A TIPPING POINT: It’s been demonstrated that when churches connect students to college ministries in advance, the 70% faith drop-out disappears, and they return home for Christmas with stories of growth and leading others to Christ, What will it look like when this is normal in all the churches and schools in our city? We believe there can be a student-led Christian group in every high school where they could grow strong and reach their classmates? Doubling the number of vibrant young adults in our region will transform our community. Groups of pastors are now leading the way in several cities to make unified community movements happen in 2016!
HOW CAN I HELP? - The simplest way is to share this website with friends, pastors, and leaders. The Churches Tab provides detailed steps for churches and schools
ROCHESTER NY COMMUNITY MOVEMENT - CLICK HERE
SYRACUSE NY COMMUNITY MOVEMENT - CLICK HERE
WATERTOWN NY COMMUNITY MOVEMENT - CLICK HERE
Simple steps if you are a:
Doubling successful transition to triple Christian college grads into the community
It has been demonstrated that churches and Christian schools who assure that all students are connected before they leave home, see the 70% loss almost vanish. Let’s make this a reality for all students in our city this year!
A Local High School Movement Reversing Systematic Poverty - Learn More
Connecting to College Ministries in High School
Parents Role
“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” (Luke 10:2)
Doubling successful transition from high school to college - to triple Christian college grads into society
There is new hope for our cities, families, and churches, and teens…
- Currently, 70% of them fall away from the faith in college, then often squander these critical years and God’s intentions to find a fulfilling career, a fitting spouse, and their leadership potential.
- They miss the opportunity to impact new incoming college students at the singularly most open time in their life.
- Crushing student loan debt intensifies the problem.
- High schools students often don’t have an on-campus Christian club to gain strength and share their faith.
Essential Timing for 2016 - See Orange Arrows at the end.
THE PROBLEM: Most Christian high school students (80%) PLAN to continue their faith walk in college. HOWEVER 7 in 10 are blindsided and walk away…
THE STRATEGY: Prepare your church high school juniors and seniors to connect with campus ministries and impact the campus. The process on this site helps them experience this in advance and awakens their passion for Christ and creates opportunities for discipleship, maturity, leadership, and personal growth. We must realize that the most open time in a non-believer’s life to hear and see the gospel lived out - is the first 3 weeks on a college campus, while they want to meet everyone and have not settled into a peer group. Freshmen are the best to reach them, but don’t realize this until they are sophomores, and feel alone and overwhelmed with the prospect.
THE GOOD NEWS: We’ve seen that any church or school whose parents and students viewed the videos then actually connected to campus ministries via the YTN LiveAbove.com website, went from losing the typical 70% to keeping nearly all. Rather than seeing students noticeably cooler to the faith at Christmas break, parents and youth groups hear great stories about seeing fellow freshmen go from darkness to light on the campus. Read some stories here. Click here for tools to help your family, church, and school, make a real difference for seniors going off to college and juniors selecting colleges with solid campus ministries. There are steps at the bottom of the Churches page to help with your church or school. Success after college means avoiding crippling student loans. Read how families can minimize student debt.
Local Area Meetings
Gatherings of pastors and leaders are in process for the greater Rochester and Syracuse areas, and information will be provided here as available. Your city can take any of these resources and use them for yourselves. This page is a first step of a collaborative movement and community suggestions on resources are welcome and encouraged! Every church and denomination brings another necessary part for community engagement, awakening, and revival. When the “zeal of the Lord performs it” there is no limit to what can happen when churches unify around these purposes. Sometimes surprising things happen when God’s presence starts moving in the schools, such as real progress towards reversing systematic poverty and improving graduation rates in some Syracuse schools over the past two years.
Timing - Why August is important, and what we need to do this winter
It’s been demonstrated that there are some critical milestones to be met by families, churches, and campus ministries to make this happen well. Research by Barna, Lifeway, and the Navigators have shown that the life trajectories of a significant number of believers and non-believers are affected during the first month starting with Freshmen Orientation. If we back up from there, we can see the steps that need to take place to achieve a blessed and successful transition. The below graphic shows the timeline for Seniors in high school. Since Juniors do their college visits in the Winter and Spring, it’s important for them to start prior to that in identifying careers, majors, and callings, so that they can select secular and Christian colleges with known ministries. Since some students also fall away in Christian colleges, a report is being developed to identify the more focused, evangelistic groups to reach out to in advance, which can comprise their first set of friends.
