Youth Unlimited Magazine | Winter 2013

YOUTHUNLIMITED MAGAZINE SPECIAL EDITION

IMPACT REPORT

LOOKING BACK: 2013 MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS | LOOKING FORWARD: WHAT GOD IS DOING FOR 2014

STAFF PICKS | FACES OF YOUTH UNLIMITED | SERVE 2014 | THANKFUL FOR MILLIE youthunlimited.org | 1

COURAGE

to think deeply to act justly to live fully

“

I’m a strong believer that the food we eat affects our health. “[My Calvin education] has allowed me to realize that I can’t change everything. But I can make a small difference… and do little things to make things a little bit better— if not great.

–Briella Cumings ’15, public health major

You want to change the world. And you will. At Calvin, you’ll learn to work collaboratively with students and professors toward small, meaningful changes that impact big issues.

Improve water filtration techniques for water in Kenya. Develop cancer therapy drugs that make treatment easier for patients. Learn to make lifestyle choices that demonstrate one of your highest callings—to love your neighbor as yourself, here and around the world.

Explore what it means to think deeply, act justly and live fully at www.calvin.edu/go/courage.

www.calvin.edu 2 |Winter 2013

Calvin College admits students of any race, color and national or ethnic origin.

Contents OPENING NOTE: FAITH FOR LIFE............................................... pg. 3 FACES OF YOUTH UNLIMITED ............................................. pg. 4 THANKFUL FOR MILLIE ........................................................ pg. 6 LIVE IT 2013 PRAISE ........................................................... pg. 7 YOUTH UNLIMITED STAFF PICKS ....................................... pg. 8

YOUTH UNLIMITED | WINTER 2014 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 | Youth Unlimited Staff, Eric Everhart,

Martin Smit, Jason Lief

FAST WITHOUT THE FURIOUS . . ......................................... pg. 11

Cover Photo Credit | Jayson Korthuis *Video still taken at Live It 2013.

SERVE AT A GLANCE . . ......................................................... pg. 12

Editor | Megan Nollet

SERVE DATES & DESCRIPTIONS . . ..................................... pg. 14

USA | Postmaster, please send undeliverable copies and address

MIDDLE SCHOOL SERVE . . ................................................... pg. 17

Youth Unlimited 1333 Alger Street SE Grand Rapids, MI 49507

THE SERVE PROJECTS . . ...................................................... pg. 18

changes to:

Canada | Canada Post International Sales Agreement

The Unexpected Prairie . . ............................................. pg. 19

#41124116. Please send undeliverable copies and address changes to:

2013 IMPACT REPORT ....................................................... pg. 21

Youth Unlimited PO Box 1100 Norwich, ON, N0J 1P0

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.

4. No smart phone?

Look for the link at the bottom of the page.

youthunlimited.org

THE YOUTH UNLIMITED TEAM: Executive Director:

Jeff Kruithof 616.241.5616 ext. 3043 jeff@youthunlimited.org

Missions Director:

Jerry Meadows 616.241.5616 ext. 3040 jerry@youthunlimited.org

Office Manager & Program Admin: Alesha Ebeling 616.241.5616 ext. 3038 alesha@youthunlimited.org

Design & Brand Manager: Jim Bowerman 616.241.5616 ext. 3039 jim@youthunlimited.org

Editor & Social Media Coordinator: Megan Nollet 616.241.5616 ext. 3045 megan@youthunlimited.org

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G E T C ON NE C T E D | S TAY C ON NE C T E D

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2 |Winter 2013

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opening note:

— FAITH FOR LIFE —

H

ave you ever heard the phrase, “words and pictures don’t do it justice”? That is how I feel right now as I type this letter. You see, last summer I had the joy of traveling to many Serve Sites, The Chicago Project and Live It. I witnessed students commit their lives to Jesus Christ, seek out prayer for challenging life experiences, and reflect Christ’s love by playing with children, sorting clothes at thrift stores, painting widows’ houses and serving food to those living on the streets. As you thumb through the latter part of this issue (the 2013 Impact Report), I pray you catch at least a glimpse of how the Holy Spirit has been at work renewing people, churches and communities. To see these students in action be sure to scan the QR code below for a video from the summer.

The Youth Unlimited team is full speed ahead preparing for another exciting spring and summer of faithforming experiences in 2014. As we empower students to serve others in the

name of Jesus through one of the 25+ Serve Site locations, The Chicago Project or The Prairie Project experiences, we will be focusing our Scriptural teaching on Isaiah 58. This Scripture passage confronts apathy, empty religion and indifference to the needs of others. It is God’s call, his heart’s cry for his people— that we use our God-given potential to help those in need reach their God-given potential. This is my prayer, that each student attending a Youth Unlimited experience commits their life to Jesus Christ and lives every remaining day of their life for him—Faith for Life!

