has always stayed the same and today is a brand familiar to people in more than 50 countries across the world. According to Stacy, Encounter Time was an idea that he came up with off the cuff at the end of a session during that first conference. He recalls standing on the platform, looking out at the rolling hills of the Kiamichi Mountains, and suggesting that the students go out and pray in separate places just to spend some quiet time with God. To this day, CIY continues to program these one-on-one times with God at its events, and continues to refer to that time as Encounter Time. (Continued on next page) CHRIST IN YOUTH

16 A NEW DIRECTION After two challenging years for the ministry, CIY had closed all of its offices around the country except the headquarters in Tulsa. In threat of closing its doors, the ministry turned to Tom Kakac in 82 as a new president with hopes to lead the ministry into the future. NATIONAL YOUTH LEADERS CONVENTION In 84 CIY began hosting the National Youth Leaders Convention. WELCOME ANDY HANSEN CIY s current president, Andy Hansen, joined the ministry in 85 as director of conferences a position he held until 04, when he was named president. WORSHIP WITH US As CIY expanded in the latter half of the 80s and added more conferences around the country, an increasing number of talented musicians partnered with the ministry including Tony & Donny, Rich Mullins, and Jeff Moody... all of whom led worship at CIY events until the late 90s GOODBYE BOB STACY In 80, CIY s founder and president Bob Stacy resigned in order to respond to a call to lead the ministry department at Cincinnati Bible College. Ben Carroll, who had been a CIY director, was named the new CIY president. RETURN TO JOPLIN CIY s headquarters moved to Joplin, MO the town where it all began. With roots in Ozark Christian College, CIY returned to a city with close church ties and pastoral leadership. The new headquarters was in a house that sat across the street from the Joplin Regional Airport. HELLO HAITI CIY launched its missions department in 84 with the hire of Steve Siglar. After a leaders-only exploratory trip to Haiti in 84, CIY led its first student mission trip to Haiti in 85. Today CIY leads nearly international mission trips every year. SKI-I-Y By the end of the 80s, CIY had established a winter conference in Colorado that included skiing. Jayson French, CIY s current vice president of programming, was one of the first to attend this event as a high school student. The ministry continued to grow throughout the 70s. In 73, CIY moved away from campgrounds and began utilizing college campuses something else the ministry continues to do to this day. By the end of the decade the ministry had offices all over the country, including Washington, California, Kansas, Texas, Georgia, Ohio, New York, and of course its home base in Tulsa. In 80, Stacy stepped down as CIY president in order to pursue a new opportunity at Cincinnati Bible College as head of the ministry department. My heart wanted to be out there doing crusades and conferences, and my head kept saying, You need to be in this office to direct it, Stacy said. And my heart kept saying, You have to be out there with the people, and my head kept saying, You have to stay here once in awhile. Finally, I said I wasn t going to fight it. And right around that time Harvey Bream from Cincinnati Bible College came to Tulsa to offer me the head of the ministry department. I loved preaching in fact, the last two or three years at CIY I had a preacher training institute for high school kids so his offer was very enticing. I thought I could get away from the fight I kept fighting. I hated to leave CIY, but I knew it was right. I knew it was what God wanted. Whether because of financial struggle or difficult situations, this organization could have easily folded. But God would not allow it. He always provided a way and a means. I think He knew in His timeline what He could do through CIY for generations of students. Though the ministry had enjoyed some amazing growth during Stacy s time, it also struggled financially. Stacy recalls multiple evenings on his knees praying that God would provide funds. And shortly after Stacy left, during the early 80s, the ministry was at a tipping point. Some hard decisions had to be made, and by the end of 80, every office except the one in Tulsa had been closed. It seemed like the ministry was doomed to end. That s just one of a handful of times that I know of that CIY could have died, Hansen said. Whether because of financial struggle or difficult situations, this organization could have easily folded. But God would not allow it. He always provided a way and a means. I think He knew in His timeline what He could do through CIY for generations of students.

17 17 WORSHIP LEADERS THROUGH THE YEARS: The Journeymen Jerome Thomas Tony & Donny Rich Mullins Jeff Moody Brian Sites One5Oh David Crowder Aaron Pelsue 04-present Carrollton 13-present Though the early 80s were difficult, the ministry made it through and by 83 a positive wave of change was occurring. The ministry moved its headquarters to Joplin. A new president by the name of Tom Kakac came on board, and other new names joined the ministry men and women who would become staples at CIY for the next years. Included in that group were Hansen, who joined the ministry in 85 as conference director, and Steve Siglar, who initiated CIY s international mission trips. The first mission trip was held in 85 in Haiti, with nearly 100 people in attendance. Today CIY hosts nearly international mission trips every year, and has partnerships in more than 50 different countries. When Hansen joined in 85, he became the sixth full-time employee. The offices were located in a house across from Joplin s airport. There were only four summer events with less than 2,000 students. Growing the ministry back to where it had been five years earlier seemed nearly impossible. I remember having a heart-to-heart with God because we didn t seem to be growing, Hansen said. The quality of our programs and the relationships we were building was growing, but numerically we weren t growing. I remember thinking, Lord, could we ever get to 10,000? It was never about me or even about numbers so much as I wanted something to dream about. It was why I came to CIY to help raise up thousands of students for Christ. Today, in 18, we face the reality of having almost 100,000 students each year. That s very humbling. It s amazing what God is doing. That s where I go, WOW! like Bob Stacy always said. Praise to Him who specializes in the impossible! By the time CIY had reached its 25 th anniversary in 93, the ministry was back to where it had been in the 70s, and was growing. Hansen had added to the conference department and added new faces such as Dick Gibson, Robin Sigars, Kevin Greer and Andy Schroeder. Siglar had also grown the missions department to include people like Brenda Hawkins, John Mouton and Tony Allmoslecher, and more and more students were traveling to places all over the world every year. New ideas were forming, such as the annual winter ski retreat to Colorado and a new age-specific program for Jr. high students called Believe. And God was bringing some amazing ministry partners to the table, such as musicians Jeff Moody, Tony & Donny, David Crowder and Rich Mullins all of whom led worship at CIY events during the late 80s and throughout the 90s. Jayson French, CIY s current vice president of programming, recalls his first CIY experience as a sophomore in high school. He was personally asked by Hansen to attend a CIY event in Bolivar, Missouri and that one event changed his life. He knew he needed to go to another event the next year to see what God was stirring in his life, but money was an issue. So he worked for a brick layer to (Continued on next page) Tony & Donnny were a mainstay on CIY stages during the 70s and 80s, leading worship for thousands of students. Over the years CIY has partnered with a number of worship leaders who are well-known Christian recording artists. CHRIST IN YOUTH