SUCCESSFUL COLLEGE TRANSITION
Remarks from Area Leaders
From 2010 work with Youth Transition Network. Now this has new life with the NATIONAL MOVEMENT. See updated CHURCH RESOURCES here.
Radio & National
“Youth face a minefield of temptations when leaving home. The Youth Transition Network enables students to connect with ministries, friends, and roommates that will help solidify their faith” - Josh McDowell.
“YTN’s ministry concept in working with parents and new college students to connect these students to resources that will help them to continue with their faith in Christ on the college campus is an idea we can totally support and encourage others to do the same!” - Rick Snavely, CEO -Family Life Network Radio
“There is no one doing what YTN does, and it is desperately needed”. – Frank Pastore (Frank Pastore Show)
Rochester
“As a parent, pastor, and educator, I’m deeply concerned about the spiritual trajectory of today’s youth – and deeply grateful for YTN’s efforts to reverse the trend.” – Rev. Dr Jack Connell, Vice President at Northeastern Seminary, Rochester NY
““It is becoming common knowledge that there is a large dropout rate among our Christian high school students after graduation.. YTN is coming along side students, parents, and churches to help make this important transition into higher education and adult life, a huge success.” - Rev George Grace – Senior Pastor, First Bible Baptist Church, Rochester
“Today’s Youth are not the generation of the future, but the generation of the present. Value them and build into them TODAY what is essential for their development as committed followers of Jesus Christ. YTN is an effective ministry in empowering this younger “GENERATION OF THE PRESENT.” - Vince DiPaola, Senior Pastor, Lakeshore Community Church, Rochester
Syracuse
“The YTN idea of addressing and shaping the hearts of Christian parents as they struggle to raise their sons and daughters is something we’ve hoped and prayed for, for the last 10 years.” – Nathan Gunn, Young Life Area Director
As a past college president and now a senior pastor I understand the importance of helping connect college students with individuals, churches and organizations that will help them succeed not only academically but spiritually. That is what YTN is all about – helping students, parents and churches connect to a network that will help assure success that leads to students living meaningful and significant lives for God. I strongly support the ministry of YTN because it helps meet a vital need that we all have. Dr. George Miller, Senior Pastor, North Syracuse Baptist Church
As a Youth Pastor, for years I’ve been trying to help my students graduating from high school prepare to go away to college and to connect with churches and campus ministries all across the country. Youth Transition Network has become a tremendous resource for me, my students and their parents as we work together to navigate this critical time in life. Pastor Jake Sorber, North Syracuse Baptist Church
“Thank God for Youth Transition Network. It is one of the biggest tools we as youth ministers need to protect our years of investments into our students.” - Rich Ryfun, Youth Pastor – Believers Chapel, Chair of Syracuse Area Youth Workers
“When you look into the eyes of Christian young people today, you are looking into the eyes of the next generation of Christian leaders. Christian leaders today are responsible for the leaders of tomorrow. YTN helps assure first, that they will be here, and second that they will be effective.” Jeff Shaver. Executive Director - Faith Heritage School. Syracuse, NY
“ The Youth Transition Network is no longer a casual option, but a necessity for every student heading into a secular and very often spiritually hostile environment. I highly recommend their ministry!” As a father who has experienced great concern about the “new world” that my children will face transitioning into college life, I am at greater ease knowing that when that day comes my children may be embraced by a known believing community connected through YTN. - Wayne Taylor, General Manager, Mars Hill Network.
“Parents have forgotten or lost touch with what awaits their children on the college campus, YTN reminds us; and equips us to help not only keep their faith, but in fact grow. For years the church has tried to stem the tide of losing our teens to the lure of secular culture, Youth Transition Network is the best answer yet!” - Lou Giordano, Senior Pastor Church of the Resurrection, East Syracuse, NY
“Thank God for Youth Transition Network. It is one of the biggest tools we as youth ministers need to protect our years of investments into our students.” - Rich Ryfun, Youth Pastor – Believers Chapel, Chair of Syracuse Area Youth Workers
Binghamton (Davis College)
“My greatest disappointment as a lay leader, youth pastor and now college educator has been to see many young people allow secular culture slowly lure them away from fellowship with God and His church. YTN is on the front line in the battle to save this generation. I can think of no greater cause and I wholeheartedly support their mission and efforts!” — Rick Cramer, COO and VP for Student Development at Davis College, Johnson City, NY
Bridgeport, CT (National Network of Youth Ministries)
One of the greatest challenges I faced during my 30 years in youth ministry was how to help graduating seniors stay connected and committed to their faith during their college years. Unfortunately, I could share many heart breaking stories of kids who walked away from their faith during those four years and paid the price for years to come. I believe that YTN is a true gift and blessing because of its call from God to meet this challenge head on and create system of preparation and support that our high school grads so desperately need. When students are well prepared for the challenges of the college campus and are able to make connections with Christian roommates and campus ministries it makes all the difference! — Rev. Mark Orr, Director, REACH Youth New England & National Network of Youth Ministries
See what Parents and Pastors have Experienced here
Stories from Pastors and Parents
Materials referenced are available at the YTN Resource Store and free videos at the bottom of the Transition page.
