Dec11-Banquet Report

A huge thank you to all who helped to make our 20th annual banquet go so well! We so appreciate the underwriters and supporters, the staff and student speakers, the churches who donated awesome baskets, Jeff Ringenberg for coming to spend the whole day and speak at both banquets, special music by One Accord and Bushnell choir students, and of course all those who attended so that they could hear about the ministry to teens in our area and show their support for the cause of reaching teens for Christ. Above all, we thank God for His blessing upon the day!

As wonderful as the banquet was–and it was a wonderful time!–we did not reach the financial goal we had set, so please keep the important ministry of Youth for Christ in mind as you consider year-end giving and new year budget plans. God provides through the generosity of our donors. We always need and appreciate your prayer support, as well.

As Lauren mentions below in this newsletter–and you may well have heard through local media–Youth for Christ was selected as a beneficiary of the annual VIBE (Volunteers Interested in Benefitting Everyone) auction this year–and we will receive $25,000.00 in January. What a blessing! We are so thankful for this gift! It is our understanding that VIBE intends this money to be used in ways other than regular budgetary expenses, since it is a one-time gift–so we still need to raise the funds to support our ministry.

Thank you, and may you have a wonderful Christmas season–what a time to reflect upon the ultimate gift of love we have received from our heavenly Father: our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Banquet Financial Results:

Gross receipts $17275

Expenses 4311

Net income $12964

Special “Thank you” video–one of our former YFC students, Derek Hammond (now a senior graphic communication major at WIU), prepared a very special video presentation for our banquet. We invite you to take a moment to watch it (it’s brief!) on our website, www.yfcwi.org; you will be glad you did!! It will move and inspire you!

More special thank yous to our sponsors:

Event Underwriters: Barsi Tax & Business Center/Copy Pack Post, Richard & Beth Ann Ferguson, Heritage Farms Grain & Dairy, Ed & Karen Kuras, Ludlum Food Mart, Bernard & Kay McCance, Gary & Lisa Ludlum, Midwest Control Products, Reusch, Butler & Associates PC, Morris & Mary Elizabeth Vos, Western Illinois Shotokan Karate & Jujitsu Clubs and Tonny Jill Williamson, D.D.S.

Meal Sponsors: First Bankers Trust Company, Charles & Wilma Hess, Gary & Nancy Kendall, Pierce Law Offices, William & Karen Poncin, Rusty’s Overhead Garage Door and Charles & Deborah Schade

Supporters: The Bike Shop, Bushnell Locker Service II, Car Care Center, Inc, Clugston-Tibbitts Funeral Homes & Monuments, Cox Construction, Dodsworth Piper Wallen Inc., Floor to Ceiling, Hy-Vee - Macomb’s Full Service Store, MidAmerica National Bank, Nelsons Clothing, Dennis & Virginia Samuelson, Schuyler State Bank, Security Lock Shop

Dec11-Financial Status

Nov. Donations $22,160

Nov Expenses $12,087

YTD Donations $45,034

YTD Expenses $50,058

YTD Shortage ($ 5,026)

(note YTD is July to Nov ‘11)

Dec11-Merry Christmas from Macomb

As we head into December, we have a strong focus on the Reason for the Season! Looking back, we had such a jam packed November, it just goes to remind us that we have so much to be thankful for. We had a great time at our Banquet – and those who were able to attend, got to see, in action, just how much we all just enjoy each other.

Blessed by VIBE

Todd and I enjoyed back-to-back banquets (sort of a double-date for the second one), attending the VIBE (Volunteers Interested in Benefitting Everyone) banquet with Michelle & Tom on Nov 19^th. As a grant recipient, I got to share our vision and passion for teens with the community. Fun tidbit: During this talk, I was able to give a “shout out” to Aaron Durant, an MHS student was working at the Forum that evening. He was so excited, I think he told ½ of Macomb High! Loving on kids – it’s what we do best!

“We have all heard the adage, “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”… teens have a slightly different spin on this – “they don’t care WHAT you know, they JUST want to know you care!”

