Youth Unlimited Magazine Winter 2013

YOUTHUNLIMITED MAGAZINE SPECIAL EDITION

IMPACT REPORT LOOKING BACK: 2012 MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS | LOOKING FORWARD: WHAT GOD IS DOING IN 2013

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Italy, BrItaIn, Ireland, Germany, France, SwItzerland Alger HeigHts, ridgemoor, Fuller Avenue, millbrook, roosevelt PArk, eAstown, UGanda, SoUth aFrIca, lIBerIa, Jordan, ISrael aUStralIa, new zealand, IndIa, camBodIa gArField PArk, bAxter, blAck Hills, creston, HeArtside, mAdison AreA, midtown, oAkdAle, chIna, Japan, BrazIl, nIcaraGUa, BelIze soutHeAst end, Fulton HeigHts, oAkdAle coSta rIca,yUcatan, Ghana, hondUraS

Around the corner‌ Across the globe WhereVer god leAds calvin engages the world as close as downtown grand rapids and as far away as a desert in inner mongolia. calvin students participate in more than 3,000 local servicelearning projects and study abroad in nearly 30 countries on six continents. this year, calvin was recognized by U.S. News & World Report for its commitment to both undergraduate teaching and service-learning, and by the open doors report of the institute for international education, which ranks calvin second nationally among the nation’s top 40 baccalaureate institutions for the number of students who study abroad.

A CAlvin EduCAtion is About: + leArning from the best + thinking courAgeously + liVing fully And fAithfully + becoming World reAdy + engAging grAnd rApids + connecting globAlly

www.calvin.edu 2 |Winter 2013

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Contents OPENING NOTE: Praise & Provision ........................................................pg. 2 experience overview ......................................................................pg. 5 Concentrated impact .....................................................................pg. 6 Time Saving Solutions ...................................................................pg. 8 in and with christ .............................................................................pg. 9 you can recruit ..................................................................................pg. 10 Live it ............................................................................................................pg. 12

YOUTH UNLIMITED | WINTER 2013 Youth Unlimited has a rich 90 year history of assisting churches ministering to youth. Birthed out of the Christian Reformed Church, Youth Unlimited remains committed to the reformed perspective while serving alongside congregations of any denomination. We strongly believe that the local church is the tool God is using to reveal himself to this world, and we are blessed to partner with congregations to offer faith-forming experiences that reach this generation of youth for Jesus Christ!

This informational magazine is printed in the United States as a free resource to churches across North America. It is published triannually by Youth Unlimited, Grand Rapids, MI. Design & Publication Director | Jim Bowerman Contributing Writers | Jerry Meadows, Jeff Kruithof, Alesha Ebeling, Millie Hoekstra, Jodi Koops, Norm Sennema, Brian Bierenga Cover Photo Credit | Alesha Ebeling *Photo taken at The Marion Project.

Editor | Megan Nollet

The impact of short-term missions ..............................pg. 16

USA | Postmaster, please send undeliverable copies and address changes to:

The chicago Project ......................................................................pg. 18

Youth Unlimited PO Box 7259 Grand Rapids, MI 49510

serve .............................................................................................................pg. 22 congregation & community impact .................................pg. 23 2012 impact report ........................................................................pg. 33

Canada | Canada Post International Sales Agreement #41124116. Please send undeliverable copies and address changes to: Youth Unlimited PO Box 1100 Norwich, ON, N0J 1P0 THE YOUTH UNLIMITED TEAM:

Not sure what these boxes are?

They are QR codes: two-dimensional barcodes that can be read by smart phones.

Own a smart phone?

1. Download the app.

2. Scan the code.

Hold your phone over the a code and use its camera

and a QR app to read the QR code.

3. Enjoy!

The QR code will direct you to a site, a video, music,

photo or other goody.

No smart phone?

Look for the link at the bottom of the page.

Executive Director: Jeff Kruithof 616.241.5616 ext. 3043 jeff@youthunlimited.org Missions Director: Jerry Meadows 616.241.5616 ext. 3040 jerry@youthunlimited.org Events Manager: Millie Hoekstra 616.241.5616 ext. 3063 millie@youthunlimited.org Office Manager & Program Admin: Alesha Ebeling 616.241.5616 ext. 3038 alesha@youthunlimited.org Marketing & Communication Director: Jim Bowerman 616.241.5616 ext. 3039 jim@youthunlimited.org Editor of Communications: Megan Nollet 616.241.5616 ext. 3045 megan@youthunlimited.org

youthunlimited.org

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&Provision

Praise 3 – 40 3 s e g a 2 P the 201 t h g i l h d hig nlimite U h t u Yo y year! ministr

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I

wonder how many times I’ve missed God’s blessings because I was too busy to notice them. For me, it’s often the good things in life, like investing in my family, carrying responsibilities at church or following my favorite sports teams that cause my busyness.

I have found the same to be true at Youth Unlimited. We can get so busy preparing for the next ministry experience that we miss seeing God’s many blessings in the last one.

So, in this issue of the Youth Unlimited Magazine, we are intentionally reflecting on God’s blessings from the past year (2012), as well as looking forward to the spring and summer of 2013 with great anticipation!

As God so often does, he exceeded our expectations and plans for 2012.

The summer of 2012 saw 24 local churches longing to show the love of Jesus to their surrounding communities.

The city of Marion, Indiana also asked for help to restore and rebuild their city.

As a result, Youth Unlimited specifically prayed for 1,850 students and adults who would be willing to sacrifice a week of their summer in order to put their love for Jesus into action. God provided 1,943 people who selflessly gave 49,250 hours of service in the name of Jesus Christ! Thank you, Lord! See pages 34–37 for the numeric break-down.

Even in a tough financial year, Youth Unlimited can say that in this area

too, we have been blessed. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, much prayer, and hard work, God called new churches, donors and volunteers to help shoulder the load. With God as our provider, and the wise stewardship of our current and past Board members, Youth Unlimited has a healthy financial start for 2013. See page 39 for more information on this.

So thankful for God’s provision, we plan to continue our commitment to God’s call as we provide more faithforming experiences for students in 2013. Churches are again asking for help to show the love of Christ in their communities. Students are longing to see how faith and action should intersect. This year, 1,750 people are required in order to meet the needs of our Serve host communities. Will you and the students from your church say, “Here I am, send me”? Youth Unlimited will also be hosting the second Live It experience, this time near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Designed to equip students with insight into how to use their own interests and talents in the service of Christ, Live It can empower students to continue serving others in the ways God has gifted them. We would be honored to partner with you in blessing even more students through either of these faith-forming experiences this year, so that they can continue to be a blessing to those around them. And together we can hold fast to the assurance that God’s

blessings will exceed the best of our human plans. See pages 11-30 for more on this.

Reflecting on God’s faithfulness and looking forward with great anticipation,

Jeff Kruithof Executive Director

“YOUTH UNLIMITED SPECIFICALLY PRAYED FOR 1,850 PARTICIPANTS WHO WOULD BE WILLING TO SACRIFICE A WEEK OF THEIR SUMMER. . . . GOD PROVIDED 1,943 PEOPLE WHO SELFLESSLY GAVE 49,250 HOURS OF SERVICE.”

JEFF KRUITHOF

has 17 years of experience in non-profit leadership and a love for God’s work through the local church.

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SPIRITUAL LIFE MATERIAL NOW AVAILABLE Youth Unlimited has taken our Serve spiritual life material, Shalom: Peace No Matter What, and turned it into a seven-lesson curriculum that can be adjusted to fit the exact needs of your church’s youth ministry.

