It is always exciting to watch God capture hearts! There truly is no greater joy than to be present when students cross over from death to life. Sarah Sullivan, a Candlewood Church member, is on staff for Youth for Christ (YFC) for Westside Campus Life. Read below her story as she shares what God has done and is doing in young lives today.

 

The thing that I love most about Youth For Christ Camp is that we go home with our students. Not only do we get to witness their salvation, but we also get to walk with them in their new life!

 

This year at YFC Camp, my great joy was giving students their very FIRST Bible! At high school camp one of my students to whom I’ve been ministering to for 3 years gave her life to Jesus. After our cabin time I handed her a Bible. As she reached out to accept her Bible, a smile swept across her face.  

 

“Does it have both parts?” she asked.

 

“What do you mean?” I responded.

 

“Sarah, you said before that the Bible has a new and old part. Does my Bible have both?”

 

“Yes, your Bible has all of God’s words in it! So, when we go home are you ready to read those words and discover how to live this life with Jesus?” I asked her.

 

“Yes, I really want to!”

 

At Middle School Camp, two more Westside students gave their lives to Jesus for the first time! They each received their first Bible! On the bus ride home I could see that our young friends decisions’ weren’t just an emotional camp experience, but new life has begun in them.

 

I stepped onto the bus and one of my students was calling out my name. He wanted to make sure that I would sit next to him. This boy has been apart of our ministry for 2 years. He comes from a non religious home and Campus Life was been his first experience with Christians.

 

“So, basically last night I was birthed.” He said. (His comment was in reference to him accepting Christ the night before).

 

“That’s right. How are you feeling about that?”

 

“Well, I don’t. I mean, do you know how long it will take me to become a Bible scholar?”

 

We spent the next hour taking through his questions about the Bible. It’s been a week since camp and this student has been reading his Bible on his own!

 

On that same bus ride home, I had another student dive into the Bible. While we were stopped at a rest stop, a sweet 7th grade girl came up to me. (Before camp she did not believe God existed. Now she’s found a saving faith.)

 

“Sarah, guess what? I started reading God’s story on the bus!”

 

“Really, what did you read?”

 

“I read that Jesus made the plants! Did you know that?”

 

“Yeah, isn’t that awesome! What else did you read about?” I asked.

 

“Did you know, he made the sky and the ground and the water. And there use to be nothing and now there is stuff!”

 

The more she talked, the more excited she became. The joy of truth was swelling within her heart!

How to Pray

At Candlewood Church, we ask you to please pray for Sarah, and Youth for Christ this school year. Below are a few prayer requests:

• God would bring more leaders to engage Westside students in Christ-centered relationships.
• The semester kick off will go well! New students will attend and get involved in Campus Life.
• High school Campus Life Club is moving to Monday nights. May this bring excitement and new students. Thursday nights, will be a Bible study for the high schoolers. Pray that the students who attend will engage in the Bible.
• Middle school Campus Life will be Tuesdays before school. Pray that God will bring new 7th graders and that students engage in small groups at club!
• God would give wisdom and vision for this school year on how to best reach lost teens with the gospel and disciple and plug our Christian teens into local churches where they will be loved and invested into.

 

If you have any questions regarding Sarah’s work or about Youth for Christ, you can contact her at sarah@candlewoodchurch.org or contact us at info@candlewoodchurch.org.