OUR MISSION/VISION
YFC reaches young people everywhere, working together with the local church and other like-minded partners to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who lead by their godliness in lifestyle, devotion to the Word of God and prayer, passion for sharing the love of Christ and commitment to social involvement.
Our Strategy
Strategies that change lives is our focus. Impacting today’s culture, training tomorrow’s leaders and caring for Canada’s youth requires never ending creative strategy development and YFC is committed to being on the “cutting edge” of change.
Our History
Since the 1940’s, Youth for Christ has served to reach out to the young people of Canada and offer them the life changing message of the gospel. Over the years, thousands of young lives have been touched. Today, many of the leaders in our communities and our churches have been influenced by YFC and their lives have been shaped through the influence of the gospel.
Our Organization
YFC, Canada is structured as an association of 31 chapter ministries and the National Office exists to serve the local ministries and their partners in reaching the youth of Canada.
STATEMENT OF FAITH
• We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
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•We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible and authoritative Word of God.
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• We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, His vicarious and atoning death, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return to power and glory.
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• We believe that the salvation of lost and sinful people is by the grace of God through faith and the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
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• We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
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• We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost: they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
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• We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in Christ.
Billy Graham’s Beginnings With Youth for Christ
Billy Graham served as the first full-time evangelist of the Youth for Christ ministry in the mid-1940s. Torrey Johnson, the founder of Youth for Christ, called a young Graham to take over one of his radio programs in Chicago. At the time, Billy was serving as pastor of a small Baptist church in Western Springs, Illinois. After several months on the air, Johnson offered Billy Graham an even greater opportunity – to kick off the first night of “Chicagoland’s Youth for Christ” meetings and, eventually, become the first vice-president of Youth for Christ International.
“Johnson could have had any famous preacher from the city or afar, but wished to work with the circle of young ministers who shared his vision and had instinctive understanding of their generation. They were all Chicago men except North Carolinian Billy, but Johnson had not the slightest doubt that for an evangelistic sermon to youth, Billy Graham had no equal.” (from “Billy Graham: The Authorized Autobiography” by John Pollack, 1966, McGraw-Hill)
Several memorabilia items from Billy Graham’s days with Youth for Christ were recently added to the Journey of Faith at the Billy Graham Library, including a Youth for Christ gift notepad; “Calling Youth to Christ,” a book written by Billy Graham urging young people to follow Christ; a special edition of the Youth for ChristRevival Magazine recounting Graham’s Portland and Minneapolis meetings; and several promotional pins given during Youth for Christ events.
For a closer look at the Youth for Christ memorabilia and look at the highlights of historic moments in the life and ministry of Billy Graham, visit the Billy Graham Library’s Journey of Faith.
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