The curriculum comes with a leader’s guide that includes many helpful hints for starting discussions, connecting Scripture to everyday life, watching for God sightings, being intentional about prayer and more.

Also available for purchase is the coinciding Shalom: Peace No Matter What trip resources packet.

Purchase both the curriculum and trip resources together for a discounted price!

For usability and ease, these resources are downloadable as Microsoft Word Documents. Making changes to fit the context of your group and reproducing the material has never been easier.

USE CURRICULUM FOR:

TRIP RESOURCES INCLUDES:

• Large group meetings

• Speaker notes

• Small group Bible studies

• Pre- and post-trip lesson starters

• Education hour material

• Commissioning litany • Debriefing for the trip home

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• Follow-up sessions

LIVE IT

SEE PAGE 12

Live It is a large youth event that is all about connecting youth to God, helping them understand where they belong in God’s kingdom and how they can know God’s purpose for their lives.

Students will come together to build upon their spiritual gifts, recognizing that each one comes to the table with their own personality, interests and God-given talents. This faith-forming experience is a spiritual catalyst for high school youth. Live It is a chance for youth to expand their understanding of who God is and who he made them to be.

As students celebrate and explore how God has created them as unique individuals, they also learn that they are called to be a community in Christ. The worship portion of Live It brings all the participants under one roof for praise and worship through music and teaching times.

LIFE-CHANGING FAITH-FORMING

STARTING AT

EXPERIENCES

$425 USD

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE

CHICAGO PROJECT

SEE PAGE 18

The Chicago Project is a large scale Serve that will be held on the university campus of Trinity Christian College. Youth will be the hands and feet of Christ through acts of service in the neighborhoods of Chicago, Illinois!

The Chicago Project is an opportunity for students to build relationships across boundaries and share Christ’s love to broken communities. Students will also develop a closer relationship with God and one another through large and small group times.

SERVE

SEE PAGE 22

Serve is about joining with God in the renewal of all things. Every year, all across North America, thousands of students and hundreds of youth workers feel the call to say, “Here I am Lord, send me.”

Serve exists to bring heaven to earth — “Thy Kingdom come” — by pairing student and leader work forces with churches and communities in need. Students are sent out to serve, care for and restore their world.

This unique opportunity gives students a chance to experience an inner-city missions project and strengthen their faith while doing so. Through it all, they will have fun, meet new people and experience the blessings of working together to make a change in their world.

Through Christ’s death and resurrection, a new age of redemption and reconciliation has come. Every year, the impact is amazing, and transformation is the goal for all of the communities, congregations and students involved. Lead your students out of the church building and into the community. Serve is not just about a week-long trip; it’s about transformation that lasts a lifetime!

STARTING AT

STARTING AT

$375 USD

$330 USD* *Unless otherwise noted

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CONCENTRATED IMPACT

BY BRIAN BIERENGA

T

ake a minute and recall your last youth leaders meeting.

Perhaps someone suggested, “We should really help our students develop a heart for serving others.” Your group agreed and assigned people to investigate service options, check calendars with kids and parents, gather supplies and arrange transportation. Once that was done, your leadership team worked hard to publicize and promote a one-day event, tout it at several youth meetings and recruit as many students as possible.

After the event, your team agrees that several service days over the summer would be better, but that when it is so much work to schedule one, planning several will never be an option.

Or perhaps, at your last youth leaders meeting, someone said, “We really

6 |Winter 2013

just need to build community within our group! We have some great worship, service and discipleship elements for our students, but they just aren’t gelling as a community.”

So your group proceeds to brainstorm about creative ways to bring the group together, mix them up, break down barriers, have fun and build trust. And since this sort of thing takes time, your team agrees to program a youth group event every

other week for the next three months, which means that all of you will have to work together to organize, promote and run each of these events. Lots of fun, but also lots of work.

“Honestly, we only meet for one hour. I’m not sure how we can move kids from opening games, silly-string fights and high-energy music into a place of vulnerability and quiet reflection with God and one another in such a short time.”

Or let’s say that your group is thriving and your students love serving others and just being with each other.

At your meeting, a fellow leader says, “I love the events we do, and things are going great, but wouldn’t it be cool to really go deeper? Wouldn’t it be powerful

if we had a special Koinonia service, or even celebrated the Lord’s Supper as a group?” Suddenly, your whole team is inspired as they envision that experience: your whole team except for your youth director. She says, “I love the vision for this, but honestly, we only meet for one hour. I’m not sure how we can move kids from opening games, silly-string fights and high-energy music into a place of vulnerability and quiet reflection with God and one another in such a short time. I’d love to see this work, but I’m just not sure our regular format lends itself to such a deep worship experience.”

So many great ideas, but so many logistical hurdles to work through.

Certainly there must be an easier way!

What if there was a way to cover several huge ministry goals at once?

Take a minute to reconsider the idea of a service-learning trip for your group. A successful trip can accomplish several big goals in a short but intensive amount of time. With good planning and God’s blessing, a one-week service-learning trip can produce more life change and impact in a student than an entire year of Sunday night meetings.

Imagine your students being immersed in the discipline of service as they work alongside others for several days in a row. Imagine the conversations and community created from doing life together for a week—and yes, even from the 16-hour van ride. Imagine how God’s Spirit can move through several nights in a row of worship, teaching and small group discussion. Imagine how God could use a whole week to work in the heart of a far-from-God-student and change their life trajectory.

If the idea of a service-learning trip hasn’t been suggested recently at a youth leaders meeting, maybe you want to bring it up at your next one.

“Imagine how God could use a whole week to work in the heart of a farfrom-God-student and change their life trajectory.”

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TIME SAVING SOLUTIONS

BY JERRY MEADOWS

If you were alive during the 70’s, perhaps you remember the low, sonorous voice of the television commercial narrator, telling consumers about the newest timesaving devices.

The list of products could go on and on. There was the Veg-O-Matic, the Hair Magician, the K-tel Knitter. Now at Youth Unlimited, we have developed a new product as well. Like the claims in the previous commercials, our product is inexpensive (free, in fact), and it will save you time. But please don’t imagine the voice in those 70’s commercials telling you about it. Instead, picture sitting down to a cup of freshly ground coffee (not instant!) and talking to the friend who has brewed it for you.

There was the Mood Ring: ads can still be found online for this quirky invention. Producers claimed that the rings were, “scientifically developed chromo-stones, set in a beautiful gold or silver setting.” These rings, “would display your deepest subconscious emotions in a kaleidoscope of color for only $5.00.” The underlying claim: “Here’s a cheap product that will save you the time of really getting to know others or yourself. Just check the color of a person’s ring, then consult our helpful diagram, and you will know the wearer’s deepest feelings.”

Youth Unlimited has created a Digital Resource Box for your Live It or Serve experience. Our hope is that it will be like having a friend come alongside you to offer assistance as you prepare for your faith-forming experience. There are four, easy-to-use categories with downloads that will make planning your summer experience even better: Promotions, Registration, Leader Helps and Pre- and Post-Trip Resources.

Then there was instant coffee: one commercial of the time stated, “Some instant coffees try to taste like ground coffee. Not this one!” It makes one wonder what kind of taste they were trying for. But again, the claim was for an equally good outcome that took next to no time for the consumer.

8 |Winter 2013

In the Promotions section, you will learn ways to get your pastor, church council, parents and prayer partners involved in the student mission experience, as well as downloadable, ready-to-use, professionally designed Facebook banners, PowerPoint backgrounds, bulletin inserts and desktop wallpaper.

If registering your students online gives you nightmares, we want to help your registration process run more smoothly

with the How to Register guide. It will walk you through how to substitute one student in another’s place if you have dropouts, as well as how to apply for scholarships for your trip.