Finally, I say thank you on behalf of every student you have invested in over the years. God is using you to mold students into who he created them to be. Each Youth Unlimited experience needs caring adults like you. Individuals on the planning teams give hours and hours of work and prayer in preparation for these experiences. Youth Unlimited would simply not be as impactful or even possible without you and others

with your same heart and passion. In this issue of the magazine, we celebrate a very special lady who has given 42 years of her life to students through this ministry. Be sure to check it out on page 6.

Humbled to serve with you in ministry,

Jeff Kruithof

C heck ou t o u r lat es t vid eo!

JEFF KRUITHOF

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

21 – 28 Pages 2013 ht the g li h g i h ited Unlim Youth y year! r minist

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FACES

MARC HOOGSTAD

GARRETT HOVLAND

Q. Where could we find you at 10:00 AM on a Saturday morning?

Q. Where could we find you at 10:00 AM on a Saturday morning?

A. At home, finishing my third cup of coffee, and ending our family Saturday morning ritual of pancakes with peanut butter and real Canadian maple syrup.

A. I love being outside, so working on a project outside the house, in the barn, or taking care of our animals.

Q. What’s your favorite place to meet with students, and why?

A. Pizza Hut. It’s fun to see what “All You Can Eat” really means to teens. Especially for the younger guys. “What do you mean, you’re full? You’ve only eaten two slices! Eat, up boy!”

Q. What do you do to stay relevant to the youth you serve?

A. Hang out with them. And drop youth lingo like “wiggity-wack” as much as possible. The kids dig it, and they think I’m groovy.

Q. What do you do to stay relevant to the youth you serve?

A. I think one of the best ways to stay relevant to youth is to listen to them.

Listen to what they talk about, what they like, dislike, etc. This gives you a great view into their world!

Q. I never leave for youth group without my: .

A. Bible and my wife!

Q. What do you do in your free time?

A. I enjoy going for a run, taking walks with my wife, playing any kind of sport and reading a good book.

Q. What resource has inspired you for ministry lately?

Q. Where would you like to travel someday in the future?

A. Messy Spirituality, by Mike Yaconelli.

I read it annually.

A. Someday I would like to travel to New Zealand and explore the countryside and see all the different farms.

Q. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done for a youth group fundraiser?

A. The “non-event” fundraiser. Sell real tickets for a fake dinner that won’t happen, to not be scheduled on a fictitious day (February 30, for example). No commitment from the ticket buyers to attend.

4 |Winter 2013

Q. What is one website that you visit every day?

A. I like checking the Center for Parent and Youth Understanding to keep up to date on what’s going on in the youth ministry world.

Q. What do you do to stay relevant to the youth you serve?

A. I spend time listening to them, watching their posts on social media, being someone who shows love and support by spending time with them. Youth are seeking meaningful relationships with adults who are authentically engaged with them, who show them they matter and have value. That takes a heart reflecting the image of Christ, and he is eternally relevant.

Q. I never leave for youth group without:

Q. What do you do in your free time?

A. Sleep.

LINDA BONNIER Q. I never leave for youth group without my: .

A. Heart, mind and ears open. Keeping myself open, the students will open up about themselves.

Q. If your students described you in five words or less, what would they say?

A. Happy and kind, consistent, fun.

Q. What do you do in your free time?

A. I love making cards.

Q. Where would you like to travel someday in the future?

OF

A. My phone, I know I should say my Bible . . . but it’s my phone. I have my Bible on my phone, if that counts.

YOUTH UNLIMITED

CATHY TILSTRA

Q. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done for a youth group fundraiser?

A. We are far too civilized in Canada to do anything crazy.

Q. Where would you like to travel someday in the future?

A. Greece.

Q. What is one website that you visit every day?

A. Pinterest. I get lots of ideas for our little ones and mid-week programs (and card ideas).

Let us know if you’d like to be interviewed for a future issue of the Youth Unlimited Magazine at interview@youthunlimited.org.

A. Europe and Israel. I would love to walk where Jesus walked, touch the stones he touched, immerse myself in the water he was baptized in.

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F

or 42 years and counting, Millie Hoekstra has invested in the faith formation of students through the ministry of Youth Unlimited. It all started back in 1973 when she and her husband Les took students to Convention in Claremont, California. That was the beginning of her decision to obediently follow God’s call to show students the love of Jesus Christ.

Over the past four decades she has used her gifts of organization, attention to detail, financial stewardship and ability to meet deadlines in many volunteer capacities, and for the last 15 years as a staff member at Youth Unlimited. Millie has now decided it is time to retire. But 6 |Winter 2013

don’t think for one minute that her work will be done! It is very likely you will find her still bringing students to Youth Unlimited faith-forming experiences just as she did many years ago!