18 INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION In 90, CIY hosted its first international conference in the Dominican Republic. Other international conferences followed, and to this day offerings collected at CIY events go toward CIY s global ministry efforts. STAFF EXPANSIONS At the beginning of the 90s, CIY was growing and more talented employees were being hired people who would go on to become staples within the ministry for nearly two decades. Included in that group were Robin Sigars, Lori Havens, Susan Smith, Tony Allmoslecher, Kevin Greer, John Mouton, Sarah Walker, Andy Schroeder and Pat Fancher. SERVICE PROJECTS In 94 CIY started offering Jr. high service projects something that would eventually go on to be called Know Sweat, and then Engage: Service, in the 00s. A NEW HOME In 96, CIY moved from its location inside rented modules to a more permanent building on Third Street in Joplin, MO. DISCIPLESHIP In 97, CIY began offering Discipleship Retreats. These retreats were similar to the siminars that were offered in the 70s by founder Bob Stacy, and were born from the desire to teach high school students vocational ministry skills PAUL SMITH At the beginning of 90, Tom Kakac resigned as CIY s president, and after a short interim, Paul Smith was hired as the new CIY president. He would serve in that role until TH ANNIVERSARY In 93, CIY celebrated its 25th anniversary and launched a new campaign called Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow. BELIEVE BEGINS In 97 CIY launched a new program called Believe, catering specifically to Jr. high students on weekends during the school year. Today Believe ministers to more than 15,000 Jr. high students every year in 13 locations around the U.S. A GLOBAL RESPONSE By the end of the 90s, CIY had firmly established itself as a global ministry. With multiple international mission trips and international conferences in a handful of countries, students all over the globe were hearing Christ s call on their lives. raise enough money to go to another CIY conference. And he was fortunate enough to get to ride on the same bus with Rich Mullins, telling stories and playing games for hours on end with one of the most spiritually deep worship leaders to ever walk this earth. I just fell in love with this place (CIY) on so many levels, French said. It was so formative in me spiritually. I accepted the call to go into ministry when I was at that event in Bolivar. When I started working at my first church after my freshman year of college, I took my kids back to Bolivar as a youth minister. I loved watching the way it shaped and changed them. My first conference was in 88, and every year since then with the exception of a couple of years I have taken students to CIY conferences. In the early 00s, French was presented with the opportunity to join CIY s staff full-time. And though the organization had grown and was ministering to more students worldwide than ever before including international conferences in places like Mexico, India and the Philippines financially it was again struggling. French recalls how disheartening it was at first to join a ministry that he had such a deep love for at a time when it was facing such difficulty. I just fell in love with this place (CIY) on so many levels. It was so formative in me spiritually. I accepted the call to go into ministry when I was at that event in Bolivar (MO).... My first conference was in 88, and every year since then... I have taken students to CIY conferences. It felt like we were always trying to out-do the last year, French said. I almost looked at it like a game of Risk. We recognized that we needed to mobilize as a global ministry with a specific call to action moving together toward a common purpose. We identified that the purpose should be to help kids find their calling to encourage them to leverage who they are for the Kingdom. I remember being at a staff retreat and saying, We need to call kids to be Kingdom workers. That had been my heartbeat from the very beginning. The Kingdom worker identity stuck. The ministry adopted a new mission statement: To amplify Christ s call on students lives to be Kingdom workers. Every program and ministry endeavor from that

19 The Birth of CIY Missions... CIY s first international mission trip took place in the summer of 85 in the country of Haiti. Nearly 100 people went on the trip, working with Northwest Haiti Christian Mission to evangelize, as well as minister to widows and orphans. In 18 CIY will lead 18 international trips to seven different countries, including: Cambodia, Poland, Northern Ireland, Haiti, Kenya, The Republic of Ireland and the Dominican Republic. moment forward followed that mission, and things began to slowly turn around for the ministry. In 04, Hansen was made president, and in 06 the ministry hired Mark Hand as vice president of operations and finance, who immediately got to work on pulling the organization out of the red and into the black. Prior to that, Hand had been an accountant for a Fortune 500 company. But he felt God tugging on his heart to use his talents in some form of vocational ministry. And though he knew he could serve God as a Kingdom worker wherever he was at, it quickly became apparent he was being led to something very specific. Coming to CIY has given me an opportunity to use the gifts and abilities and training that God has afforded me for His purposes, Hand said. To me, that s the idea of Kingdom work. When I first visited CIY, the mantra was Change Youth, Change the World. When that shifted to what our current mission statement is, it was a natural shift for me to latch onto. That s exactly what happened to me when I left my previous employer and came here. That s what I was doing I was making the decision to use my life to do work for God vocationally. That was a big deal for me, personally. Over the last decade of CIY s ministry, the organization has seen unprecedented growth. It has added programs such as the preteen-aimed SuperStart, the Jr. high summer conference MIX, A CIY MEMORY: During the first CIY conferences held in Oklahoma s Kiamichi Mountains, youth groups would bring tents to sleep in. One night during the second year s conference right in the middle of the evening session some bad thunderstorms rolled in. Bob Stacy recalls looking at the people who were sitting at a long table toward the front of the audience, recording the sermon. Each was wearing big ear phones when suddenly lightning struck nearby. Those people actually became green, Stacy said. It scared me to death. I stood up immediately and grabbed the mic from somebody and said, Stop! We don t panic. We pray. Just as we started praying someone shouted that one of the tents was on fire from the lightning strike. So we prayed and rain came immediately as we prayed and put that fire out. People started to applaud. It was a beautiful experience. Come to find out that a couple of boys had skipped out on that session and were in that tent and they told me afterward, We ll never skip again. (Continued on next page) CHRIST IN YOUTH

