CHRONICLE ISSUE 001December 2009

YOUTH FOR CHRIST STEINBACH

WE SEE THE HOPE AND POTENTIAL IN EVERY YOUNG PERSON

Faithfullness // Jim Harms

Logo Legend:Volunteer // Devon Klassen

Staff // Rueben Singh

UPCOMING EVENTS

YFC Central Region Staff Conference // Jan. 13-15, 2010

Parent Info Night // @ Backstage • 7:30pm • Jan. 18, 2010

YFC Banquet // SMC 345 Loewen BLVD • March. 18, 2010

Motorcycle Benefit Ride for Backstage // June. 12, 2010

YFC Golf Tournament // Aug. 05, 2010

Faithfulness since the beginning of time! And still I fail to fully compre-hend the depth and full extent of what and how Gods faithfulness really works. YFC Steinbach was started as an outreach to especially the teens at risk in our community in 1989. Several of the deepest apprehensions were How will we staff this ministry with volunteers? Who will choose to assist and provide their volunteer hours for the long haul? How will the funds be generated? Where will they come from? How will the community embrace this outlandish effort?Looking back over the years, we exclaim “except for the Hand of God, this makes no sense.” We have always had a faithful crew of volunteers since our opening date of June 4, 1989. We have had an occasional evening each year perhaps a maximum average of 6 evenings per year where we have had less than 3 volunteers or staff available to serve and were committed not to open because we could not provide adequate supervision and safety and effective ministry with only 2 volunteers. We have nearly always had a volunteer roster of at least 20 members who faithfully give one evening each week to serve at BACKSTAGE. The volunteer crew consists of pri-marily local young adults, complemented by a few students from Stein-bach Bible College and Providence College.Budgets for non-profit organizations have always been among the larger challenges. Our YFC Steinbach budget has grown from approximately $60,000 in 1989 to $335,000 in 2009. My personal goal for the minis-try bank account has always been to establish a reserve fund balance of a minimum 6 month operations expenses. We have never come close to that balance ever, but have always had the ability to pay all our bills, cover all project costs in about one-half the arranged payment schedule, and always been able to look ahead and plan ways of extending the cords of our tents and creating a greater impact in our ministry to teens in trouble. God has been so faithful in prompting local businesses and individuals to share generously to support YFC Steinbach.His faithfulness inspires us to follow obediently and passion-ately in the ways He opens for us. We chime together “GREAT IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS, O GOD OUR FATHER.”

YFC SKATEPARK MINISTRY

YFC TEEN HOMELESS HOUSE

GENERAL YFC NEWS

YFC Facebook // searchYouth for Christ Steinbach

YFC YouTube //youtube.com/user/yfcsteinbach

BACKSTAGE: YFC DROPIN CENTRE

Some of the coolest things I’ve ex-perienced at Backstage have been also some of the most random things that can only be explained by the Holy Spirit. There’s been a few times when I’ve had the chance to actually pray with some of the kids here that you think would never do that. They start to share about home situations, or to start a new lifestyle, you ask if they want some prayer expecting the usual “NO!”, but this time they say yes. I like that.

Some people still ask me if there are actually homeless youth in our community. The answer is still yes. UTurn has been open in Steinbach for just over two and a half years now and we have seen over 20 youth come and stay and participate in the program. That’s a little over ten per year. In UTurn we try and equip the youth with the nec-essary skills to spring board into independent liv-ing. Have we been successful – yes. One girl comes to mind. She came to us with no support after leav-ing the foster system. She butted heads with us at times, worked hard, and paid her own way. She’s left UTurn now and is currently finishing up col-lege. What a beautiful picture. Giving hope to the hopeless. If you have any questions or are interest-ed more about UTurn, please get in touch with me.

Annual Prudential Realty Christmas Party

Special Feature // Karalee Koop

Staff //

Volunteer // Jess Fontaine

to inquire for any of the above contact info below

I am a student at Red River College in Winnipeg. This se-mester I had the opportunity of doing my practicum at Youth for Christ in Steinbach. I was able to get involved with UTurn and Backstage. It has been neat getting to know the staff at Youth for Christ, the UTurn tenants and house parents, as well as the youth and volunteers at Backstage. I had the opportunity to go out for ‘coffee’ with each of the UTurn female tenants and get to know them a little better as well as be there to listen to them and chat with them. At Backstage I met many youth and con-nected with some of them in different ways like chatting with them, playing a game of pool, or serving them at the concession, etc.The staff members at YFC have been great with welcoming me and accepting me into their team. It has been enjoy-able working with them. Thanks to the staff for allowing me to come in and do my practicum at YFC. A big thanks to Rueben for being my supervisor while at practicum and allowing me to have a good experience at YFC. Thank You God for allowing the opportunity for me to come here. May the staff’s desire and hunger for Jesus Christ continue and grow and may God continue to work in and through them at YFC and wherever they are.

Leonard Cohen writes in his song “Anthem”, “There’s a crack in every-thing that’s how the light gets in.” I’ve been volunteering at Backstage for over two years now, and during this time I’ve noticed how many of the teens have built walls around themselves to protect against hurt. It’s easy to get discouraged when you see teens make the same mistakes again, refuse heartfelt advice, or make commitments to live different-ly and then go back on them only weeks later. We want the best for these teens and it hurts when we see them turn their back on God. But, it also makes the times when they take steps towards Him all the more sweet. We often play music during drop-in, and recently, the song “My Saviour, My God” by Aaron Shust came over the speakers. Without realizing it, and with joy in his voice, one of the teens began singing along with chorus. He sang, “My Saviour loves, My Saviour lives, My Saviour’s always there for me. My God He was, My God He is, My God He’s always gonna be.” This teen has been skittish around conversa-tions about God to say the least. He’s often run out of the room at the mention of Jesus. That night he let his guard down, and for a moment, let the light of God slip through the cracks and into his heart. It’s for that reason that I come to Backstage week after week. You never know how God is moving in the lives of these teens and how these moments will move in our lives as well.

Youth for ChristSteinbach, MB CanadaR5G 0T6ph: 204.326.4366fax: 204.346.0620web: yfcsteinbach.caskate: steinbachskatepark.ca

Executive Directoremail: yfcsteinbach@shaw.ca

Skatepark Directoremail: kyleyfc@shawcable.comweb: steinbachskatepark.ca

Uturn Directoremail: ruebenyfc@shawcable.com

Uturn Guidance Counselloremail: ursellayfc@shawcable.com

PRAYER & PARTICIPATIONPrayer against Drug/Alcohol Use/Abuse in our area

Pray for Teen in Teen Challenge

Join in Prayer against teen sexual immorality

Pray for Ursula coming on Staff

Pray for Weekly Supper Club //every Wednesday • 5:30pm

Budget 09 Needs $60,000 by December 31, 09

Volunteers Needed ASAP

Participate in providing supper for Weekly Supper Club

Pray for Parent Meeting // January 18, 2010 @ Backstage

Jim Harms

Kyle Friesen

Rueben Singh

Ursula Geisbrecht (candidate)

Ride & Reach Skate/BMX Outreach Trip 2009