Thousands of students have attended events organized and run by Millie. At these events, so many have experienced the love, forgiveness and grace that can be found only in Jesus Christ. Many students have started a relationship with Jesus or heard their life call at one of

these experiences. The ripple effect of Millie’s decision to live her life for Jesus will likely go on for generations!

And yet, in typical Millie style, she has stayed behind the scenes and has never sought out attention or recognition for her work. Her satisfaction and joy have always come from watching students worship and serve Jesus.

Millie, on behalf of the Youth Unlimited team, your many planning team members, youth leaders and countless students, we say thank you for your service! You are a blessing!

M

LIVE IT 2013: INSPIRATION AND BLESSING

any life-changing moments occurred at Live It 2013— often during one-on-one times between students and their leaders. Hayley’s* father abandoned her family when she was a little girl. She never felt loved by either of her parents.

Coming from this rough background, Hayley admitted that she had herself made some poor choices in life—choices she knew were not pleasing to God. She said that the only people who seemed to truly care about her were in her youth group. Despite her deep-seated trust issues, Hayley’s youth group is helping her learn to trust again. She has asked Jesus to be her Lord and Savior, and alongside a leader at Live It, she confessed specific sins to Jesus and asked his forgiveness. Hayley chose to forgive both her mother and her father for not being the parents that God intended them to be.

Towards the end of Live It, Sadie* ran out of the auditorium holding her stomach and crying. Leaders followed her out. She was sobbing and crying, “I want it to end; I want it to end.” When asked what it was that she wanted “to end,” she answered, “the emptiness.”

One leader asked her who Jesus was to her. Sadie replied, “I don’t know, but I want to know.” Then the leader had the amazing opportunity to walk Sadie through the steps of confessing her sins, asking forgiveness, and asking Jesus to come into her life. Sadie was assured that the moment she asked Jesus in, the Holy Spirit had entered her heart and filled all her emptiness with God’s presence. Sadie finally felt peace that she had come home.

These are just two glimpses of how God made himself known to students during Live It this past summer. We are so thankful for the ways he chose to work. And we are looking forward with great anticipation to Live It 2015! *name changed

Live It’s purpose is for teenagers to explore how God can use their unique gifts and talents to serve him. Every morning of the experience began with personal devotion time. Students were then split into groups or tracks based on their unique giftedness. In these tracks students could explore how to use their gifts and talents to honor God. Play It Track: Students had the opportunity to participate in unique team-building exercises, play sports and hear from a former NBA player. He told the story of how God worked in his life to use his gift of basketball to be able to share Christ with others.

Grow It Track: Students began each day with an hour of individual quiet time with God. Then they were taught various types of meditation, prayer, and group activities to deepen their relationship with God. They learned about Spiritual Warfare, and spent one morning prayerwalking a lower income neighborhood, offering to pray with people they met.

Create It Track: Students had talented vocal, instrumental, drama and graphic arts instructors. The music, dance and drama groups wrote their own original music, vocal presentations and skits, while the graphic arts students created meaningful Photoshop projects.

Do It Track: Students spent time interacting with children in community centers. They also cleaned and did painting, teardown and construction in neighborhood parks and worked on a Habitat house.

DIGITAL RESOURCE BOX: Youth Unlimited has created a Digital Resource Box for your 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-touse categories with downloads that will make planning your summer experience even better: Promotions, Registration, Leader Helps and Pre- and Post-Trip Resources.

Every evening there was a worship time of praising God and being challenged by a Speaker. Following worship, students met with their home church youth groups to check in with their leaders, so they could debrief the day together. scan.me/5jtvnx

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Y O U T H U N L I M I T E D S TA F F P I C K S : Megan: If you (like me) struggle greatly to maintain an efficient and organized home, the blog “A Bowl Full of Lemons” just might help lift you out of the mire. Tips and schedules for daily cleaning routines are followed by beautifully illustrating photographs of how to organize every inch of a home, from the junk drawer to the linen closet. Never has organization looked so glamorous. Part inspiration, part how-to, this blog also has sections on budgeting, DIY home decorating, emergency preparedness and pretty much everything else you might aspire to when creating a peaceful command center for your family.

Jerry: Being outdoors for long hours resets my thoughts and always causes me to worship the Creator. When I can’t actually be outside, I like to spend some time watching the crew from midwestwhitetail.com share their experiences about deer hunting. I have learned how to explore a new hunting area, where to hang a ladder stand, how to get good trail cam pictures, what deer like to eat during certain months and that sometimes staying out of the woods can be as important as shooting with accuracy. There’s a tone of, “Here’s what I’ve learned along the way.” Much of hunting is trial and error, so it’s nice to 8 |Winter 2013

have professionals who express, “Don’t be too hard on yourself when you mess up an opportunity. Just refine your thinking and move forward.” The host always ends with: “Remember to always dream big.” That goes for all of life.