We’ve included an outline for a leader meeting along with a PowerPoint on the Responsibilities of Adults and the Guidelines for Safety. The Preand Post-Trip Material will help you incorporate your students’ experiences into the broader scope of their life journey upon returning home.

Youth Unlimited exists to assist churches in reaching youth. We can’t promise that every aspect of your experience will be easy, but our goal is to make the process easier. The resources we are providing for you online are timesavers, and they are free, but using them will not sacrifice any amount of quality. We are providing these materials so that you can focus on what we cannot assist you with: building relationships with students. The more time you can give to these relationships, the more successful we believe your trip will be. When you are free from the technical and logistical worries of the trip, you can focus more on the lifechanging aspects.

IN AND WITH CHRIST

BY ALESHA EBELING

W

e live in an age where we are constantly being pulled in different directions. Everyone feels this strain: youth and adults alike. If gone unchecked for too long, we can begin to define ourselves by our busyness.

We begin to believe that by constantly doing and striving, we will please others, find our value and show the world who we are.

What if there was a different way?

What if there was a way to live with purpose and meaning without all of this striving? Thankfully, there is. Christ invites us to a way of living with him where we will not be defined by what we do or by what others think of us.

Life in Christ is deep with purpose and meaning because we are found and made complete in him.

So, how do we turn away from finding our value in our possessions, jobs, titles, accomplishments, friends and relationship statuses? We claim the truth. When we slow down, we allow God to speak truth into our life and spirit. The truth is that our value does not come from what we do, what we’re becoming or who we associate with.

Our value comes from being children of God, created in his image.

Colossians 2:7 says, “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”

Are our lives built on constantly trying harder and doing more? Or are our lives built on the truth that he is our foundation? When the roots of our lives are planted in him, we thrive and grow.

Being in and with Christ should be the foundation of our lives. As we sink into this truth, we sink into his rest. We step away from comparing our lives to others. We step away from trying to fit into a mold we think the world has for us. And we step into a life full of adventure, beauty and restoration.

Being in and with Christ is also an invitation to others. When we know who we are in Christ, it makes us all the more capable to show people how they can find the same type of being and knowing. Through our being with Christ, we can show this broken world hope. We can offer this world life. youthunlimited.org | 9

CAN

RECRUIT

BY JERRY MEADOWS

I

t’s frustrating to have an amazing trip on your schedule that you absolutely know God will use to help your students grow in faith, only to realize you’re short on adult support.

Hopefully, you’re past the place where you merely want adult chaperons, who herd kids, and you truly desire adults who will lead your students into deeper relationship with Christ.

Here are a few principles to keep in mind when recruiting adults for a summer experience: 1. Start recruiting early.

2. Plant seeds of vision with more than enough adults. Maybe even twice the number you actually need.

Share the impact you hope this trip will have, and then water those seeds with affirmation by telling each adult why you believe they are the type of person you want around the students.

10 |Winter 2013

3. Handpick your top three people. It’s okay to put a plea into the church bulletin or make an announcement, but go after a few that you know you really want.

4. Write out your top five reasons for going. Think ahead of time about the impact this trip will have on students and on the congregation. These reasons may be used to combat excuses, but more than that, they can be used as an appeal to a busy adult to make the sacrifice to go. You won’t have to coerce or manipulate anyone. God will lead them.

5. Before approaching anyone, develop your 60-second speech.

Get it down to one minute so you’re clear and concise. It should include a little of the details and a lot of the vision and passion. Major on what this experience will do for the next generation as a whole and for

individual students. For some great words, see the Digital Resource Box for the experience you’ve chosen.

6. Leave them with the Yes or No question. Will they be an adult leader or not? Almost everyone will say, “I’ll pray about it.” Tell them you will ask again in a week or two, and then follow through.

7. Consider asking more elderly adults.

You could even offer to make them more comfortable whenever possible, by getting them a foldable cot if students sleep on the floor, for example.

Recognize that you’ll probably hear from the No’s first. Do not be discouraged by that. Be aware that those who say no at first may even come back after they have pondered the impact and prayed about it. So, whatever you do, don’t manipulate, and don’t whine.

When someone says no, ask them for a referral. Tell them they are the kind of person you’re looking for and that you’d like the students to be around.

Ask them if they can think of any others you could ask.

Also ask them to take an assignment while they stay home. Just because God didn’t call them to go doesn’t mean he didn’t call them to be involved. Ask them to: a) get three other people to give funds b) lead the prayer efforts and recruit a team of prayer partners c) support the adults who are going by watching their kids, watering their plants, walking their dog, picking up their mail, etc.

All of these options would be a great way to serve from home. While you work on recruiting, be ready to give those who stay home a substantial

“Be aware that those who say no at first may even come back after they have pondered the impact and prayed about it.

So, whatever you do, don’t manipulate, and don’t whine.” way to be involved. This will help them partner with the youth ministry and may set them up for going in the future.

WHAT THE YOUTH UNLIMITED STAFF IS LISTENING TO: Known for vulnerability and authenticity in his music, Josh Garrels carries a unique voice rarely heard. His artful music is an infusion of hymns, traditional folk music and hip-hop.

joshgarrels.com Boasting a sound that is both soulful and penetrating, Zach Willams’s voice carries layers of Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, and Adam Duritz.

The blend is refreshing and above all, honest.

Where God guides, he provides. He has called you and the group to go on this trip, and he will provide the adult leadership. A confident and personal approach to recruitment will attract the right kind of leaders and model how you want adults to interact with students. zachwilliams.com

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YOUR YOUR FAITH! FAITH! Integrate Integrate your your faith faith into into the the lectures, lectures, labs, labs, residences, residences, service service YOUR YOUR FAITH! FAITH! Integrate Integrate your your faith faith into into the the lectures, lectures, labs, labs, residences, residences, service service opportunities opportunities and and every every other other aspect aspect ofof university university life. life. opportunities opportunities and and every every other other aspect aspect of of university university life. life.

YOUR YOUR COMMUNITY! COMMUNITY! AnAn A+A+ destination destination that that will will prepare prepare you you forfor a rewarding a rewarding career, career, YOUR YOUR COMMUNITY! COMMUNITY! An An A+ A+ destination destination that that will will prepare prepare you you for for a rewarding a rewarding career, career, graduate graduate studies studies oror work work inin ministry. ministry. graduate graduate studies studies oror work work in in ministry. ministry.

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Visit Visit www.redeemer.ca www.redeemer.ca now now to to book book a campus a campus visit visit oror apply apply online. online.

youthunlimited.org | 11

I WANT MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER EVENT. I NEED: A LIFESTYLE A SPIRITUAL AWAKENING L TO KNOW MY GOD-GIVEN POTENTIA TO ENGAGE THIS WORLD

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RM AT IO N

BY MILLIE HOEKSTRA

WHAT’S HAPPENING Live It is a catalyst for high school youth to explore and learn to use their unique, God-given abilities to impact this world for Jesus Christ.

Live It participants will spend a large part of each day learning in their chosen “track,” or focus area. This will allow students and their leaders to dig deeper into explorations of how to utilize their own interest areas in the service of Christ. This will be the second time Youth Unlimited puts together a Live It experience, and we are excited to let you know about some of the new features to expect.

The Play/Athletics track will be one of the options students can choose from again this year. However, the track has been reworked to challenge participants to become more effective sports team members and help them understand how sports can grow character. Through a variety of sports

and activities, participants will explore ways to contribute to their teams while playing the roles of game officials, coaches, captains and team members.

Participants will be challenged to win with grace and lose with honor and thereby honor the game, one’s opponent and ultimately, the Lord.