Grads succeeding in college – a rapid turnaround
Black Rock Congregational Church in Fairfield CT used to experience the typical 70% loss upon graduation. “Last year I had all of my high school students participated in SUCCEED (YTN Video Material) one afternoon . All were greatly challenged to be spiritually ready for college. Most were blown away by the idea that their first 72 hours at college were the most important in staying strong in their faith. As they have started college, they say that much of what they learned from SUCCEED was true about their first days at college. Many of them were able to find Christian roommates and are already plugged into campus ministries because of LiveAbove.com. The result? All of our graduates continued in their faith and connected to ministries! “ - Jeremy Taylor, HS Director, Black Rock Community Church, CT
Youth groups growing and cultures changing
For years, Bacon Heights Baptist in Lubbock TX experienced a problem common to many churches. The youth meetings would normally engage about 30 freshmen, 30 sophomores, 10 juniors, and often just 3 seniors. Two years ago, a husband and wife used the YTN Be Prepared material and videos to engage the juniors and seniors about real issues the teens wrestled with, as well as practical preparation for the future. Youth Pastor Don Bishop credits YTN resources for the fact that the group now has over 30 seniors and they are inviting their friends and changing their work schedules to attend. A number of them have been successful in sharing Christ in their high school, and look forward to doing the same in college. Don is now telling pastors throughout west Texas about YTN. – Don Bishop, Bacon Heights Baptist Church.
Parent -Teen Relationships Growing
Rick Rablin reported the fruit of a YTN Shepherding Your Teen seminar saying: “keep going….. because you changed my son through me.” Two weeks earlier he had received a letter from his son, now in college, thanking him for changing the way he approached his son and crediting that change to why he was still walking with God. (see Going, Going, Gone book on YTN.org). A father attending a SUCCEED DVD session with his son said “ I could have never had the discussions with my son apart from the college student videos and speakers opening him up to the challenges and issues ahead, paving the way for discussion and giving me access to help my son in transition”.
Natural and Relational Evangelism increasing
YTN videos were shown at Redwood Chapel near San Francisco, where Chelsea’s parents had been concerned about their daughter going to the secular campus of University of Nebraska. Through YTN she connected with the Navigators and found a Christian roommate. Both parents came to campus two days early and really hit it off. The first night on their own, Chelsea and her roommate invited 4 girls on the floor who were headed to a party to instead join them at a Navigators fellowship. All six are with the Navigators and walking with Christ today.
Parent –Teen Relationships Growing
“S brought me to a new place in parenting. It’s hard to put into words all that spoke to my heart. I have three teens–all “good” kids, and doing well in school. The seminar helped me to understand their strong need for community as they head off to college. It also helped me realize that as a parent, I have a pivotal role to play–that of loving support for their times of triumph as well as their times of failure. Jeff Schadt has done extensive research into their world. So many feel the pressure to be perfect, which can lead to a “double-life” syndrome. Jeff gives practical suggestions about how to prevent this, and how to prepare teens now for what they will face tomorrow.” - Patty Camloh, Mom of Pre-teens and Teens, Church of the Resurrection, East Syracuse NY.
A Father and Pastor – Healthy Relationships
“From a father’s point of view, Crossing Thin Ice is life changing! I don’t know how else to describe it. My wife and I have read many parenting books but none of them impacted us like this.. I am constantly looking for shepherding moments instead of getting on my kids for something! It has made a difference in how they respond. From a Pastor’s point of view this has healthy relationships written all over it! Healthy individuals make up healthy relationships…they also make healthy churches! Pastors should be jumping all over this!!!” – Mike McGinnes, Sr Pastor Wellspring AG, Brewerton NY.
Parent Opened Discussions with my Teen
A father attending a SUCCEED DVD session with his son said “ I could have never had the discussions with my son apart from the college student videos and speakers opening him up to the challenges and issues ahead, paving the way for discussion and giving me access to help my son in transition”.