Alesha: Ben Rector’s newest album, “The Walking In Between,” is incredible. The lyrics have depth and are laced with honesty. Rector is a talented singer/ songwriter whose voice will make you want to listen to the album on repeat.

Jim: “The creative adult is a child who survived” – Ursula Le Guin.

This September marked my second year attending the STORY Conference in downtown Chicago, IL. STORY is a conference to fuel the creative mind. According to their website, STORY brings in “creative practitioners. . . . Many are icons to be sure. But our goal is not to invite people you’ve heard of—just those you will.”

The founders of STORY are rooted in a solid faith, but throw the conference each year with what I would call a Next Christians kind of approach (a great book by Gabe Lyons). They inspire all creatives “to break conventions, question paradigms, and expand their thinking.” Both times I have come away not only with my cup refilled, but with a reminder to work with and learn from culture for a better world, better end result and ultimately a better STORY.

Jeff: Leaders are learners.

I have heard this statement many times and know it to be true. For me the Willow Creek Leadership Conference is an annual event I make it a priority to attend. It’s great being surrounded by other ministry or business leaders who are also looking to learn, network and be challenged.

Taking this conference in at a satellite site in my town means a shared experience with people from my community, which leads to ongoing accountability, encouragement and networking throughout the year. A few take-aways from this year’s conference: “You can choose courage or comfort, but you can’t have both” – Dr. Brene Brown.

“The only way your vision can live beyond you is to invest it into the next generation” – Oscar Muriu.

“A good team trusts you and each other” – General Colin Powell.

“Every significant vision God gives requires courage” – Bill Hybels.

The Staff pictured above from left to right are: Jim, Alesha, Jerry, Megan and Jeff. If you have a book, blog, website, music or anything of the like that you’re really into or think we should check out, let us know at reviews@youthunlimited.org

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Serve 2014 W H AT C A N G O D D O W I T H M E T O D AY , R I G H T W H E R E I A M ?

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FAST WITHOUT THE FURIOUS

BY JERRY MEADOWS

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pastor I’ve known for a long time challenged me to fast periodically. I used to grit my teeth and commit to grind out the duration of the fast, believing it was good for expanding my heart’s passion for the Lord and compassion for others. I joked about reversing the Daniel Fast and only eating meats and sweets. Of all the spiritual disciplines, fasting is the one I’ve struggled with the most.

In the book, Fast Living, I finally caught a glimpse of fasting that touched my heart and moved me to a more genuine act of worship. The author points out that there are moments in the human experience that no one would consider eating, such as a bride taking the arm of her father to walk down the isle. At that moment stopping for a meatball sub would never cross her mind. Similarly, no one approaching the scene of a tragic accident reaches for a snack. No one enters an appointment to hear a serious diagnosis with a to-go bag.

There are moments in life, points of impact, when human appetites fade due to something more significant. Life priorities shuffle. We realize the most important things in life are unseen, untouchable by hands and only touched in the deepest places of our hearts.

This is a good introduction to fasting.

As we get a glimpse of this world the way God sees it, our human appetites for the things of this world fade and laying them aside for a season is just reasonable or even welcome. With a true view from God’s perspective one could ask: “How can I consume so much when others have so little? How can I enjoy such comforts and excess when God’s heart is broken for people in need of basic life resources? Can’t I use more of what he has given me to help them?”

We are convicted that for at least a season we could: 1. Eat less and less often so that, through God’s leading, we can pray more and more fervently for those around the world in need.

2. Shower quicker and pray more as an act of solidarity with those who have little water.

3. Abstain from an entertainment in order to spend more time with the Lord and others following him so we can pray, listen and then act.

Listening to the Lord and becoming educated on his view of the world is essential then for True Fasting.

This is why Youth Unlimited has collaborated with both LIVE 58 and World Renew for the 2014 Serve theme material. Together, we just sent 2,500 copies of Fast Living to church pastors across Canada and the U.S. LIVE 58 has become an amplifier for Isaiah 58, making the message of God’s heart for a hurting world simple to access. Their website and resources are creative, fun and meant for friends and groups to do together. Check them out at www.live58.org/church.

World Renew has many real life stories not just of need, but of courage and hope and followers of Christ around the world who pull together the assets of a community and make a difference through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Check them out at worldrenew.net.

