Prayer Requests for December 31 2008 - January 6 2009

Thank you for your continued prayers!

(31) Wednesday – Pray for the financial year end need for all of Capital District Youth for Christ and Praise God for all you give throughout the year.

(1) Thursday – Praise God that we have new beginnings in Christ everyday.

(2) Friday – Pray for our volunteers who minister to teens and for those who work behind the scenes in multiple ways.

(3) Saturday – Pray for our ministry in Averill Park and New Lebanon.

(4) Sunday – Pray for the churches throughout the Capital Region.

(5) Monday – Pray for our efforts to begin ministry in East Greenbush, Troy and Bethlehem.

(6) Tuesday – Pray for YFC’s Excel Conference (Jan 16-19) and for all the church youth groups that will be attending this year.

Merry Christmas

An assignment was given to group of elementary students to write about Christmas. One child wrote that Christmas is the day we celebrate Jesus' birthday. Then this child wrote, Jesus grew up to become Santa and give presents to everyone.

My prayer is that we do not behave like Jesus is our Santa.

Merry Christmas to all.

Kevin

Prayer and Praise Requests

Praise and Prayer Requests for December 24-30, 2008

(24) Wednesday – Praise for a great week of ministry last week and through the weekend, even with all the snow.

(25) Thursday – Praise God for His Son’s birth and the gift it is for all of us. Merry Christmas!

(26) Friday – Continue to pray for $125,000 in donations to come in each month for the overall ministry of Capital District Youth for Christ. Pray for us to put our total trust in God during uncertain economic times.

Pray for December giving to exceed what was given last year (We typically get about 25% of our yearly donations in this month).

(27) Saturday – Pray for the staff of YFC as we get a few days off this week.

(28) Sunday – Pray for those in our lives who need to know Jesus as Lord and Savior and to give Him control of their lives.

(29) Monday – Pray for our volunteers who give of their time, talent and love to teens throughout the Capital Region.

(30) Tuesday – Pray for the staff and volunteers who have key roles in the upcoming Excel high school conference (Jan 16-19).

Waiting

It always seems to happen so quickly. First a new school year begins and then we hit the holiday season. With Thanksgiving now celebrated (hopefully we stay thankful throughout the year) and as we prepare for the celebration of Christ's birth, I wonder how it happens so fast.

Some have told me that as we get older that time goes by faster. There are times when I wish time moved faster for some of the teens we encounter through our ministry.

Last week we received news that a 16 year old took her own life. She had been involved with us since childhood. When we look at her family situation and her own struggles with her health, I wonder if she would be alive if time moved a little faster for her. Would she have been more hopeful and turned to God at that moment of desperation instead of turning into her pain.

I wonder about the teens that say they can't believe in God due to the abuse they have suffered and how they can't trust a God they can't see and who seems powerless to them anyway. Living in fear, does that cause time to stand still?

I know that God keeps His promises and most of the time there is significant waiting on those promises.

During this season of Advent, this time of waiting for a birth, this time of wonder, I learn again about keeping my thoughts, my eyes and my hopes on Jesus.

He will come again just as He has come to save. To bring hope, to bring the promise.

Waiting while rejoicing in hope.

Sorry that it has been so long since my last entry. We are busy getting ready for our annual banquets, getting ministries started and moving, and connecting with teens for JESUS!

It looks like a small group for girls in Averill Park will be starting soon and there are conversations with some other adults about starting other small groups for teens in AP.

The parents in East Greenbush hosted a get together last week at one of their houses last week. The middle school kids got a chance to hang out, roast (burn) marshmallows and the adults got a chance to talk and do a little planning. Please pray for this group of parents as they continue to lay the ground work for a YFC ministry to form and start reaching out to the middle school students in this community.

Our volunteer led ministries in New Lebanon have been meeting since mid September. We have a new batch of middle school students who are involved this year. So far they have been very interested in the learning more about God and digging into the Bible. The high school group has been on 2 community service outings, a Christian concert and attending the Campus Life meetings.

A few weeks ago I received a call from someone who is interested in coming on staff with us for the city of Troy. Please pray for me and him as we walk through this process.

Andy and Ray, who work with middle and high school students respectively in Schenectady have started meeting for breakfast with a small group of boys for a Bible Study and we are hearing great reports about both groups.

Sherri, who works with high school teens in Greenville, started a Campus Life club this year and had 4 teens pray to accept Christ at a retreat this past weekend.

Tim, who is heading up our Juvenile Justice Minsitry is making some good contacts and developing his support team and we starting to recruit and screen volunteers for this new ministry.

God is moving and using His people. I am so honored to be a part of what God is doing here in the Capital Region.

In Christ,

Kevin Post
Ministry Development

Here we are on the ground (my comfort zone) just starting to go through the Spider Web.



I am the one in the middle on what we call the french fry element. Proof finally that I was on the high ropes course!

Pictures of the Ropes Course

A view from the top.
It doesn't look that high until you are up there.

the view of the course from the ground.

Challenge Course

I survived my time on the Challenge Course last week. I almost did not make it off the first platform (about 35 feet high) onto the first element. Watching all the other staff on the course and knowing that people were praying for me was a great motivation to complete the course.

It was definitely a time were I was out of my comfort zone having a strong fear of heights. I am having trouble loading some pictures but you can check out the Shiloh's Edge link to view some pictures.

I leave tomorrow for a 24 hour training for YFC Staff leading Campus Life ministries/clubs in the Eastern Region. About three hours after that training time ends our Fall Staff Retreat begins. I look forward to sharing what God has been doing later next week. (Hopefully with some pictures of me on the Challenge Course)

Up In The Air

God calls us to be available even when it is out of our comfort zone. I will be out of my comfort zone the next three days. I will be going through the training to use our new high ropes course. I have what I call a healthy fear of heights and have been constantly giving this fear to God this past week as I prepare to spend some time above the ground on our ropes course.

