Were you ever involved in Youth for Christ?

[Bill Morrison]

I am curious to know if any Naznetters ever belonged to a Youth for Christ club. I had a great experience in High School in 1966-1969 with Toledo Ohio YFC. It was a great way to fellowship with other Christian students at school. We had a wonderful director in Toledo (Herb Friedrich) and the Saturday night rallies, Bible quizzing, talent contests, etc. were super. I got to attend the 1968 International YFC rally at Winona Lake as a Bible quizzer. Many valuable experiences and lessons were learned, perhaps the greatest being that not all Christians were Nazarene! :o

BILL

[Hans Deventer]

Yes!!! And it was very formative, I learned a great deal there. Don't think I'd ever end up in the CotN without YfC. Would not have met Hannie without YfC. In fact, my faith would have looked very differently without YfC, and I mean that in a positive sense. I'm very grateful for the time I spend there. Must have been between 1975 and 1984.

[Glenda Harvey]

I went to a couple of Youth for Christ events but they were not active at our High School so was not involved with them there.

[Jim Hullinger]

Yes, I was very involved in high school in the early 60's. In fact, being president of our local club represented some early training in leadership. I loved the Sunday night rallies, etc. Great friends and great memories. Is that organization still active? I haven't heard of it here on the East Coast.

[Vivian Cornwell]

A group from our church went to Youth For Christ in Dayton, OH every Saturday night. Then we went out to eat after the service. It was a great time. When I got a little older (Junior & Senior in H.S.) it was a great date night....so I went to YFC for quite a few years. That is where I first heard the song, "How Great Thou Art." Bible Quizzing was a competition between high schools in the area.

[Betty Bolerjack]

I wasn't actually involved but I was a member of a Nazarene zone youth choir that traveled all over the district to sing. We went once or twice to YFC rallies to sing. I don't remember much other than what a great honor it was for our group to sing at the rally.

[Marg Shurtliff]

My highschool had ISCF ( Inter-school Christian Fellowship ) . Other friends at church , their schools had YFC . I always wished we had had YFC as there was always more going on there . I did get to go to Saturday evening YFC rallies in the early 60s and even after I was going to our college in Winnipeg we often went as a group to YFC rallies there . I remember one year there was some talent contest on TV and a young Christian guy was in the finalists and I can remember receiving a postcard at the YFC rally to mail in to vote for him . And guess what ? He won ! The monetary amount wasn't huge , only $ 1000 or so ( but guess it was worth more then ) but the fact he as a Christian singing a Christian song won out over all those secular ones was the significant part .

[Marsha Lynn]

We had something along those lines when I was in high school, although I'm not sure it was actually Youth for Christ. As with much of my life at that time, the adult leader focused in on the kids with great personalities and social skills. I varied between being quiet and making futile attempts to say something that would make someone notice and like me.

My strongest memory from that organization was the night I decided to say nothing at all unless someone spoke to me first. We always met at houses of the participants. At the house for the evening, the mother greeted each attendee at the door. I thanked her for her hospitality when I left. In between, I sat quietly and, sure enough, not a single person noticed my presence or said anything to me. I doubt that anyone, including the mother who heard the only words I spoke all evening, could have said for sure afterward whether I was there or not. I discovered that I had the ability to be completely invisible among my peers. It wasn't exactly a pleasant discovery and, having proven the possibility one time, I never tried it again.

Marsha

[Jim Franklin]

In the Fargo, ND/Moorhead, MN community, Youth for Christ along with some of the evangelical churches sponsored a Singspiration one Saturday evening a month and we got to hear some of the leading area singing groups of that area as well as sing many rousing Gospel hymns. Many great memories.

[Larry Parsons]

I was involve with the youth for Christ while I was in high school. Every Saturday night we have big youth rally may over 400 of us. On e years I got to the national and I got in trouble there No it wasn't anything sin.Ha.
Larry

[Gina Stevenson]

Marsha, that's how I felt at school a lot, being too quiet back then. However, it was a nice place to feel comfortable, without having to talk, I guess, when I played the piano for our school gathering a good bit of the time.