In 2014 we want to help your students sense the heart of the Lord for this hurting world. We want to see the appetites of this world fade in the light of God’s longing for his people to help others. The Serve experience will call students to fast for a week from ordinary comforts and conveniences and inspire them to engage in praying, fasting, giving and being an advocate in their church for the rest of the year.

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Serve at

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Serve Sites

Custom Serve

Serve Sites are one-week mission experiences hosted by local churches throughout the United States and Canada. Host Churches request to host 40 - 100 students to help with their community outreach and revitalization.

The students and youth leaders come from four or more Sending Churches with a usual maximum group size of 15 participants. Groups larger than 15 must register for two or more Serve Sites.

This is because Serve Sites are meant to provide students with an experience of fellowship and unity with the larger body of Christ. Relationships at Serve Sites deepen fast since the participants are put into random work teams, which also function as the students’ small groups throughout the week.

For a Custom Serve, Youth Unlimited steps out of a programmatic or organizational viewpoint and asks God for his leading. As followers of Christ, we are willing to invest time, money and resources for God’s glory and the sake of the gospel. Serve Sites are never cookie cutter experiences. There are best practices and high standards maintained across the board, but each experience is unique due to the variety of churches hosting and the way God works in specific congregations and communities. If you have a group of 30 or more, Youth Unlimited has a small number of Host Churches willing to develop a Custom Serve for your group.

Contact Youth Unlimited to find out more about this option. If 30 students and youth leaders is a stretch for your church, make it a multi-generational trip and bring a few more parents or older adults along.

a Glance

Follow the QR below for the full list of Serve FAQS:

Serve Projects

The Serve Experience

Serve Projects last for five days and are hosted at a Christian college. These colleges can host upwards of 250 students at a time in order to build on their year-round community outreach efforts. During a Serve Project, youth groups stay together the entire time and are led by adults from their own church. There is no limit on how many students a group can bring.

Serve Projects are meant to provide an atmosphere of high energy and service opportunity in which youth groups can grow unity with each other and connect relationally with their own leaders, while also having plenty of opportunity to interact with people from other churches. The Chicago Project will be back in 2014, along with a new location—The Prairie Project!

Participating in Serve, whether at a Serve Site, Serve Project, or Custom Serve, will introduce your students to the concepts of justice and missional living. At any Serve experience you and your students will be introduced to and involved in one or more of the following types of service work: •

Community Revitalization

•

Compassion for the Marginalized

•

Creation Care

•

Recreational Ministry for Children

•

Acts of Kindness

What does a Serve day look like?

7:00 AM – Breakfast/Prepare Lunches | 8:00 AM – Devotions | 8:45 AM – Leave for Worksites 4:00 PM – Showers/Free Time | 6:00 PM – Dinner | 7:30 PM – Evening Session 9:00 PM – Small Group Discussion | 10:00 PM – Snack and Free Time | 11:00 PM – Lights Out youthunlimited.org | 13

Dates & Descriptions Serve projects

Serve Sites

PRAIRIE PROJECT...........07/06/2014 – 07/10/2014 CHICAGO PROJECT.........07/28/2014 – 08/01/2014

Bradenton, FL.............................................................................................. 03/08/2014 – 03/15/2014 Houston, TX.................................................................................................. 06/14/2014 – 06/21/2014 Crown Point, IN........................................................................................... 06/21/2014 – 06/28/2014 Grand Rapids, MI (LaGrave CHURCH)........................................................ 06/21/2014 – 06/28/2014 Roselawn, IN................................................................................................ 06/21/2014 – 06/28/2014 Austin, TX...................................................................................................... 06/28/2014 – 07/05/2014 Ajax, ON......................................................................................................... 07/05/2014 – 07/12/2014 London, ON................................................................................................... 07/05/2014 – 07/12/2014 Regina, SK..................................................................................................... 07/05/2014 – 07/12/2014 Bellflower, CA............................................................................................ 07/12/2014 – 07/19/2014 Byron Center, MI (MIDDLE SCHOOL)........................................................... 07/12/2014 – 07/18/2014 Gallatin Valley, MT.................................................................................... 07/12/2014 – 07/19/2014 Hamilton, ON................................................................................................ 07/12/2014 – 07/19/2014 Minnesota West, MN................................................................................... 07/12/2014 – 07/19/2014 Muskegon, MI............................................................................................... 07/12/2014 – 07/19/2014 Platte, SD..................................................................................................... 07/12/2014 – 07/19/2014 Thunder Bay, ON.......................................................................................... 07/12/2014 – 07/19/2014 Washington D.C., VA (Fairfax)................................................................... 07/12/2014 – 07/19/2014 Grand Rapids, MI (Brookside CHURCH).................................................... 07/19/2014 – 07/26/2014 Holland, MI.................................................................................................. 07/19/2014 – 07/26/2014 Peterborough, ON....................................................................................... 07/19/2014 – 07/26/2014 Sioux Falls, SD............................................................................................ 07/19/2014 – 07/26/2014 West Des Moines, IA.................................................................................... 07/26/2014 – 08/02/2014 Woodstock, ON............................................................................................ 07/26/2014 – 08/02/2014 Ottawa, ON (Special Needs)...................................................................... 07/04/2014 – 07/10/2014 Winnipeg, MB (Special Needs)................................................................... 07/19/2014 – 07/24/2014