It has been many years since I have been on a high ropes course and the memories have been flooding my mind. Talking to the YFC staff has helped as I learn what the training will actually be like. I find in easier not be anxious when I have a good idea of what is coming and not processing what I think will be happening.

I know that God is using this time of waiting and will use the next three days to teach me more about Him, myself and how to work with others. Please pray for me as I take in these lessons and look to apply them in all areas of my life.

Take some time and ask God to show you areas that are out of your comfort zone and how He wants to use you and grow you.

God Bless,
Kevin

Troy Teen Parents

Pray for us as we are investigating and praying about starting a Teen Parents ministry in the city of Troy. Please contact me if you would like to be part of the adult team to help begin this ministry. You can email me at kpost@cdyfc.org. Check out the Teen Parents webpage and blog under Other CDYFC blogs.

The following is a story told to two of our staff (Ray and Ruth) yesterday by one of our teen moms.

“I was in the courtyard of my complex with my two kids and four others. I was watching when I heard the gunfire start. I grabbed the six little ones, pulled them inside my apartment door, threw them quickly on the floor and laid on top of them.”

I interrupted her story, “How long until the police got there?”

She continued. “Oh, the police don’t come. Nobody calls them. I don’t call them. They (the drug dealers) find out who the snitches are and they come and beat them up, man or woman, it doesn’t matter so I just keep quiet.”

I know that as a new believer in Christ she had separated from her children’s father because they were not married and she wanted to do what was right. “Without a man in the house, aren’t you afraid?” I asked.

She smiled, then giggled and said, “Let me tell you a story. Since I have become a believer my life has changed.” (She has gotten a certificate as a Nurse’s Assistant and has several job leads, the music in her home is now Christian music, and she smiles consistently.) “My ex-boyfriend accused me of having a new man in my life,” she continued “and I told him I do—His name is Jesus.” She smiled broadly and said, “Ray, Jesus is the man of the house, and He watches over me and my girls.”

To paraphrase, Jesus let me say, “I have not found such faith in all the churches I visit.” Not every young person’s story is so dramatic, but we are continually stretched to believe God to watch over the young people to whom we minister. This girl in particular is “aging out” of our program but will continue as a Junior Leader, will continue to attend church with Ruth and I, and will be baptized in a few weeks.

Thank you for your part in our ministry. As we minister, we do so in the name of Christ and as your representatives on His behalf. May the Giver of all good things bless you wonderfully as you have blessed us.

For Christ and the Kids,

Ray and Ruth Lightcap

Sept 2 update

Thanks for your prayers for last week. I was able to have a meeting with the church in Cohoes last week. They want to utilize YFC as a consultant to their already established youth ministry. Please pray with me as I continue to pursue this opportunity to partner with this church in the work God has called them to do in Cohoes.

I was also able to meet with the former YFC student. She is praying about her involvement. She is looking for employment and going to college part -time so she is not sure what her weekly schedule will be. She is also interested in volunteering with her church. Pray with me that she will hear clearly from God on where He wants her to serve. (It was awesome to hear how she is growing in her relationship with Christ.)

This week I will be doing more behind the scenes work getting ready for upcoming staff trainings, volunteer meetings and other paper/computer work that is part of this calling.

Pray for more volunteers in every community we believe God had called us to minister in this school year.

Back to work

After a great week of vacation were I got a chance to rest, hike and bike I am ready to get back to work.

This past Sunday night, I met with two couples who are helping begin an outreach to middle school students in the East Greenbush area. Our next meeting is on Sept 21 from 7-8:30ish. We will be going over the different volunteer roles needed to begin and sustain ministry and to role out our initial plan of meetings and events. There is always room for others to join (hint).

I spent most of Monday going through emails and phone messages and setting up appointments.

This morning I got to spend some time with Tim and Sherri Hvizdak. Tim leads our ministry in Berne-Knox-Westerlo area and will be heading up our Juvenile Justice Ministry. Sherri is in charge of the outreach in Greenville.

I am working on getting a meeting scheduled about starting a YFC ministry in Cohoes this week and meeting with a former YFC teen who is back in the area and interested in volunteering with us.

Please pray for these ministry areas this week. God Bless.

Christopher Ames (musician at camp) leading campers in the Beaver Song

Summer Escape Camp

I just got back from YFC's regional middle school camp in PA. There were 92 middle school students from Penn, Maryland, New York and Vermont.

• 22 Campers made a first time decisions for Jesus Christ
• 23 Campers committed their lives to be a generation of leaders who lead with integrity
• 47 Campers recommitted their lives to Jesus and want to live wholeheartedly for Him

Welcome to my blog!

We want you to know that we are changing how we communicate with our partners and friends of Youth for Christ. Instead of receiving a monthly prayer letter from each specific ministry area or staff members that you are connected with, we will be publishing this newly designed Youth Matters. We’ll keep you updated with a calendar of events, prayer requests, teen testimonies, ways you can get involved and we will honor a special volunteer each month. You will be directed to each ministry’s website and prayer blog, to read more frequently updated news, prayer requests, praise reports, family news, etc. on any of the ministries you are interested in. (see inside – Meet Our Team). We will be able to mail this new version of Youth Matters at bulk rate postage and save time and $$ each month – in printing and postage costs.

We hope you will welcome this change and frequently check out the websites/prayer blogs for the specific ministry area that you are most connected with. AND we hope you’ll visit the others as well, to learn more about the scope of our ministry and how we all are working together to reach kids throughout the whole Capital Region.

Thanks for standing with us… helping us love kids in Jesus’ name. Your partnership is making a difference.

--Kevin, Ministry Development