Prayer Requests for February 25 - March 3, 2009

(2/25) Wednesday – Pray for the CDYFC staff as we gather today for our staff meeting from 9AM – 1 PM.

(2/26) Thursday – Pray for the pastors in the Brunswick community as they meet at noon for lunch, fellowship and prayer.

Pray for me as I drive up and back to East Dorset, VT to take part in the Campus Life club that meets tonight.

(2/27) Friday – Pray for Catie who is raising funds so she can join us on staff with our City Life and Teen Parents ministry.

(2/28) Saturday – Pray for Ray and Andy Lightcap as they present the 3STORY training (lifestyle evangelism) in the Binghamton area this weekend.

(3/1) Sunday – Pray for me as I preach this morning at Nassau Reformed Church and for those in this congregation.

(3/2) Monday – Pray for Dave Lenehan as we are just 2 weeks out from the Break Out Conference for middle school students.

(3/3) Tuesday – Pray for the Troy WOW JAM meeting with pastors this morning. Pray that they will catch the vision for what can be accomplished for His kingdom through this event scheduled for this summer.

YFC Stories

These following 3 stories come from YFC staff working with teens through the ministry of YFC.

It was the last club meeting of the year. The room was so full there wasn't room for everyone. John wanted to talk with someone, but he was a few minutes late so he missed the meeting. he found the YFC staff member in the parking lot. "All year I have been coming to YFC. At first I came because of the pizza. Then I started to listen to what people were saying. Whenever someone would ask if there was anyone who wanted to place his faith in Christ, I would say to myself not today. But today was the last meeting and I was going to say yes, and I missed the meeting. I want to follow Christ." In the school parking lot John said yes to Jesus and became a Christ follower.

I went to church last night for the first time in many months. I didn't feel like I belonged there. It didn't feel like it was for me. I have got so distant from God it's unbelievable. Until I talked with Madison last night I didn't even think I needed Him. But everything she said to me made me realize He is the ONLY one that will accept me for who I am and loves me for who I am. And He is the only one I need.

There is a student who suffers from nightmares, struggles with cutting and can't get her parent's words out of her mind; "I wish you would have never been born. It's your fault we had to get a divorce." This young teenager is now on the road to a new life in Christ.

What a privilege it is to serve alongside other YFC staff from around the country who are part of God's mission to seek and save the lost.

Prayer Requests for February 18-24, 2009

Thank you for your continued prayers!

(2/18) Wednesday – Continue to pray for our ministry to middle school and high school students in New Lebanon.

(2/19) Thursday – Continue to pray for the Averill Park girl’s small group that meets tonight.

Pray for them as they study the scriptures that they would have great insights to what God wants to say to them this afternoon.

(2/20) Friday – Praise God for the Snow Blast Retreat last weekend and that the teens that went heard the Gospel.

(2/21) Saturday – Continue to pray for our ministry in Greenville and for Sherri who works part time with us to lead this ministry to high school students in this community.

(2/22) Sunday – Continue to pray for more funding to come in for our ministry in the North Country area. We currently have 2 out reach ministries, one in Cambridge, NY and another in East Dorset, VT. We need at about $550 a month right now and the goal of getting back up to over $2,000 a month.

(2/23) Monday – Pray for the informational meeting about Troy Teen Parents tonight. Pray that God’s timing and provision will be realized.

(2/24) Tuesday – Pray for the pastors and Christian leaders we spend a day in prayer together in Saratoga Springs.

Prayer Requests for February 11-17, 2009

(2/11) Wednesday – Continue to pray for our ministry to middle school and high school students in New Lebanon. Pray that the repairs to the building we use will be done so we don’t have to cancel another week of meetings.

(2/12) Thursday – Continue to pray for the Averill Park girl’s small group that meets tonight.

Pray for them as they study the scriptures that they would have great insights to what God wants to say to them this afternoon.