Custom Serve Sites Stephenville, TX.......................................................................................... Flexible June Dates Newark North, NJ....................................................................................... Flexible June Dates Newark North, NJ....................................................................................... Flexible July Dates *prices vary starting at $295 USD 14 |Winter 2013

June 14 – 21 | Houston, TX

June 21 – 28 | Roselawn, IN

July 5 – 12 | Regina, SK

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.

Roselawn is a small rural community with many residents working in the steel mills 25 miles north in Gary, Indiana. Community Church began a ministry in Roselawn over 30 years ago with a Vacation Bible School. Today, Community Church is a growing and thriving young church with people from a variety of backgrounds and life experiences. Our vision statement reads: “Celebrating Christ; Restoring Community.” We celebrate our relationship with Jesus Christ through God-honoring worship, and we restore community through acts of loving kindness, modeling Christ’s love for us. We are an outreach church totally dedicated to mobilizing the body of Christ to serve our community. When you come to Serve here, you’ll join a work already in progress, which will continue long after your week here is over. The hands-on aspect of the work will include many sites dedicated to doing home repairs in low-income housing areas and feeding the hungry from our church food pantry. These opportunities and others will help us continue our community relational care.

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), leading Vacation Bible School at Indian Metis Christian Fellowship (inner city ministry) and Food Bank Assistance.

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July 12 – 19 | Thunder Bay, ON We are located on the north shore of beautiful Lake Superior in the heart of the rugged Canadian Boreal forest.

The Serve Host Team is made up of volunteers from several Christian Reformed Churches in Thunder Bay. Together as one body we are able to reach people from the downtown areas of the city to its rural outskirts. It’s our vision to cover Thunder Bay with the gospel message. There are many people in need of Christ’s grace. Though each congregation is distinct, our combined congregations have worked hard together to establish extensive relationships in the community. We not only give encouragement to each other in our work, but we jointly support organizations that help reach our community with the gospel and Christ’s healing touch.

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July 12 – 19 | Fairfax, VA Washington DC 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.

July 26 – Aug 2 | Woodstock, ON Our town is located along the historic Thames River and is famous for being The Dairy Capital of Canada. We’re also known as “The Friendly City.” Our church has hosted Serve several times, and it has become a highlight of our community outreach and the life of the church. We strive to find a good variety of worksite experiences, including helping individuals, organizations and the church itself. There will be plenty of painting, lawn maintenance, light construction, cleaning, working at the soup kitchen and some VBS prep work. We look to find worksites that demonstrate how people in Woodstock are serving Christ and show how we can serve others even if the need is not always obvious.

*VISIT US ON THE WEB TODAY TO SEE ALL THE SITE DESCRIPTIONS!

MIDDLE SCHOOL SERVE

MIDDLE SCHOOL SERVE TESTIMONY In the summer of 2013 I went on my fifth middle school Serve. It was my seventh Serve in the past five years and my eighth overall. Why do I keep going?

As someone who struggles with energy on a regular basis, I can honestly say that a Serve experience is one of the highlights of my year. The youth are so full of the Spirit during that week that it’s contagious. Between working together, praising together, playing games together, the energy and spirit that is passed on is truly God-given.

T

he relationships and friendships of Serve that last long beyond the summer are just one of the awesome reasons why we, here at Friendship CRC, host middle school Serve year after year.

As a Host Team, we seek to provide a time of worship that is authentic and transparent, a worship experience that facilitates the work of the Holy Spirit in the transformation of young people’s lives. We laugh and we cry as we share our struggles with one another; we talk through the hard stuff and reveal some of the deepest parts of our hearts. As we empty the hearts of these young people, we fill them with God’s unconditional love, a peace that can only come from our Savior, and a hope grounded in the promises God has made to each of us.

I am amazed every year how God transforms and works in the lives of these young people through the work projects, the people we serve, the times of worship, and the fun we have together as a family. Each year Friendship CRC is blessed through Serve with a small glimpse of what the new Kingdom will look like; a family in Christ living, working, playing, and worshiping for the one true God. We could use another twenty students and youth leaders at our Serve in 2014.

And, I would also highly recommend to any church thinking about becoming a middle school Host Team: step out in faith, and be a part of an amazing opportunity.