Participants will also explore the joy of serving others, and how service is part of what defines them as athletes and as members of a team.

A separate Leader Track will not be offered this year. Many youth pastors and leaders expressed the desire to participate in a track alongside their students. This will be beneficial for everyone since leaders can participate in the experiences during the day and then discuss the experiences with their students during the youth group time.

Transportation to, from and during Live It will be the responsibility of the youth group leaders. If youth groups have students participating in tracks that go off campus during the day, the youth group leaders must provide transportation for their own students.

During free time each evening there will be an activity sponsored by one of the tracks. This will enable participants to experience a small taste of a different track each evening.

There will also be a greater emphasis on the youth group time slot this year.

Leaders will focus on the question, “What is God teaching you this week during Live It?” and emphasize, “How will you live out what you learned this week once you get back home?”

Track coordinators will be very intentional about reiterating the goals and purposes of each experience and activity so that students will have a clear take-away.

These are some of the new aspects you can expect to find this year at Live It. We are looking forward to seeing you all in Pittsburgh this summer, and we trust that God will challenge participants during the week to discover their Godgiven potential to engage and restore this broken world.

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CREATE/ARTS

God’s love for creation and the arts can be seen in students who have a passion for design, drawing, music, photography, acting, video and more. While they spend their time exploring, expressing and living out their passion, students will learn the value of becoming co-creators alongside the Creator of the universe. Participants will have opportunities to work with a wide range of artists in order to enhance their God-given talents and learn how to use these gifts for the glory of Christ.

GROW/DISCIPLESHIP

Students with the natural gift of leadership can have such a positive impact on their peers if they use it for the glory of God. These students will grow as leaders while being challenged to discover what God wants of them. Through group discussions, activities, prayer and practicing spiritual disciplines, they will grow deeper in their relationship with Jesus. Most importantly, students will learn the joy of expressing their story to others, learning to explain how it fits into God’s story and the plans he has for us.

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DO/SERVICE

Students who love to work with their hands and focus on accomplishing projects are such a blessing. While spending time fixing and building things, students will go beyond the joy of accomplishment to learn how they can express the love and joy of God to people in local communities (and beyond) through their skills. Participants will give of themselves to support a greater cause and serve alongside their peers and leaders on various projects and restorative mission work for those in need.

PLAY/ATHLETICS

So many students have a love for athletics and spend their school year being part of a team. Through a variety of sports and activities, participants will explore ways to contribute to their teams while playing the roles of game officials, coaches, captains and players. Learning to honor the game, one’s opponent and ultimately our Lord, students will be challenged to win with grace and lose with honor.

Participants will also explore the joy of serving others as athletes and as members of a team.

WORSHIP | UNITY | POWER | UNDERSTANDING

PRAISING GOD AS THE BODY OF CHRIST SPEAKERS/WORSHIP LEADERS:

ADAM LOCKER

JOLENE DEHEER

JARROD JONES

TYPICAL DAY

7:00 AM – BREAKFAST | 8:15 AM – KICK-START RALLY | 9:00 AM – TRACK TIME 5:00 PM – DINNER | 7:30 PM – WORSHIP SESSION | 9:15 PM – YOUTH GROUP TIME 10:00 PM – TRACK SNAPSHOT SESSIONS | 11:30 PM – CURFEW youthunlimited.org | 15

THE IMPACT OF SHORT-TERM MISSIONS

BY JODI KOOPS

If you met Ben vanStraten, you would be intrigued by his enthusiasm and ability to share Christ’s love with youth. When I met Ben on Serve a couple years ago in Kansas, I couldn’t help but be in awe of his passion for youth and for sharing the gospel with students. I recently invited Ben to the Youth Unlimited office for a cup of coffee and encouraged him to share why he is involved with the shortterm mission trips organized by Youth Unlimited. Ben shared many different insights from his experiences.

As Youth Leaders, we are always seeking opportunities for students to 16 |Winter 2013

learn about their faith and to put their faith into action. The thing I love about Serve is the balance of service and discipleship, and I believe this is one of the strong points of Youth Unlimited compared to many other organizations with short-term mission trips. The ability to explore our faith during small group time is amazing and really helps the groups connect.

These experiences take the youth out of their usual church context and distance them from what is so familiar. They are taken away from the everyday distractions of cell phones, iPods and computers and are able to spend that

time focusing on God. With that focus, they can learn to live out their faith when they return home.

Ben’s first experience with Youth Unlimited was seventeen years ago.

He participated in SWIM, an extended student mission experience, and he says it had a lasting impact on his life.

As a teen, he thought it was amazing that adult leaders took valuable time to be with teenagers and share about Jesus Christ. He has since gone from being a student at these experiences to being an enthusiastic leader.

When asked what he likes most about Youth Unlimited experiences, Ben mentions that:

• Serve stretches the views of young people and shows them what extending God’s love and grace to others really means.

almost limping. Ben looked a little closer and noticed that Nick didn’t have any shoes on.

Nick had given his shoes away to someone living on the streets that he didn’t even know.

This popular boy gave away his expensive, brand name shoes, because he met a person that day who needed them more than he did. No pressure. No big announcements. Nick saw a need and met it.

“This popular boy gave away his expensive, brand name shoes, because he met a person that day who needed them more than he did.”

• It’s easy to realize you don’t have to go to Africa to see there is a need in a community—there is a need in every community.

• Students are able to see that there are other students that are comfortable as followers of Christ, and they don’t feel so alone.

• Students share openly with others, and in turn the students return home and feel freer to worship God in their daily lives.

• Students come to the conclusion that God isn’t just God on Sunday; He is with them every moment of each day.

• The speakers at Youth Unlimited events have always made a great impact on our group. I’ve never come across a speaker that didn’t relate well to the group.

The Impact Continues: Ben is now leading students on the same type of mission trips he took as a teenager and realizing there is always one in the group you have to keep your eye on. Ben had this experience while in downtown London, Ontario. His students had been talking with people living on the streets and witnessing what it would be like to live in that situation. On the way back to their vehicle, Ben noticed one of the students, Nick, lagging behind and

WHAT THE YOUTH UNLIMITED STAFF IS CURRENTLY READING:

Ben continues: Many times at events like Serve, students come immature or indifferent spiritually. After Serve, many times I witness the students return home more spiritually mature and more aware of the injustices around them.

Students go from being spectators of the church to leaders in the church!

Surprised to learn that Ben is a husband and father of three, I ask him what compels him to go on these mission trips, even though they take time away from his family. Ben smiles slightly, as though he is remembering something.

I know how much it meant to me as a young student when an adult gave me their time. I desire to be that person to other students. In church services, students perceive messages on how to behave: a list of right and wrong and rules to follow. Serve helps students live out their lives in Christ.

As Christians, it is our job as the older generation to pass down the Gospel to the younger generation, and I want to give students every opportunity possible to experience Christ in a real way! I don’t see these experiences as a sacrifice, because as Youth Leaders we generally are just as blessed by the experience as the students are. youthunlimited.org | 17

TRINITY Christian COLLEGE

July 28 to August 1, 2013 VISIT YOUTHUNLIMITED.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION

18 |Winter 2013

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS “The church has left the building!”

This summer, over 250 students and their leaders will flood the streets of Palos Heights, Illinois, just 30 minutes from the Windy City, to show Christ’s love and bring restoration to the community. Participants from across Canada and the U.S. will travel to Trinity Christian College, ready to worship in the sanctuary as well as the streets, advancing and expanding the ministry of the college and area churches. The Chicago Project is a chance for students to be a vital and lasting expression of Christ’s love to the community of Palos Heights, Illinois.