(2/13) Friday – Pray for the Snow Blast Retreat this weekend. We have teens from Cambridge and Schenectady attending. Pray for the Gospel be clearly presented this weekend.

(2/14) Saturday – Pray for our ministry in Greenville and for Sherri who works part time with us to lead this ministry to high school students in this community.

(2/15) Sunday – Continue to pray for more funding to come in for our ministry in the North Country area. We currently have 2 out reach ministries, one in Cambridge, NY and another in East Dorset, VT. We need at about $550 a month right now and the goal of getting back up to over $2,000 a month.

(2/16) Monday – Continue to pay for our Juvenile Justice Ministry here in the Capital District. Pray for Tim as he recruits volunteers and raises the monies need to continue full time with YFC.

Pray for the staff this week that will be able to meet with more students than usual this week due to the school break.

(2/17) Tuesday – Continue to pray for the overall finances of YFC to be sufficient to meet our day to day needs. Praise God for all who are able to give to this work of God.

God is at work!

We love to hear from teens and youth leaders that attend Excel because it reminds us that God is working and He is using our efforts to bring people into and to further His kingdom.

Here are some responses we have received since Excel ended a few weeks ago.

From a volunteer youth leader:

“On Friday when Stephen (our keynote speaker) invited people to accept Jesus I RAN from the back door to the front to see if one of the kids we brought was standing up in front. She was. Praise GOD! She is 17 years old and I've been best friends with her mother for 15 years. She is my daugther’s best and oldest friend. 3 years ago her family endured a shocking tragedy while vacationing in Hawaii on New Years Day. Since then she has struggled with depression, cutting, eating disorders and behavior issues. She has been in and out of hospitals, treatment facilities, ect. We begged her mom to let her stay home one week longer (she was going into a month long treatment facility in New England this month) so she could go to Excel with us. As a family and at youth group we have been praying for her. Last week her mom finally decided that 1 week wasn't going to hurt waiting and sent her to Excel with us. Her life has CHANGED overnight. She went from that sad, broken, introverted girl, to the outgoing, confident, loud girl she was 3 years ago! She has decided she doesn't need the facility anymore!

She gave me her razors on Saturday night and announced she knew that God was much stronger than the devil and that she needed to pray and not cut to get rid of her pain. We will continue to pray for her daily but she is over that horrible time in her life and ready to take on the God who loves her so much! She has already asked to be baptized at church and told all her friends she has been born again! God is sooooo good!!!”

From some teens who are part of Capital District YFC:

“At Excel, I learned lots of things in the seminars that could be used significantly in my life and it helped me grow in my faith a little more. Every new thing like that helps push me some and when I leave I know I got something important out of it. It was also a really fun experience and that got me all the more into it.”

“I finally have accepted God as my Savior and I will say that it feels good and I don’t have a splinter in my butt anymore from sitting on top of the fence post. I have jumped to the holy side and God said, ‘It was good’.”

Prayer Requests for February 4-10, 2009

Thank you for your continued prayers!

(4) Wednesday – Continue to pray for our ministry to middle school and high school students in New Lebanon.

(5) Thursday – Continue to pray for the Averill Park girl’s small group that meets tonight.

(6) Friday – Pray for the WOW JAM informational meeting with pastors being held in Albany this morning with pastors from Troy, Albany and Schenectady.

(7) Saturday – Pray for our ministry in Greenville and for Sherri who works part time with us to lead this ministry to high school students in this community.

(8) Sunday – Continue to pray for more funding to come in for our ministry in the North Country area. We currently have 2 out reach ministries, one in Cambridge, NY and another in East Dorset, VT. We need at about $550 a month right now and the goal of getting back up to over $2,000 a month.

(9) Monday – Continue to pay for our Juvenile Justice Ministry here in the Capital District. Pray for Tim as he recruits volunteers.

(10) Tuesday – Continue to pray for the finances of YFC to be sufficient to meet our day to day needs. Praise God for all who are able to give to this work of God.