Be blessed and become a blessing by serving the awesome young people of God’s incredible Kingdom.

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” ~Mark 10:45 Pastor Eric Everhart Middle School Host Team Friendship Christian Reformed Church, Byron Center Michigan

At one middle school Serve we met a woman who, along with her husband, had adopted two South American children. They were then blessed with their own, which was not supposed to be possible. Her husband suddenly passed away when their son was only eight months old, leaving her with three kids, and a family farm. Our theme that year was Shalom, Peace No Matter What, and as someone who could have turned her back on God, she felt blessed by God and the community. What an awesome spirit.

I was blessed to go back the following year to help get her new house ready to move in, and now as her Facebook friend have witnessed her finding new love and remarrying. God is great.

Friendship Christian Reformed Church in Byron Center, Michigan is a phenomenal Host Team and never fails to make us feel welcome, bring wonderful praise and worship and pick great worksites that allow us to learn and grow in God. By the way, I will be attending my ninth and tenth Serves during the summer of 2014!

Martin Smit Clearview CRC, Oakville, Ontario

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The Serve Projects The Chicago Project: The Chicago Project 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.

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 wellknown 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.

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The Prairie Project: The Prairie Project is a five-day Serve Project in which young people from all over the United States and Canada will converge on the campus of Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa to immerse themselves in the issues facing rural America.

Why: The poverty rate in rural areas is higher (17% of all people living below the poverty line) than in urban areas (14% of all people living below the poverty line). The depth and severity of poverty is more pronounced and more entrenched in rural areas. 340 out of 386 “persistent poverty counties” in the U.S. are located in non-metro areas.1 The resources needed to address rural poverty - education, health care, transportation, mental health, and community support - are lacking. There is insufficient attention and awareness given to the serious issues facing rural North America. We want to help young people become aware of the problems and issues facing the rural poor, provide an opportunity for them to encounter the beauty and diversity of rural US, to partner with local churches and organizations to help meet the needs of those struggling to make ends meet in rural America and to encounter the presence and power of God’s Spirit as we encounter our neighbor in love and grace.

“At the core of Dordt College’s worldview is the belief that all of creation is the Lord’s in Jesus Christ. “In the beginning God created . . . and it was good”; it is this created “goodness” that makes the saving work of Jesus Christ “good news.” God is not interested in just saving souls; God is at work in Jesus Christ transforming this world into the “new creation” of the Kingdom of God. It is this good news that pushes us out into the world, to enter into the lives of others, bearing witness to the hope of the new creation. The Prairie Project flows out of this belief in God’s love and saving grace for all of creation, providing an opportunity for Dordt College to partner with local churches as we love our neighbor and testify to God’s action in the world making all things new.” ~Jason Lief 1) http://1.usa.gov/18i8Xwa

The Unexpected Prairie

BY JASON LIEF

W

hen asked to think about cultural diversity, most people understandably think about urban communities with people from all sorts of different backgrounds.

But increasingly, this same diversity can be found in rural communities on the northern plains as well. Many of our neighbors come from Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia and they bring with them a wealth of diversity, cultural strengths and Kingdom cooperation.

The native people settled here because they loved, even worshipped, the sun.

They took advantage of the natural resources the land provided. Today, the descendants of these people are still here wrestling with the challenges brought on by the near destruction of their way of life. European settlers came here in the 1800’s and established communities grounded in farming and faith. Today, people still come from around the globe in search of opportunity.

While there is much about rural life that is good, as with every other place in

the world there are significant issues and problems to overcome. There are kids who go hungry, and there are men and women without good jobs. These people, our neighbors and family members, struggle with disabilities, extended sickness, addictions and all the financial, emotional, and relational needs that go along with that.

While urban and global poverty get much of the attention, rural poverty represents a unique challenge. It is pervasive and destructive to families and communities, and yet many of the resources and networks needed to address the significant issues associated with rural poverty (physical and emotional abuse, substance abuse, etc.) are under-developed, under-funded, or non-existent.

What’s unique about the rural setting is that there’s often a stoic pride and stubbornness that masks how significant these needs can be. Some small communities don’t have all the resources they need, while many of the people who could benefit from the resources

either aren’t sure how to ask or aren’t willing to.

When you come you’ll meet some of our hardworking, wise neighbors. You’ll experience the issues and struggles that are unique to this people and this region.

You will also find that many of these problems affect us all regardless of where we live. We invite you to come, not just to give, but to receive. We invite you to open yourself up in generosity and love to the people and the land and see what happens. Hear God speak to you in the wind and the blue sky, and let Jesus meet you in the people you encounter.