20 DIGITAL AGE As the world embraced the World Wide Web, so, too, did CIY embrace changing technologies as a way to reach more students. Toward that end, the organization launched its first website in 00. MEDICAL MISSIONS In 01 CIY launched its first specialty/medical mission trips via a partnership with another ministry called FAME. PASSING A MILESTONE In 01 CIY s summer conference broke,000 attendees in a single year. WINTER SERVICE In 01 CIY launched its first Know Sweat winter work project. NEW CURRICULUM Following in the wake of SuperStart s success, CIY partnered with Standard Publishing to develop and publish a preteen-specific curriculum. A NEW NAME The desire to better define its mission and hone in on key tactics led to a name change for CIY s summer conference. In 08, CIY leadership chose to name the conference MOVE A PERMANENT HOME CIY moved into a new, larger building in 01 which continues to be its home base today. The headquarters is located on a hill opposite Ozark Christian College on enough land to facilitate multiple expansions. PRIORITY 22 CIY s resource department launced youth worker training called Priority 22 to deepen youth workers. Though no longer in circulation, CIY continues to create resources to advance youth ministry. SUPERSTART! Responding to churches all across the U.S. calling for preteen-specific programming, CIY launched a new weekend program called SuperStart! The program is aimed at fourth-sixth grade students, and today sees more than 15,000 students in 12 locations around the U.S. 40TH ANNIVERSARY CIY celebrated its 40th anniversary during the North American Christian Convention in 08. Between all of its programs, CIY was now seeing more than 40,000 students and adult leaders attending its various events every year, and was leading mission trips to more than eight countries. CIY FILMS In 09, CIY s documentary Baht produced in conjunction with the ministry Rapha House became CIY s first award-winning documentary. CIY PRESIDENTS: Bob Stacy Ben Carroll Tom Kakac Paul Smith Andy Hansen 04-Present an all-digital beyond-the-event program called Æffect, and has even launched its first international office in Dublin, Ireland. Nearly 100,000 students attend CIY events every year, and the number of churches, youth leaders and students who are called to Kingdom work through CIY resources is multiplied well beyond that every year. What has taken the ministry 50 years to accomplish that being ministering to more than 1 million students can now happen in less than a single decade. I think our openness to being willing to explore other avenues to reach students has given us opportunities to reach people all over the globe, Hand said. God has put us in front of people in Europe. He s brought people to us from film teams to creative teams to production staff who all help us continue to deliver things in fresh ways and new ways and to dream up new ways of doing things that have never been done before. That openness to change and to the creative process and innovation as well as an openness to where God is leading us through open doors certainly allows us to grow into the next decade and beyond. Wherever God wants to take us. It s fun to dream, but ultimately it s about our ability to be open to what God presents us with. That s what allows us to continue to be CIY and reach students in new and fresh ways. That s who we are as an organization. We re explorers. We re a group of innovators and creators and dreamers. We re adventurers. We re willing to take the adventure and see where God leads us. He s taken us on some pretty cool adventures over the past 50 years, and we re looking forward to where He takes us over the next 50 years. PRAISE TO THE KING OF KINGS: The theme at the first CIY conference was Praise To Him Who Specializes In The Impossible. There was a banner that hung on the back of the stage with that slogan. In the mid-70s, CIY s Atlanta office director, Jerome Thomas, wrote a song associated with the theme called Praise to the King of Kings. To this day, the song is sung at special events and gatherings by CIY staff. In fact, it is a requirement of all new CIY employees to memorize the lyrics to the song.