[Lauren @ VIBE Banquet]

Kassie Courson, President of VIBE, called the next day to let us know that YFC Western IL will receive a check for $25,000 (yes, 25 thousand dollars) in January to be used in 2012!!! There is one use for this money – “to directly benefit the students”. While the exact usage is still being finalized, Todd and I are excited to be able to offer scholarships for kids for CIY Believe (Jr High Program), CIY Move (Sr High program), Go MAD (Sr High) and camp scholarships. We are excited to see how God can grab hold of these kids in life-changing ways.

Fun Stuff Coming Up

YFC has signed to ring bells for the Salvation Army Kettle Drive. Dates are locations are listed below.

Please come by, visit and of course, drop something in the bucket.

 12/12 iConnect rings bells at Walmart 6-8pm

 12/13 After School Hangout ring bells at Walmart (in shifts) 3-6pm

 12/13 CLM ring bells at Walmart 6-8pm

 12/17 YFC rings bells at Hyvee 10am-12pm

Our Christmas celebrations take place on Monday, Dec 19^th for iConnect (Senior High) and Tuesday, Dec 20^th for Campus Life. Festivities include Christmas caroling, fun and food. [On Tuesday, iConnect performs Reason for the Season – a humorous look at Christmas through the eyes of Christmas symbols - for Campus Life].

The favorite Christmas celebration: FREE PIZZA LUNCH takes place the Friday before break, Dec. 16^th. Anyone interested in helping donate soda, water or desserts would be greatly appreciated.

From all of us in Macomb – we wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! - Lauren

Dec11-Macomb Pics

After losing the Penny Wars, Justin fulfills his obligation to be made into a Human Sundae

got to fling spoonfuls of ice cream, whipped cream, cherries and sprinkles – aiming for his mouth. …Justin said the sprinkles were the worst thing to get hit with.Sundae. Kids

The activity also provided a parallel teachable moment about how one man took the punishment for the losers (us – due to sin, not status)

Playing in the leaves just makes ya feel like a kid again!

Colton sports an extra large smile while working the Altrusa fair

Dec 2011-Bushnell Pics

One of our faithful volunteer leaders at CL leading an activity with teens

Dec11-Bushnell Beat

Today as I write this, the snow is falling. What a beautiful picture of God's grace falling on us. Christ's blood blotting out our sin. I am thankful for the blood of Christ and His willingness to come to earth and be born in very humble circumstances, live a holy life, and ultimately go to the cross. We all need God's forgiveness and to walk with Him daily. Thank you, Lord, for 1^st John 1:9. “That if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

In the Bushnell ministry the past month, we have had a couple of answer's to prayer! We have a new female volunteer for CL M and 2 female VIT's! Melinda Treadway is a local parent of a Jr. High teen and is a real blessing when it comes to working with teens. She had prior experience as a camp counselor and a real heart for Jesus. In addition, a couple of our Sr. high girls have filled out applications to help with the jr. high teens. Courtney and Chelsea began observing at the end of the month and will be serving as Volunteers in Training in the coming months.

Speaking of Courtney, a senior at BPC high school, she shared her testimony at the 20^th Annual YFC Banquet on Nov. 11. Courtney has been involved since she was in jr. high, She attends 1^st Baptist on Wed. nights and is regularly fed spiritual food by Donna Williams (Donna has volunteered several years with the YFC Jr. High ministry and much longer with her church). It's great to have other youth workers in the community that care and love on teens!

The jr. high girls have been waiting a long time for this. They just couldn't take it back in the fall when the boys got to do a “boys only campout.” So, Dec. 2 they had their very own, girls only, overnighter at the local Community Christian Center. A good time was had by all, thanks to the many brave female leaders God has called to invest in these young ladies. After speaking with a few of the leaders, here is what they said about the night. “It was great fellowship.” “Leaders were giving attention to kids.” “I got to share about how much God cares about each one of us according to Psalm 37 and how each of our hairs are numbered on our heads.” “Kids were connecting with me.” “Trust was developing.” “We had God talk time in the middle of the night.” Praise the Lord for the walls being broken down! It is going to be neat to see how God moves these teens.

Thank you for all of your faithful prayer support! We couldn't be doing this without it. We LOVE all of you that help this ministry to happen in Bushnell!!!

Prayer items:

• truth to be revealed to the teens we are working with

• teens that have the wrong view of themselves to get God's perspective

• for leaders to be effective ministers while in contact with the teens

• for spiritual strongholds to be broken down

The Rodeffer's