You’ll experience both diversity and poverty here along with the rolling hills, big skies, river valleys and vistas that allow you to see for miles—all part of the beauty of the plains. You’ll also experience a Divine Normal that followers of Jesus Christ are ushering in by his grace.

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T H E

2 0 1 3

Y O U T H U N L I M I T E D

THROUGH YOUR PRAYERS & PARTNERSHIP STUDENTS ARE CHANGING THE WORLD FOR JESUS CHRIST youthunlimited.org | 21

WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT OUR EXPERIENCES Serve

Chicago Project

Live It

1,450

265

337

US Participants

737

175

299

Canadian Participants

713

90

38

Churches Involved

142

19

36

Total Participants

Serve gave me the opportunity to step outside of my box and hold my hands up high. The impact was and will continue to be a strong one. Thank you so much for this and the effort everyone put into it. God bless! – STUDENT

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2,052

TOTAL PARTICIPANTS AT ALL EVENTS IN 2013 2013 was another year full of Youth Unlimited faith-forming experiences that pulled students away from the busyness and temptations of everyday life and brought them to a place where they could focus on listening to, worshiping and serving Jesus. Time and again, we heard testimonies highlighting personal encounters with Jesus Christ and ways students are living for him. While we continue to celebrate the stories from 2013, we are in full anticipation for what Christ will do through the multiple Serve Sites, The Chicago Project and The Prairie Project in 2014!

Serve 70.5%

Live It 16.5% Chicago Project 13% youthunlimited.org | 23

this past year 24 |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

41,874

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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Live justice. Love mercy.

serve christ.

Much of the world’s population lives in poverty, surviving on less than $2 per day.

World Renew works with churches and Christian partners worldwide to empower women and men to overcome poverty and injustice, and achieve their God given potential. Join

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us.

for k o o L in w e n e r World 2014 serve

Over $18,913 in scholarship funds were given this year. you helped 64 students & Adults attend a faith-forming experience!

FINANCIAL REPORT MARCH 1, 2012 – FEBRUARY 28, 2013 REVENUE

EXPENSE

Individual & Corprate Donations 15%

Operations & Administration 15%

Church Donations 11%

Participation Income 74%

$978,544

Programs & Events 85%

$893,206 youthunlimited.org | 27

GIVE A GIFT TODAY. CHANGE A STUDENT’S LIFE FOREVER! THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT CAN HAPPEN IN A STUDENT’S LIFE IS THAT THEY FORM A LIFELONG RELATIONSHIP AND COMMITMENT TO JESUS CHRIST. AFTER DECADES OF DOING YOUTH MINISTRY ALONGSIDE CHURCHES, WE KNOW THAT MISSION TRIPS AND CONVENTIONS ARE OFTEN WHERE STUDENTS DISCOVER GOD’S LOVE FOR THEM. ONE STUDENT SENT US A THANK YOU LETTER LAST SUMMER THAT REALLY HIT HOME. “THANK YOU FOR NOT LOSING HOPE IN OUR GENERATION,” SHE SAID. THAT GETS TO THE HEART OF WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO, AND WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP TO DO IT.

GI VI NG STU D ENTS TI ME AND SPACE DONATIONS OF ANY SIZE 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 DONATING TODAY

THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF EVERY STUDENT YOU HAVE INVESTED IN OVER THE YEARS. GOD IS USING YOU TO MOLD STUDENTS INTO WHO HE CREATED THEM TO BE. PLEASE TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO GIVE A GIFT THAT WILL HELP TO FURTHER THE EFFORTS OF OUR MINISTRY PARTNERSHIP. 28 |Winter 2013

AND INVESTING IN STUDENTS!

SCAN TO D O N AT E T O DAY ! scan.me/72bg7b

kingsu.ca Kory, Bachelor of Science 2012

BEING CURIOUS ABOUT LIFE MAKES A REALLY GREAT LIVING. The little university with big degrees. King’s small classes, faith-based education and dedicated professors will guide and challenge you to expand your world - and your role in it - while you work towards a career that a Bachelor of Science can lead to.

From an ecologist or chemist, to a veterinarian or systems analyst.

Same degree. Better education.

BACHELOR OF

Education

BACHELOR OF

Arts

BACHELOR OF

Music

E D M O N TO N ,

BACHELOR OF

Science

A L B E R TA ,

BACHELOR OF

Commerce

C A N A DA

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1. 8 0 0 . 6 61. 8 5 8 2

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Dynamic Youth Ministries 1333 Alger St. SE Grand Rapids, MI 49507

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: 2013 MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS | LOOKING FORWARD: WHAT GOD IS DOING FOR 2014

STAFF PICKS | FACES OF YOUTH UNLIMITED | SERVE 2014 | THANKFUL FOR MILLIE 30 |Winter 2013