21 21 MULTIPLY The Word of the Lord continued to flourish and multiply. Acts 12:24 CIY launches campaign in conjunction with 50th anniversary; plans program, building expansion STORY BY CHRIS ROBERTS One of the most wonderful things to behold is when God miraculously multiplies something. It is demonstrated time and time again throughout the Bible God or His son Jesus taking one thing and multiplying it into thousands so that more and more people can be blessed. God has done just that with the ministry of Christ In Youth. What started as 500 students at a campground in 70 has multiplied into 80,000 students each year at CIY events and mission trips in 18. And the leadership and board members of the organization believe God is preparing to multiply the ministry in big ways in the next coming years. To reach more than 100,000 students each year by the end of this decade means that throughout the s CIY should be able to reach 1 million students, said Andy Hansen, CIY president. That s exciting! Plus, God is blessing us hugely on the international front. Truly we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us for the last 50 years. And to be thriving in the ministry s 50 th year is a testimony to God s blessing and favor, but also testimony to the sacrificial investment of people who have served good portions of their lives in the ministry. In order to be prepared for the work that God is putting before the organization of CIY as it goes forward into the next decade of ministry, a new campaign is being launched during its 50th anniversary. The campaign is appropriately called Multiply, and is based off the passage of scripture found in Acts 12:24 that says, The word of the Lord continued to flourish and multiply. And just like the early church saw a surge of growth like a wildfire, so also does CIY expect to see a multiplication of ministry efforts worldwide in the coming years. To reach more than 100,000 students each year by the end of this decade means that throughout the s CIY should be able to reach 1 million students. That s exciting!... To be thriving in the ministry s 50th year is a testimony of God s blessing and favor. But to make that happen, the ministry needs more partners people who are willing to give of their resources, their finances and their prayers. Every CIY program has the ability to grow into new regions. Plans are currently underway to go to Houston, southern California, Cleveland, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Charlotte, Richmond, Detroit, Orlando, St. Louis, Knoxville, Indianapolis, Elizabeth City, Kenya, Poland, Puerto Rico, Ireland, Canada and throughout Europe. And all of this expansion could happen over the next two years within a combination of all of CIY s programs. Such expansion means CIY must raise capital to supply the equipment, vehicles and personnel for expansion. But the beauty is that once expansion has taken place and the events or trips achieve cost of event status, then each of those new locations becomes self-sustaining and can even bring revenue back into the organization. Expansion costs projected just for MOVE and MIX programs over the next two years are $1.5 million alone. We re growing so fast right now that it can be a little daunting and scary, said Jayson French, CIY s vice president of programming. But we don t want controlled growth. We want Holy Spirit growth. We want to be led by the Holy Spirit, produced by the Holy Spirit and sustained by the Holy Spirit. We want to be wise and calculating and true, but never fearful of growth. We want to be faithful and bold and brazen, and maybe even a bit wild in the way we pursue Jesus in what he s doing. (Continued on next page) CHRIST IN YOUTH

22 JOPLIN TORNADO On May 22, 11, an E-F5 tornado ripped through Joplin, killing 162 people and injuring thousands more. Multiple CIY employees were affected either having lost homes or friends to the tornado. CIY Engage helped churches all over the world respond. LCET CIY completed and released its most ambitious film project in 11 with a feature-length documentary called Love Costs Every Thing. The film examines Christian persecution around the world, and was shown to politicians and other people of influence at multiple locations around the world in the years following its release. AWARD WINNING FILMS Following the success of Love Costs Every Thing in 11, CIY produced an award-winning film every year thereafter. In 13 it was the documentary Becoming Sons & Daughters, in 14 it was Tiharu, in 15 it was Ruby, in 16 it was Aullido, and in 17 it was Unseen. A NEW WAREHOUSE In 15, CIY purchased an additional.8 acres adjacent to its headquarters in Joplin, MO, with the intention of expanding its building starting with construction on a new,000-squarefoot warehouse. GOING GLOBAL In 15 CIY s board of directors voted to make CIY an official global organization. In 17, the first steps toward that were accomplished with the hiring of CIY s first international employee Jasper Rutherford from Northern Ireland and the opening of CIY s first international office in Dublin TRAINING TO ENGAGE In 10, CIY missions changed its name to CIY Engage. The department offered two options for mission trips: international and domestic. To this day the department continues to train students for a life of Kingdom work through multi-cultural experiences. ANOTHER ANSWERED PRAYER Similar to how CIY responded to American churches calling for preteen-specific programming and created SuperStart, CIY also responded in 11 to a cry for a Jr. high conference by creating a new program called MIX. Today MIX sees more than 10,000 students and adult leaders at 24 different events each summer. FIRST-TIME ISIONS In 15, CIY recorded its highest-ever first-time decisions for Christ. That number has continued to rise every year since, with upwards of 3,000 first-time decisions for Christ every year! UNVEILING A NEW BUILDING In 17, CIY opened its new,000-square-foot warehouse. Prior to the construction of the building CIY had been renting warehouse space in multiple locations around Joplin, MO. OUR FOUNDER S WORDS STILL RING TRUE... In the first-ever business plan written by Bob Stacy, he concluded his proposal with a quote that read, As I looked into her sad, frightened eyes and listened to the hopelessness that was in every word she spoke, I could think only one thing my life was different from hers in only one respect... I knew Christ. The dream again swept over me... Someday, I prayed, may she know You as I do. It is our prayer here at CIY that you, too, would see the dream of putting Christ In Youth! In addition to CIY s expansion through events and trips, the ministry is also looking to expand its efforts through film and resources. It has become evident over the past decade that the power of CIY-produced films to speak to a younger generation is enormous. The Holy Spirit uses CIY s films, videos and resources in amazing ways to inspire students to embrace a life of Kingdom work. But in order to create such amazing films and resources, the quality must be high and the cost associated with that is sometimes daunting. In 18, CIY s film crew will produce nearly 150 individual video elements. But there is no studio at CIY s headquarters to create these pieces. To accommodate, the team often has to transition the building s conference room into a film studio for most shoots. People who finish the product with sound mixing, coloration, etc., are not conveniently located for office interaction, or they don t have all the tools they need. And when you add in the opportunity for CIY to communicate to students literally on a daily basis through apps and social media, the opportunity is urgent and staggering. CIY must create a video studio to have the tools to move the ministry forward. But even beyond that, CIY has a dream to train highly motived students in specific Kingdom worker skills such as film production, video production, stage production, lighting production, youth ministry, childrens ministry, storytelling and more. A larger facility is desperately needed for all staff meetings and this type of training. The ministry is therefore in need of a film studio and a new conference/training center. Drawings have been made for both the video production and conference center, construction costs for which equal $2.5 million. Additionally, cost for computers, cameras, editing bays, lights, screens, projects, sound boards, sound proofing, chairs and more adds up to $2 million. Adding the three needs together, the Multiply Campaign is in total seeking to raise $6 million for ministry expansion. When you talk about the multiplication factor of the Kingdom, it s a little overwhelming, Hansen said. What can be done with film? How can we communicate to students on a daily or weekly basis through mobile devices? Can we craft a real Kingdom worker movement with 100,000 students that has an international thrust into not one country but countries? 50 countries? It s not scary but wow! How are we going to be able to handle this and respond to it? But when we look back at the history of CIY, we know that we ve been in this same place many times. We re not in control. God is in control. And together, all of us are the body of Christ together not just CIY, but the churches who partner with CIY who can respond to this vision that God has laid before us.

