In 1996 I left Cedar Rapids, Ia to become a middle school teacher in Baltimore, MD. I got the surprise of my life. I ran into to groups of kids who had little to be excited about and lacked hope. I met young men that made drugs, money, and fighting a way of life and a matter of survival. Despite the despair it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Through teaching world studies and coaching basketball I saw kids who had much to fear find more to smile about. The eyes of their understanding had been opened, they started to learn and were excited about it.

Amidst the joy, success, and transformation I was still limited by my profession. What these kids really needed was Jesus. They needed to know that Mr. Coty loved them and more substantially that the God of the universe had a plan for their life; one that doesn’t include disaster. But because of the separation of church and state I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t introduce kids to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith. Then I was introduced to the ministry of Young Life. Young Life changed my life. It provided access to tools I didn’t know existed and to the ministry God had planned. It helped me bypass separation of church and state, allowing me to provide opportunities to assist reconciliation to Jesus Christ. Now, for the past 10 years, I’ve been working full-time for Young Life.

As a teacher with a passion to see kids meet Christ, there’s no better way to give yourselves away. You can teach more than curriculum, you can teach Christ.

2020 Vision has consistently worked from the outside in. We’ve been mobilizing churches, pastors, and other faith-based community leaders seeking to create a bond between the church and the school; aiming to rejuvenate the community. 2020 has also identified an additional strategy; working from the inside out.

Our schools our noticeably filled with teachers. Many of our teachers love Christ and have an obvious passion for kids. More often than not, because of the perceived separation of church and state, Christian teachers don’t have the opportunity to minister to kids in ways that are deep and meaningful. Young Life NYC, as a partner of 2020, is looking to provide teachers both with the skills and the opportunity to lead both middle/high school kids to Christ and to help them grow in their faith.

On 12/17/09 you will have the opportunity to become a Teacher In Mission through YL NYC’s introduction to its mission. You’ll hear real-life testimonies from both teachers and kids who have been exposed to God’s work through Young Life. The event will be accompanied by a unique option to sign up and become a part of God’s wonderful work in young people through Young Life.

Please visit www.ylnyc.younglife.org to register for the event.