Hosting The Chicago Project for Youth Unlimited is a great extension of the ministry that our Trinity Christian College students do throughout the school year and helps us expand the incarnational ministry God has called us to. We’re not just about higher education. We’re about the Father’s business, as Christ called us to be, in our community.

— Jeremy Klyn, Trinity Christian College Admissions Director

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Project Details Who: High school youth groups of any size, and their leaders (one adult per five students).

What’s included: The Chicago Project is an all-inclusive program with housing, meals, programming and materials provided.

Registration: Open now – space is limited, so register soon!

Transportation: Each group is responsible for their own transportation to, from and during the event.

Campus: Trinity Christian College. Trinity has a wonderful campus and many local ministry relationships.

Participants will stay on campus and sleep in air conditioned residence halls. Each four-person suite has its own bathroom and shower. Buffet-style meals will be served out of the college’s dining hall, and students will worship together each day in Trinity’s Ozinga Chapel.

Site description: Just 30 minutes from the center of the Windy City, Palos Heights offers a beautiful suburban location for the campus of Trinity Christian College. Chicago is well-known for its sports teams and shopping, but lesser known areas continue to struggle from the effects of poverty. During the school year, Trinity’s students have opportunities to serve in the city as well as in the local communities. Dedicated volunteers address the needs of others, and they share the love of Christ whether they are handing out lunches to the homeless on Chicago’s streets or tutoring children through after-school programs. Whether working in the city with Roseland Christian Ministries to help tutor kids or in the suburbs with Restoration Ministries to help restore people broken by drug and alcohol addiction, Trinity is committed to shaping lives and transforming culture.

Your group can join year-round partnerships and help with various service opportunities including tutoring, cleanup, light construction and many urban and suburban ministries around Chicago. After The Chicago Project your group can opt to catch a Cubs or Sox game, visit the famous Brookfield Zoo, take in a museum or shop the Magnificent Mile. There is no shortage of things to do in Chicago.

Sample daily schedule 7:00 - 8:00 AM – Breakfast | 8:00 - 8:30 AM – Devotions | 8:45 AM - 4:00 PM – Worksites 4:00 - 5:30 PM – Free Time | 5:30 - 6:30 PM – Dinner | 7:00 PM – Worship 8:45 PM – Youth Group Time | 9:45 - 11:00 PM – Free Time | 11:00 PM – Curfew

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STUDENTS BRINGING HOPE T O A B R O K E N W O R L D

R E G I ST R AT I ON F OR S E R V E 2 013 I S OP EN N OW! VISIT YOUTHUNLIMITED.ORG TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION 22 |Winter 2013

TA L K I N G W I T H PA S TO R N O R M S E N N E M A A F T E R H O S T I N G S E RV E

The Sunday after Serve is very telling.

We had planned 15 minutes for testimonies from members of our congregation so that they could share praises and stories of impact. Over 50 minutes later, we had to cut off the testimony time and simply conclude the service with worship and prayer. No sermon was needed. It was clear that God had moved.

You have to understand: we’re not a large congregation. In fact, when the students and adults of Serve were at our church, there were more of them than us. Ten months before, we had questioned hosting Serve at all, since it seemed we might lack the manpower and financial resources. It felt like an overwhelming assignment, but soon became an energizing challenge to step out in faith and see results. Youth

Unlimited provided training and idea sharing from other host churches, along with a “can do” attitude.

Serve students about the partnership that we share with them, and how it is a blessing.

Our church meets in a downtown school in the midst of five high-rise apartment buildings, in a low-to-mid income neighbourhood. This is the community where we are focused on sharing and showing the love of Jesus. Previously, we had reached out to the town to partner with them, but were never embraced because we’re a faith-based organization. When we approached them about adopting the weed-filled traffic circle at the heart of the community and turning it into a community flower garden, however, their attitude towards us changed.

During our week of Serve, the town offered us supplies and support free of charge, and were very encouraging. A week of impact like this with no strings attached seemed to make the difference.

Our congregation has long had a desire to impact our immediate community, and hosting Serve gave us a great boost. We put a strong emphasis on prayer, and the congregation rose to the occasion and came up with creative ways for the Serve students to join us in praying for the community. Most of our worksites were within walking distance of where our church meets.

So, we gave each work team an outline so they could prayer-walk their way to their worksite. Another exciting prayer opportunity was the “Jericho Prayer Walk,” where the Serve participants marched around the school our congregation meets in seven times, praying for walls of animosity and hostility towards Christ to come down.

On Sunday, July 1 (Canada Day) we held our kick-off service. We invited politicians to come and greet the group, and were surprised and pleased that representatives from all three levels of government (federal, provincial and local) came to our Sunday morning service. The principal of the public school also came and spoke to the

Having 60 students and adults from Canada and the U.S. join us for Serve was a momentum builder. We’re inspired, encouraged and confident as we continue in our calling to share Christ with our community.

While we’re excited about hosting Serve again in the future, we now have sustainable and creative ways to carry on the impact all through the year. youthunlimited.org | 23

Serve LOCATIONS AND SITE DESCRIPTIONS FOR SERVE 2013

6 6

6

6 6

6

6

6 6

6

6 6 6 6 6 6 6 MARCH 9–16 (SPRING BREAK)

JUNE 22–29 (LAGRAVE)

JUNE 8–15

JUNE 22–29 (NORTH CHURCH)

JUNE 15–22

JUNE 22–29

JUNE 22–29 (MINNESOTA WEST )

JUNE 29–JULY 6

JUNE 22–29

JUNE 29–JULY 6 L FUL

BRADENTON, FLORIDA | 75%FULL

HOUSTON, TEXAS

STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS

BUNDE, MINNESOTA

CROWN POINT, INDIANA | 75%FULL 24 |Winter 2013

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY | 75%FULL

PLATTE, SOUTH DAKOTA

AUSTIN, TEXAS

VANASTRA, ONTARIO

JULY 5–11 (SPECIAL NEEDS)

JULY LL FU13–20

JULY 6–13

JULY (NORTH CHURCH) LL FU13–20

JULY LL FU6–13

JULY LL FU13–20

JULY 6–13

JULY LL FU20–27

JULY 6–13

JULY 20–27 (NORTH CHURCH)

JULY 6–13

JULY LL FU20–27

JULY LL FU6–13

JULY 20–27

JULY 6-13 (FAIRFAX)

JULY 20–25 (SPECIAL NEEDS)

JULY LL FU13–20

ALAMOSO, COLORADO

JULY LL FU20–27

JULY 13–19 (MIDDLE SCHOOL)

JULY 27–AUGUST 3

OTTAWA, ONTARIO

LONDON, ONTARIO

MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN

ORILLIA, ONTARIO | 75%FULL

PORT PERRY, ONTARIO | 75%FULL

REGINA, SESKATCHEWAN

ROSELAWN, INDIANA

WASHINGTON, D.C.