23 23 A NEW LOOK CIY steps into the new year with a new logo and new branding set to launch the ministry into the next decade STORY BY BECCA HAINES & CHRIS ROBERTS GRAPHIC DESIGN BY AUSTIN EIDSON Christ In Youth is excited to unveil a new logo at the forefront of its 50th Anniversary celebrations. The previous logo is one that has existed for more than a decade, and for many reasons CIY s marketing team and leadership decided it was an appropriate time to create something new and fresh. The process is indicative of the changes that the ministry has undergone over the past 50 years with the organization s logo evolving multiple times over the years. And this new logo is one that not only nods to that rich history, but also boldly and simply declares CIY s mission to amplify Christ s call on students lives to be Kingdom workers. According to Austin Eidson, CIY s creative director, the rebranding effort was a two-year process that went through as many as 80 different iterations before finally being approved by CIY s leadership team. I would say it s been one of the most difficult rebrands I ve ever been a part of, Eidson said. It has had about 80 different reworked concepts. Most of the marks were becoming really busy with a lot of pieces. My goal was to design a mark that was easily recognizable, and could also tell a story. The new logo (as displayed in the adjacent image) not only continues to abbreviate the ministry s name in a stylish way, but also uses the subtle imagery of an arrow to reinforce CIY s purpose putting Christ In Youth. It was only fitting for it to be displayed vertically to symbolize Heaven to Earth, and Christ in Us, Eidson said. The middle arrow shows movement, which is what we are called to do at CIY. We are called to help raise up Kingdom workers. As the 50th anniversary of CIY approached, we found it appropriate to wipe the slate clean and start over with a new look for CIY, said Eryn Aubey, CIY s senior director of customer development. This new, modern look will allow us to go into the next 50 years equipped to reach generations of youth to come. We hope this new appearance will bring forth a greater recognition for the ministry of CIY. CHRIST IN YOUTH

24 24 CIY S EUROPEAN JOURNEY BEGINS Book helps lay foundation in Ireland STORY BY BECCA HAINES PHOTOS BY WADE LANDERS Plans, passions and prayers have powered CIY s desire to expand into Europe, and momentum continues to build with some new published findings. CIY partnered with The Barna Group over the past two years to conduct research on the spiritual needs of young people in the Republic of Ireland. In October 17, a book translating the findings of those studies was published, titled Finding Faith in Ireland. Jasper Rutherford, CIY s European director and a native of Northern Ireland, said many of the findings about his fellow countrymen is unsettling, but also highlight the need for CIY to have a presence in his home country. Lots of the findings are sobering, Rutherford said. They are things that can be worrying, but also an opportunity for CIY to work with the local church. (The book) highlights the need to work with young people across the board and how important spiritual guides are in the lives of young people in order to stay involved. It s our gift to the church to understand the needs of young people. The book shares data from students ages who were interviewed over the course of 18 months. One of the key findings was that most students who were interviewed expressed they have attended church in their past, but were not involved anymore. And youth workers in Ireland commonly described young people as lost and curious. KINGDOM WORKER CONNECTION

25 25 Jayson French, CIY s vice president of programming, said the information obtained by this research proves valuable not only for its accuracy, but for its integrity. I m excited about the book, he said. We were excited about the partnership with Barna in just the due diligence they showed in that research. It was a year-and-a-half through the entire process, and we hired a lot of people from Ireland to help us do it. It wasn t just an American effort to see what we could find. It was truly done by the Irish, for the Irish. I think that was one of the stronger pieces of it. I think the things we found intriguing from the study was how much the Protestant and Catholics among the young people have a desire to work together. In light of the history in Ireland and the Troubles, it was encouraging to see the birth of this new generation having a deep desire to partner to work together. I think the other part that was disheartening was the deep void of faith within Irish youth. While they may claim Christianity as a religion even while practicing and actually being involved, there is little attachment to the church. One of the statistics in Finding Faith in Ireland indicates that 65 percent of young adults identify as Christian, but the Republic of Ireland s rate of practicing Christians is only 13 percent. Rutherford said this data highlights how few students in Ireland are actually living a life of faith. The research shows ways to respond and help the church, he said. We have been listening. We want to work with the people already doing good work to compliment and say with humility, We are here to help and serve those youth workers and resource events. CIY can play such a pivotal role for young people to not only come to faith, but stay in faith. Rutherford s strategy at present while distributing this book is to introduce CIY and its mission in conversations, meetings and speaking events across Europe. While a CIY office will soon be established in Dublin, Ireland, events and CIY s presence continues to spread. For example, in mid-november, Rutherford spoke at the Holy Trinity Church in Brompton, England. He said speaking engagements such as this simply plant the seed for CIY s move into Europe. Jasper Rutherford and David Kinnaman discuss the findings of 18 months of research into the faith of young people in Ireland. Presentations took place in Cork (above), Limerick and Dublin, Ireland. There s excitement and anticipation, Rutherford said of his listeners response so far. Lots of youth know MOVE is coming to Ireland. It s important to know it has taken five years to get where we are now. We re at the real foundation stage and there s so little youth ministry in Ireland. (Continued on next page) CHRIST IN YOUTH

26 26 Rutherford said that while Finding Faith in Ireland is a great first step toward creating awareness of CIY s efforts, as well as equipping youth workers in country with information they need to affect change in the lives of their students, it certainly isn t the only step. Another step will be the official screening of CIY s short-film Unseen in March 18. The story was shot in Ireland and sheds light on one of the country s most pressing issues among young people suicide. Rutherford said after the film is screened in March, it will be shared with Irish young people in schools, churches and other event settings. He said he s sure the video will help youth workers open discussions and reach those in spiritual need. Also on tap to help Irish youth leaders, CIY will host a retreat, which will continue to build momentum for Ireland s first MOVE event in summer. One of the showings in the survey is when an Irish youth has an attachment to some We have been listening. We want to work with the people already doing good work to compliment and say with humility, We are here to help and serve those youth workers and resource events. CIY can play such a pivotal role for young people to not only come to faith, but stay in faith. sort of a catalytic event a retreat, a moment that there is a direct line of spiritual growth between that moment and their spiritual development, French said. We re excited we can come in and we want to encourage the church. American youth are helping fuel the CIY European expansion, as well. During 50-plus MOVE and MIX events this past summer, more than 40,000 students and adult leaders were asked to donate funds to bring similar events to Ireland s youth. To date, $158,000 has been raised. It s amazing to see such an historic response from students who are Kingdom workers in the U.S., said Andy Hansen, CIY president. And as a result of their faith, we can begin to launch a Kingdom worker movement in Ireland. We know our God is a God who does things beyond what we can imagine. It is exciting to imagine what could happen throughout Europe. KINGDOM WORKER CONNECTION

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28 28 PRETEENS POWER UP AT SUPERSTART! Program encourages students to share the gospel with others using Legos and video games STORY BY BECCA HAINES PHOTOS BY DREW YOUNG Legos and video games were front and center in presenting the gospel message this fall to thousands of preteens attending Christ In Youth s SuperStart event. Since the fall of 05, CIY has invited preteen youth groups to a two-day program called SuperStart full of age-intentional worship, small group time, interactive teaching and fun! Nearly 3,000 fourth-sixth grade students in Missouri, Georgia, Kentucky and Arizona experienced this year s SuperStart theme, Power Up this fall. Patrick Snow, SuperStart senior director, said the team received positive feedback from youth group leaders and preteens. We had a great fall tour, Snow said. Our theme is about the Bible, and what we wanted to do was get the students to know this is the most important thing in their lives. Concepts of faith and the Savior were conveyed to young audiences using Legos, and how to easily share those concepts with others using Legos sent home with them. It was a direct link, Snow said, to students understanding and interest. A childrens pastor in St. Louis came up and said, I think these are really going to work, Snow said. He said he had a kid that kind of squirmed during the show, but when the Lego was put in his hand he completely focused in on it. Afterwards, he came up and said, I really think I can do this. That s exactly what we re hoping for. He believed in that moment he could go out and share Jesus. KINGDOM WORKER CONNECTION

29 29 The combination of fun and intentional teaching moments are leading to changed lives for many. We had a student who attended a class on baptism the next day, said Jenny Harness, adult leader from Compass Christian Church of Chandler, Arizona. When talking about how Jesus saves us from our sin, he was able to explain the gospel message using the Legos. Practicing sharing in small groups was a great idea. It was just a good time for all of our kids. It was great to see them grasp the concepts, which they had all heard before, but to have a better understanding of it all. Legos weren t the only things going home with preteen students. SuperStart is designed with small group time, strengthening relationships within youth groups. Ashley Byrd, with Tulip Grove Baptist Church of Old Hickory, Tennessee, said she saw the value of this time. It was so good to connect all aspects of the program into the teaching, she said. And I loved that the video game challenge was incorporated to the storyline, which then also had a Bible story to relate all together. We hope to come back next year. ABOVE: Students attending the event in Arizona participate in the program by playing one of the SuperStart video games. RIGHT: Korey Klein, one of SuperStart s on-stage personalities, gets students amped up during the pre-session activities. BELOW: SuperStart Director Drew Crisp uses a video game sword to talk about the Word of God during a teaching moment. SuperStart goes on tour every fall and spring. Any preteen group, ages fourth through sixth grade, can register at ciy.com/superstart. The spring 18 tour will include: Orlando, Jan ; Dallas, Feb. 2-3; Houston, Feb. 9-10; Tulsa, Feb ; Indianapolis, March 2-3; Bloomington, Illinois, March 9-10; Cincinnati, March 16-17; and Chicago, April CHRIST IN YOUTH

30 30 Merci Neff worships alongside the Believe worship band at one of this fall s three tour stops. WITH TOUR WRAPS ON FALL \ STORY BY AUDREY WUNDERLICH PHOTOS BY SHAWNA MILLER Believe has three stops under its belt this fall after touring to cities in Texas, California and Oregon. Believe s program director, Mike Branton, said the WITH tour kicked off to a great start with groups excited to take home the core idea that God wants to be WITH them. The best feedback so far has been in regard to the theme itself, Branton said. WITH focuses on relationships. We were created to be with God and others, but the enemy has so many tactics to create in us loneliness. Hopefully by providing some practical applications in the lives of students now, they will be better equipped to enter into the next stages of life with strong relationships and an unwavering relationship with Christ no matter what the enemy throws their way. Branton said Believe uses Matthew 28: to reinforce this idea, which says, And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. It s a passage that youth pastor Nick Enabnit, from First Christian Church of Albuquerque, New Mexico, said has translated well for his students especially at this phase of their lives. It was super encouraging hearing our students dream big, and the last stations of Believe with the call to action was great, Enabnit said. We had youth group time after, and the kids were so excited to be with each other and show God with them. Believe is a quality product, and our students have loved it the past two years. Enabnit also pointed a new feature at this year s Believe tour as standouts for his students. One of the new additions to the stage that has quickly created memorable moments for attendees is the dance crew Kalied (pronounced coll ide), whose routines Branton said has become something even the CIY staff loves to watch. Seeing our dance crew worship through dance and storytelling and watching students respond to this unique expression of worship and Kingdom work is really cool, he said. The WITH tour will continue in the spring with nine additional stops. Believe tours in both the fall and spring to reach as many cities as possible in a school year, with the goal of setting up great environments for youth groups to take the conversation and momentum home with them. KINGDOM WORKER CONNECTION