BYRON CENTER, MICHIGAN

HAMILTON, ONTARIO

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY

SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA

HOLLAND, MICHIGAN

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY

PETERBOROUGH, ONTARIO

REDLANDS, CALIFORNIA

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA

WOODSTOCK, ONTARIO

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA | 75%FULL

A TYPICAL SERVE DAY 7:00 AM – BREAKFAST/PREPARE LUNCHES | 8:00 AM – DEVOTIONS | 8:45 AM – WORKSITES 4:00 PM – SHOWERS/FREE TIME | 6:00 PM – DINNER | 7:30 PM – EVENING SESSION 9:00 PM – SMALL GROUP | 10:00 PM – SNACK AND FREE TIME | 11:00 PM – LIGHTS OUT

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MARCH 9–16 | BRADENTON, FL (SPRING BREAK)

JUNE 8–15 | HOUSTON, TX

THERE IS STILL ROOM FOR YOUR GROUP AT THIS SITE!*

Our church is sandwiched between the low-income Houston outskirts and the white collar Woodlands, TX. New Life is very involved in community outreach, participating in ministries that work with adults with special needs and helping out in low-income neighborhoods, while also supporting a sister church in Nepal. We believe in coming alongside people in ministry and empowering them to make a sustainable change in their community and beyond. We will mostly be working in conjunction with our church ministry, Old Town Spring Heights Task Force (located 20 minutes north of Houston, TX), which is a group of five area churches working together to make an impact for Christ. The five churches are all different in ethnicity, culture and denomination, but we worship the same LORD and are continually blessed and uplifted through relationships that are being made and deepened within the community of Old Town Spring Heights. Participants will be helping the community through home improvement projects, community beautification and the development of a community learning center.

Located just south of the Tampa Bay area in Manatee County, Bradenton is a fabulous place to explore art and historical attractions, have fun in the sun, enjoy the beach and go on all types of water and boating adventures. However, despite God’s bounty of beauty in our county, there is a high percentage of families that are homeless or nearly homeless. Our church is seeking to make an impact on our local public elementary school district by helping to make minor repairs and increase the curb appeal of area homes, giving owners pride in their homes and their communities, while beginning what we hope is a long relationship with these families and their neighbors.

Working with Habitat for Humanity, your main focus will be on doing minor repairs and painting and landscaping within our local elementary school district. Students will have the opportunity to meet homeowners and their families and share stories and testimonies.

*FULL REGISTRATION IS DUE BY FEBRUARY 5, 2013.

JUNE 15–22 | STEPHENVILLE, TX

JUNE 22–29 | BUNDE, MN

Stephenville is known as the Cowboy Capital, a claim that is somewhat disputed by a few other cowboy towns. Stephenville is home to a large number of dairy farms and is located 40 miles southwest of Fort Worth, Texas. Stephenville has a population of 17,000 and is home to Tarleton State University.

The community is predominately an agricultural community where most are either employed on a farm or ranch or support the farmers and ranchers in some way. It is also a diverse area, home to native Texans as well as to Mexican and Dutch immigrants. Stephenville Christian Reformed Church worships at Stephenville Christian School, which is happy to open its doors to you. Sadly, 26% of the population here in Stephenville falls below the poverty line. Our church is making a difference in this community by working for individuals and also for organizations. You may be involved in some light construction and minor renovations as well as in doing yard work for the elderly, visiting the lonely, organizing at a clothes bank and working at a pregnancy care center.

Hailing from the plains of Minnesota, we would love to welcome you to our small town with farm friendly hospitality!

You can help us as we reach out to our surrounding neighbors in the communities of Renville, Clara City, Willmar, Raymond and Prinsburg. Our vision is to partner with local churches in showing Christ’s love to the people we may drive past every day, but who do not know about the hope offered in the gospel of Jesus Christ! We plan to have local churches each find two or three families with physical needs that can be addressed by Serve. We also hope that the relationships established between families and churches will continue beyond the week of Serve and not just meet their physical needs but their spiritual needs as well. We will be working with local churches in the surrounding communities to help families or individuals with homes in need of paint, lawn care and other small construction projects. Other ministries we may partner with include Hope Pregnancy Center, Habitat for Humanity and shelter houses for men and women.

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JUNE 22–29 | CROWN POINT, IN

JUNE 22–29 | GRAND RAPIDS, MI (LAGRAVE CHURCH)

Long before NASCAR was popular, Crown Point was the home of an auto race called the Cobe Cup. In fact, this 25-mile race that started in 1909 (the same year Youth Unlimited began assisting churches) is credited with being the forerunner of the Indianapolis 500. In the old days, Crown Point was also known as a “marriage mill” as local laws made it easy to tie the knot there. And, in 1934, the infamous bank robber, John Dillinger, escaped from the jail only to be caught again and later shot by FBI agents in Chicago. Today the people of Crown Point struggle with unemployment and the financial, social and emotional difficulties that come with it. It’s here that we have made it a priority to nurture each other in the faith with the help of the Holy Spirit and demonstrate God’s love using words and acts of kindness as we attempt to be sensitive to the spiritual, physical and emotional needs around us. Most worksites will take place in urban areas of Northwest Indiana and South Chicago. We will be partnering with agencies like Habitat for Humanity, NWI Food Bank, Roseland Christian Ministries and 2nd Like Resale, as well as others.

Come help us celebrate the 24th year of Serve at LaGrave Christian Reformed Church. Grand Rapids has been called, “a cool city with warm hospitality.” Here in West Michigan we’re on the cutting edge of art, cuisine and culture, but we also have a distinctive small town feel as people are friendly and the streets are generally safe and clean. You will have the opportunity to visit the beach at Grand Haven during your trip.

JUNE 22–29 | NEWARK, NJ (NORTH CHURCH)*

JUNE 22–29 | PLATTE, SD

ADULT LEADERS MUST CONVERSE WITH REV. RANDY (REVRANDYVD@HOTMAIL.COM) BEFORE REGISTERING.

Platte, South Dakota is a rural community of 1,400 people. You will enjoy our hometown hospitality and our positive attitude. The town motto here is, “Possible in Platte.”

At North Church your group will experience cross-cultural relational ministry up close and personal. You may have a few hours of manual labor, and you will help our staff and others in other everyday tasks. You won’t just serve the 75-100 people who come in for a daily meal, you’ll sit with, eat with, talk to and care for them as well. By the end of the week you will walk down the street and know the people and how to pray for them and our ministry. We join with these people daily to serve and experience life without the comforts of home. Along the way, we learn lessons about need, stereotypes and the power of God over the worst human failures and frailty. It is not easy, but it is good. Teams will eat, sleep and generally hang out at the North Church facility—a decidedly un-air-conditioned­­—but lovely historic building in downtown Newark. Our values are on relational and spiritual work that will empower and embolden Serve participants to think and live more missionally the whole year round.

While Grand Rapids is a wonderful place to live and visit, it is not wonderful for everyone who lives here. Nearly 16% of the population still lives below the poverty line. During your stay in Grand Rapids, you will have a chance to minister to these people.

LaGrave Christian Reformed Church will be the host during your Serve week. We expect that God is going to move in mighty ways this week, both in the hearts of individuals and in meeting the needs of the community. Come be a part of the change!

Although we live in a small town, our church gives support to nearly a dozen missionaries that are making an impact for the gospel both locally and globally. This reflects our heart to be a people and a congregation involved in the Great Commission.

Take a break from suburbia (if that’s where you live) and join us for the week as we seek to impact our own community with the love and grace of Jesus Christ. If you have ever wondered about life in a small town, this is the place for you.

While you are here, you will be treated like family. When you leave, you will have a greater passion for spreading the gospel.

*FOR ADDITIONAL AVAILABLE NEWARK, NJ DATES SEE PAGE 25.

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JUNE 29–JULY 6 | AUSTIN, TX Deep in the heart of Texas, Austin is one of the best places to visit in the U.S. It’s known as the Live Music Capital of the World and has quirky shops and eclectic restaurants. Some areas of the city feel like a backyard music party and barbecue are going on all year long. Within the city limits you can experience the largest natural, spring-fed swimming pool in any urban setting. One promotional slogan for tourism says, “You may come here a stranger but you’ll leave as family.” Austin is a unique city that you will enjoy, but our problems are more than common. There is lots of poverty, homelessness and class discrimination. Can you imagine being on the streets of a city, feeling rejected and hopeless, and hearing a slogan like, “You may come here a stranger but you’ll leave as family”? Our church is impacting a community that is high-risk and includes a large homeless student population. At Sunrise Church you can be involved in soup kitchens, caring for the homeless, lawn care, park cleanup, home repair and maintenance, missional children’s ministry, on-site Vacation Bible School and more.