31 31 WHEN A STUDENT TAKES THE STAGE... Believe singer Merci Neff talks about her journey from Jr. high student to Christian recording artist Every year at Believe, students are challenged to use their gifts, talents and abilities to do Kingdom work, and every year CIY has the privilege of watching students respond to that calling. Occasionally one of those students grows up and returns to a CIY event to use their Kingdom work in service to the ministry of CIY. Merci Neff is one such student. She has led worship since she was just 12 years old the same year she first attended a Believe event. Today, she is an up-and-coming Christian recording artist who is helping to lead worship at every Believe event during the WITH tour. Between sessions at one of the Believe events she took some time share with us what it s like to stand on the Believe stage, looking into a crowd she once sat in KWC: How did you know God was calling you to use your skills, talents and abilities for His Kingdom? Merci: I have been singing for as long as I can remember! I come from a big music family, so it has always been a way that I feel close to the Lord. Music is so powerful and I knew that this was a way that I could share the Lord with others! I was taught that when God gives you gifts, you need to use them not for your own gain, but for His. KWC: How did you get started in music professionally? Merci: I got started in the music industry when I was recording some songs on an album for my church in Nashville. During the recording process the producer was asking, Who s the girl? And when he found out that it was me, he got ahold of my mom and told her that he wanted me to make my own album! From there we started writing and recording my first EP. KWC: What s your connection to CIY? Merci: I went to CIY Believe and CIY MOVE when I was Merci FACEBOOK.COM/MERCINEFFMUSIC... never give up on your dreams. Do not allow what society says about you to define you. God has given every one of us gifts and talents, and it would be a shame to allow others to downplay what He created.... the only one who s opinion matters is the Lord s. growing up as a student! There was one year specifically that I remember when a three-girl group called the Rubyz performed. I was so excited to hear them and I dreamed of what it would be like to be able to lead worship for CIY! I definitely never thought that I would be able to! Dream come true, that s for sure! KWC: What s your favorite part of being on the stage at Believe? Merci: I love being able to share God with students through music! Music is such a powerful thing and brings people together from every state, every background, every walk of life. It is amazing getting to see God moving from the point of view of the stage. You can see from a different perspective. KWC: So, do you ever get nervous? Merci: I get SOOOOOOO nervous! It is crazy! But I think that a little bit of nerves is good. It keeps you grounded and focused on the reason that you are there! When I get nervous, the first thing I do is ask God to calm my heart and ask Him to open the hearts of the people in the room, that they would experience Him in a way they never have before. I pray that He is glorified even if it goes horribly to our human standards. KWC: Somewhere in the crowd, there is a Jr. high student who is looking up to you. What advice would you give him or her on using their talents to further the Kingdom? Merci: The only advice I can give is to never give up on your dreams. Do not allow what society says about you to define you. God has given every one of us gifts and talents, and it would be a shame to allow others to downplay what He created. Ultimately, the only one who s opinion matters is the Lord s. CHRIST IN YOUTH

32 32 STORIES FROM THE ROAD Engage is continuing to train students for a life of Kingdom work by leading students on trips to countries all over the world. Students go through training that includes Engage s seven Mission Principles. The training has two levels an introductory level for those who have never been on an international trip with Engage before, and an advanced level for those going on a second or third trip with Engage. By allowing both levels of training to focus on the same seven principles, mixed groups can have deeper levels of discussion and utilize a common language throughout the trip. The following are testimonies from students who have traveled with Engage and participated in the training. CHRIS PACE (Northern Ireland) I saw God at work all around me in His creation, in the people we met, and in the work that Richie (the missionary) and his family are doing with the students. I would encourage people to go on a mission trip because it is important to see how God is working in different places. It is important to understand and learn about different cultures, and their relationship with God. HALEY KEENE (Kenya) God really taught me about His love. I learned how to have faith in my darkest places and how to worship with no fear of judgement. I learned how missions is not just a trip, but it s a lifestyle. I learned that you can find beauty in the places that seem the darkest. JEREMIAH WOODRING (Brazil) The unity we found in Christ while there was amazing. The idea that poverty is everywhere jumped out at our group. We realized that we experience a relational poverty in the U.S. The Brazilians showed us how we are so individualized and how we miss out on deep relationships. Going off what we learned, I have made a deeper commitment to develop relationships. We really need each other and I saw that in Brazil. IVEY CHRISCO (Dominican Republic) Experience how big God is. Experience how He works in other cultures. You will see firsthand how His love reaches any distance. Allow yourself to step out into something a little uncomfortable, so that you can allow God to work in you. Engage trips are beautiful because within a week, total strangers from across the U.S. have not just become teammates, but a family. Having a family that is international is a joy like no other. If you take the step to go on a mission trip, God will take over and completely blow your mind. Do it! TO READ MORE STORIES OF STUDENTS TRAVELING INTERNATIONALLY WITH CIY, PLEASE VISIT KW-HUB.COM. KINGDOM WORKER CONNECTION