JULY 5–11 | OTTAWA, ON (SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS) The Special Needs Serve is for people from the ages of 14-26 with special needs that cannot be accommodated at a traditional Serve site. The work projects will be tailored to the ability of the individual students, allowing them to experience the joy that comes from serving others in the name of Christ in a multicultural setting. The work might include painting, yard work, office work, etc. Students are partnered with a peer who befriends and works alongside them for the five days. The evening sessions follow the same Serve theme as all Serve sites, but apply the Biblical principles in uniquely entertaining and meaningful ways.

Since the total site capacity is 30 (not including the Host Team volunteers) this becomes a time of growth, affirmation and true community. One parent voiced appreciation this way: “Being a parent of a Serve participant, we so much appreciate all the very many people who make this mission trip happen. For a person with disabilities to go on a mission trip and be able to minister to others is such a wonderful thing. As a parent, it makes me cry with thankfulness and joy. I hope that there will be more Serve opportunities across this beautiful country of ours.”

JULY 6–13, 2012 | LONDON, ON

JULY 6–13, 2012 | ORILLIA, ON

London, Ontario is a city of 350,000 people located in the heart of Southwestern Ontario. Although historically a fairly affluent white collar city, its focus in the last decade has moved to an economy largely based in the manufacturing sector, and, due to the recent downturn in that economy, is currently experiencing the second highest unemployment rate in Ontario.

You will find a warm welcome in Orillia, the Sunshine City, in the heart of Lake Country. Situated on the shores of Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe, Orillia is a port stop for many boaters along the Trent-Severn Waterway. The beautiful waterfront hosts many summer and cultural festivals and is a popular holiday destination. While considered a retirement town, only 18% of the population is actually retired. The rest are hardworking people involved in manufacturing, retail and tourism. Our hope is to connect with those people, families, groups and organizations in our community needing the help of Serve. Your group will enjoy a variety of work throughout the week. Tasks typically include painting, cleanup, light construction and repair, distributing food, landscaping, etc.

Some of the organizations we will be helping are: Living for Jesus Church (which serves a meal every day to those in need), Christian Horizons, Lighthouse men’s shelter, seniors’ homes, local churches and many non-profit organizations.

We hope to spend the week working closely with agencies that support the working poor, the disadvantaged and those living at street level, particularly the youth. A variety of worksites will be offered, with an emphasis on working with people rather than for people. Work could include painting, building, gardening and minor renovations as well as assisting in and running children’s programs, packing food hampers, assisting in food programs by preparing and serving food and being the light of God in the city of London. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with our street friends, by either serving at the “Mess,” a Wednesday night dinner and art program, or at the Streetlight bus, a Tuesday and Thursday downtown ministry of food and worship. We will also be working with the local Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity and Community Resource Agencies.

28 |Winter 2013

JULY 6–13 | PORT PERRY, ON

JULY 6–13 | REGINA, SK

On the shores of Lake Scugog, located about an hour northeast of Toronto, a lot of our residents commute out of town to work in Toronto, Peterborough and especially the GM plants in Oshawa. The closing of the truck plant in Oshawa has affected a lot of families in the area. With many people unemployed or underemployed, the town relies on tourism in the summer.

While Port Perry is a pleasant place to live, we have identified close to 100 ministries and organizations in the area that help the less fortunate. This demonstrates to us a need for Serve.

You will be working for individuals as well as organizations such as Community Living, Christian Horizons, food banks, Windreach Farms (a therapeutic horse farm), Precious Minds (a place that provides support and care to families of children with learning disabilities) and others. You’ll need to come with an open mind and an open heart as we work on painting, landscaping, and other hands-on projects combined with the relational care of children with learning disabilities. You will enjoy what you learn from those you come to serve.

Saskatchewan is the central of three Canadian prairie provinces, agricultural in its southern half and forested in the north. It has a high First Nations (native) population. Within 20 years, close to half of all Saskatchewan elementary school children will be of native or part-native descent. The aboriginal population, cultural awareness and native social and political influence are all expanding much more rapidly here than in society as a whole. Regina, the capital city of Saskatchewan, is a beautiful city of 200,000 people, and has about 10-15% native people. These people are concentrated in the North Central sector of the city (“the hood”), but are also visibly present throughout the city, including the Glencairn area, where Sonlight Church is located. In Sonlight’s children’s ministries, kids we attract from our neighborhood are often of native background.

The Sonlight CRC building will be your home away from home as you help us reach our community. Planned work includes light maintenance and painting for the families in need (mostly inner city), Vacation Bible School leading at Indian Metis Christian Fellowship (CRC inner city native ministry) and Food Bank assistance.

JULY 6–13 | WASHINGTON, D.C. (FAIRFAX, VA)

JULY 13–19 | BYRON CENTER, MI (MIDDLE SCHOOL)

THIS SERVE SITE IS LIMITED TO GROUPS OF 12 OR LESS.

You’ll get to experience the best of both the city and the country in Byron Center. We’re close to rolling farmlands and to the thriving metropolitan area of Grand Rapids. This gives us a unique perspective on the needs of people who come from various backgrounds. Our goal is to meet the needs of people in our community as we harness the energy and potential of middle school students willing to work hard, make an impact and have a whole lot of fun.

It is an eye-opening experience to be in the U.S. capital and drive past the White House, then pull up at a shelter and soup kitchen two minutes later. What extremes there are in our society! In Washington DC you can be near influential leaders who literally believe they can change the world and among persons on the street who feel they haven’t got a prayer. Both are in need of the grace of God through Jesus Christ. You will have the opportunity to serve at a variety of worksites, including soup kitchens, halfway houses, painting projects and yard work. We have one worksite where we make sandwiches during the day, and then the group goes out in a van about 5:30 PM and ladles soup and gives sandwiches to the homeless people that line up at different delivery points throughout the city. Most of your service will take place in inner Washington DC. Come prepared for a new experience that you won’t forget!

We do painting, landscaping and inside and outside cleanup around the Byron Center area. We work with a couple of area ministries to help us find our job sites. We also work with a local food pantry and a few other organizations in Grand Rapids. We can’t wait to meet you, and look forward to the things we will all learn together during this exciting week of service. God will surely do great things among us.

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JULY 20–27 | REDLANDS, CA Welcome to Redlands, a city rich with historic structures, museums, theatres and music. Our church, The River, is located 60 miles east of Los Angeles. We are a 600 member congregation who love the place God’s called us to live. We work hard building relationships with those in our community.

Our hope is to provide experiences for students so that they may grow their trust in Jesus and bless those around them.

Working as the hands of God in service is one of six key areas on which our church focuses. We have a very active care ministry for those in need and, throughout the year, even build loft homes in our church parking lot and then deliver them to families just over the border of Mexico. (Serve students will not be leaving the U.S.) Students who come to Redlands will learn from and have opportunity to serve leaders at local homeless ministries, student ministries and neighborhood ministries around our region. Come help us proclaim God’s love and care in our community. We are excited to see the things God will accomplish in our midst.

JULY 27–AUGUST 3 | WEST DES MOINES, IA Des Moines is Iowa’s largest city (metro population around 500,000) and also the capital. Our church, Crossroads CRC, is located in the western suburb, which made Money Magazine’s Top 100 list a couple years ago for best places to live and launch a business. The fruit of prosperity is not the same as the fruit of the Spirit, however. Just because a suburb is wealthy economically does not mean all its people have what they need or that poverty has been stamped out. We live, work and worship among those that have abundance and those that have great physical and financial need. Our church is a short drive from downtown Des Moines where we will do a majority of our work. Our work will range from light construction work to painting a house to partnering with local ministries such as Hope Ministries. Come help us be the hands and feet of Christ in our community. You will have opportunities to foster a servant spirit and learn more about God’s call on your life.

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JULY 20–25 | WINNIPEG, MB (SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS) Winnipeg is the capital of Manitoba, and has a diverse economy and a thriving culture of the arts, with theatre, opera, ballet and more. This Special Needs Serve is for people from the ages of 14-26 with special needs that cannot be accommodated at a traditional Serve site. During this five-day project, participants will spend time serving and worshipping God. The work projects will be tailored to the ability of the individual students and will allow them to experience the joy that comes from serving others in the name of Christ. Covenant Christian Reformed Church, 653 Knowles Ave. Winnipeg, MB is a fully accessible facility. You may be involved with painting, yard work, office work, etc.

JUNE 26-JULY 17, 2013 $320 PAR T ICIPAT ION FEE AL L O T HER EXPENSES PAID APPL IC AT IONS & N OM IN AT IONS DUE 1/ 31/ 13

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WE LOVE TO KEEP IN TOUCH

YOUTHUNLIMITED.ORG

FACEBOOK.COM/YOUTHUNLIMITED

TWITTER.COM/YUORG

ADDRESS: 32 |Winter 2013 1333 ALGER ST. SE, GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49507 | PHONE: 616.241.5616 EXT. 3038 | FAX: 616.264.6682

THROUGH YOUR PRAYERS & PARTNERSHIP STUDENTS ARE CHANGING THE WORLD FOR JESUS CHRIST youthunlimited.org | 33

What Is Known About Our EXPERIENCES Serve

Marion Project

Other

1,659

284

229

US Participants

860

168

133

Canadian Participants

799

116

96

Churches Involved

184

23

43

Total Participants

I WON’T BE KEEPING MYSELF IN A BOX ANYMORE. I WILL BE SHOWING CHRIST’S LOVE TO EVERYONE THROUGH MY GIFTS. – STUDENT PARTICIPANT

34 |Winter 2013

2,172

TOTAL PARTICIPANTS AT ALL EVENTS IN 2012* 2012 was a year of transformation and refocus for Youth Unlimited, and we praise God for the students, leaders, churches and partners that made Serve and The Marion Project possible! Last year also held two youth worker retreats and an urban youth conference that God used to ignite passion and transform souls. We are still gleaming with excitement over this year and looking forward to Live It, Serve and The Chicago Project of 2013!

Serve 76%

*Live It is held every other year

Marion Project 13% *Other is a combination of 2012’s youth worker retreats and urban youth conference

Other 11% youthunlimited.org | 35

this past year 36 |Winter 2013

Students worshiped God with purpose Students dug deeper into God’s word Students saw a broken world in need of God Students used their talents for the glory of God Students entered into closer relationship with Jesus Students served communities across north America

Challenging youth to transform the world for jesus Christ

49,250

TOTAL HOURS OF SERVICE GIVEN

At Youth Unlimited, we believe that those who serve are blessed as much as those they come to help. Students heard powerful testimonies this past summer from individuals receiving their work, and students were able to catch a glimpse of how they fit into God’s overarching plan of redemption and

restoration. We also believe that the spread of the gospel is most effective when the work we do with our hands matches the love we express in our words. Through serving, students gained insight into missional living.

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URBAN

SHOW A BROKEN WORLD IN NEED

OFFER OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE

MAKE ROOM TO EXPLORE GOD GIVEN TALENTS

STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN STUDENTS AND ADULTS

ENCOURAGE DIGGING INTO GOD’S WORD

CREATE OPPORTUNITIES TO WORSHIP

PRESENT GOD’S LOVE & GRACE

HELPING CHURCHES CHALLENGE YOUTH TO COMMIT THEIR LIVES TO JESUS CHRIST AND TRANSFORM THE WORLD FOR HIM

SERVE SHORT-TERM MISSIONS THROUGH LOCAL CHURCHES

YOUTH CONFERENCE

MARION PROJECT A LARGE SERVE HOSTED ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS

TIME

TALENT

STAFF

BOARD MEMBERS

TESTIMONY

VOLUNTEERS

DONORS

TREASURE

THE CHURCH

38 |Winter 2013

FROM THE GROUND UP THE FOUNDATIONAL STRUCTURE OF YOUTH UNLIMITED

Over $14,000 in scholarship funds were given this year. you helped 188 students attend a faith-forming experience!

FINANCIAL REPORT MARCH 1, 2011 – FEBRUARY 28, 2012 REVENUE

EXPENSE

Individual & Corprate Donations 11%

Operations & Administration 15%

Church Donations 10%

Participation Income 79%

$1,162,157

Programs & Events 85%

$1,208,865

The 2011-2012 fiscal year saw a short-fall of $46,708. To offset this and help provide for future faith-forming experiences, please consider a tax-deductible donation.

In 2012 over $14,000 was given through The Youth Unlimited Scholarship Fund, enabling 188 students the opportunity to attend a Youth Unlimited faithforming experience.

As a result, 1,943 participants gave 49,250 hours of heart and hand service in the name of Jesus.

GI VI NG STU D ENTS TI ME AND SPACE

This year, we are asking for help replenishing that same scholarship fund for 2013 participants!

You can help us ensure that no student misses out on this life-changing experience due to finances.

The average participation cost per student is $375.

Please take advantage of this opportunity to be a blessing in the life of a student.

REALITY

DONATIONS OF ANY SIZE MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR YOUTH UNLIMITED TO CONTINUE HELPING STUDENTS GET

Many students who come to a Youth Unlimited experience are immature or indifferent spiritually.

Such students are likely to turn their backs on Church soon after graduation.

THE TIME AND SPACE NEEDED TO

TRUTH During a Youth Unlimited faith-forming experience, students are pulled away from the busyness and temptations of everyday life and brought to a place where they can focus on listening, worshipping and serving Jesus. Time and again, we hear testimonies from students that highlight a faithforming experience as the catalyst that moved them closer to Christ.

ENCOUNTER THE MOST INCREDIBLE GIFT OF ALL —CHRIST’S LIFE SAVING WORK ON THE CROSS.

DESIRE That through continued faith-forming experiences, even more students get the chance to have the time and space to encounter God and his love, grace and desire for a personal relationship with them—inspiring them to reflect that same love throughout the world.

PLEASE CONSIDER HELPING GROW THE SCHOLARSHIP FUND FOR FUTURE STUDENTS!

NEED Monetary donations make it possible for Youth Unlimited to continue helping students get the time and space needed to encounter the most incredible gift of all—Christ’s life saving work on the cross.

Please consider helping grow the scholarship fund for future students!

40 |Winter 2013

SCAN TO D O N AT E T O DAY ! goo.by/wBxIwJ

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Dynamic Youth Ministries PO Box 7259 Grand Rapids, MI 49510

PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Grand Rapids, MI Permit No. 931 PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

YOUTHUNLIMITED.ORG

YOUTHUNLIMITED MAGAZINE SPECIAL EDITION

IMPACT REPORT LOOKING BACK: 2012 MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS | LOOKING FORWARD: WHAT GOD IS DOING IN 2013

42 |Winter 2013