33 33 SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT Stories of God s amazing work in the lives of Kingdom workers all over the world can be found in different places throughout social media. Below is just a small sampling of #kingdomworkers embracing Christ s call on their lives. CHRIST IN YOUTH

34 34 EMBRACING KINGDOM WORK 50 YEARS OF STORIES LIKE RACHEL LAMB S ARE INSPIRING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE TO EMBRACE KINGDOM WORK; BUT MILLIONS MORE STILL NEED TO HEAR CHRIST S CALL ON THEIR LIVES Christ In Youth is celebrating 50 years of ministry in YEARS!!! It is so amazing to see how God multiplies the ministry in ways far beyond what we could ever imagine. Over those 50 years CIY has ministered to more than 1 MILLION STUDENTS and counting! And it has been our honor during that time to join with you in amplifying Christ s call on students lives to be Kingdom workers. Thank you for your support of CIY! Every day we hear new stories of students who have embraced Christ s call on their lives to be Kingdom workers and are living out that high calling in amazing ways. Those stories are impactful and inspiring they re spurring other students on to do great things in God s Kingdom. Rachel Lamb is one such student who is inspiring others to be Kingdom workers. Rachel attended MOVE a few years ago and accepted a Kingdom Worker card that challenged her to start a fifth quarter activity after one of her high school s home football games. This helped her learn to do something big for God. When Rachel graduated from high school, she was asked to help serve as a volunteer leader for her church s Jr. high ministry. As a leader, she was able to attend CIY s MIX event last summer. It created in her heart a desire to become a teacher. She is now in college pursuing a degree in education, and looks forward to serving as a Kingdom worker in this field. Scott Walker SENIOR DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT CHRIST IN YOUTH I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE TO CIY S MULTIPLY CAMPAIGN: _ I would like to give a one-time $50 gift. _ I would like to give a one-time $500 gift. _ I would like to give a one-time gift of. _ I would like to give a monthly gift of throughout 18. PLEASE CONTACT ME TO DISCUSS MORE GIVING AND PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES WITH CIY. NAME ADDRESS CITY, STATE, ZIP /PHONE Rachel s story is indeed inspiring and fills us with hope for the future. But there are millions more students in the world who need to hear Christ s call on their lives, and CIY needs your help to tell more stories in engaging ways to all corners of the Earth. Not only is CIY expanding its ministry globally we just officially launched our first international office in Dublin, Ireland but it s also adding more programs every year. In 18 alone CIY will add 10 more programs with the potential of seeing 5,000-7,000 more students. That means nearly 100,000 attendees in 18 alone at CIY events hearing Christ s call on their lives. It s our hope to continue this growth over the next decade and reach 1 million more students! That s why I invite you to participate in CIY s Multiply campaign. When you make a gift of $50 (or any amount) at ciy.com/donate, you are helping CIY reach more students through events, mission trips and resources. When enough partners make that commitment, the work of God s Kingdom multiplies in supernatural ways. You can help us multiply the ministry of CIY. Please don t lay this letter aside without first sending a year-end gift to CIY. Thank you in advance for your support! Scott Walker is the senior director of development for Christ In Youth. To find out more about ministry partnerships, contact Scott at scott.walker@ciy.com. KINGDOM WORKER CONNECTION

35 CIY coordinates and produces programs, events and trips for students in grades four through college throughout the U.S. and the world, and develops resources that benefit the local church. CIY amplifies Christ s call on students lives to be Kingdom workers. For more information, visit ciy.com. A two-day interactive weekend program designed specifically for preteens (4-6 grades), engaging their growing minds and teaching them more about the Bible. ciy.com/superstart CONTACT: Amie Splattstoesser amie.splattstoesser@ciy.com ST. LOUIS, MO ATLANTA, GA PHOENIX, AZ LOUISVILLE, KY ORLANDO, FL DALLAS, TX HOUSTON, TX TULSA, OK INDIANAPOLIS, IN BLOOMINGTON, IL CINCINNATI, OH CHICAGO, IL Believe is a high-energy weekend event for Jr. high students only, packed with powerful worship and teaching from God s Word. ciy.com/believe CONTACT: Juan Fallas juan.fallas@ciy.com DALLAS, TX IRVINE, CA PORTLAND, OR TULSA, OK LOUISVILLE, KY CINCINNATI, OH KISSIMMEE, FL SPRINGFIELD, IL ATLANTA, GA KANSAS CITY, MO ANDERSON, IN HOLLAND, MI Engage offers mission trips that train students to engage other cultures of the world for the Kingdom of God. ciy.com/engage CONTACT: Juan Fallas juan.fallas@ciy.com NORTHERN IRELAND DOMINICAN REPUBLIC CAMBODIA HAITI KENYA POLAND IRELAND A five-day summer program for high school students to experience God, including daily devotions, nightly worship, community discipleship and messages. ciy.com/move CONTACT: Titus Weece titus.weece@ciy.com MISSOURI CALIFORNIA TENNESSEE OHIO MARYLAND ALABAMA MICHIGAN FLORIDA COLORADO INDIANA NEBRASKA ILLINOIS TEXAS OKLAHOMA OREGON ARKANSAS A four-day summer conference for middle school students (6-8 grades) designed to address the unique spiritual, cognitive and developmental needs of that age group. ciy.com/mix CONTACT: Cathy Cook cathy.cook@ciy.com CALIFORNIA MISSOURI INDIANA TEXAS OKLAHOMA OHIO TENNESSEE FLORIDA KENTUCKY PENNSYLVANIA MICHIGAN NEW MEXICO WASHINGTON

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