Teens for Christ
Encyclopedia
Teens for Christ is a non-profit organization whose aim is that of "turning teenagers into fully committed followers of Jesus Christ". To reach young people who do not attend church, weekly meetings are held during the school year in various locations throughout local communities. Fellowship, Saturday evening corporate prayer, and a number of yearly events offer teens TFC's approaches to present day needs.
was formed in Allen County. During the 1980s, the local Youth For Christ became Teens For Christ and started to hold chapter meetings in various homes throughout the area. During the 1990s, TFC accepted the mandate to "Turn Teenagers into Fully Committed Followers of Jesus Christ" and came under the leadership of its current Executive Director, Buck Sutton. From the 90s, with three senior high chapters totaling 30 teens and 8 volunteer leaders, today's roster encompasses 17 chapters and over 60 volunteers.
In November 2008, the Gentry Sr. chapter was launched in Gentry, Arkansas, led by TFC alumni David Young. In September 2009, the Rockford, Illinois, chapter was launched.
, including Nairobi
and Kisumu
. This ministry is reaching over 35,000 teens a week in over 130 chapters.
, along with the Director of Operations. Dhaka has a population of over 12 million people, making it the largest city in Bangladesh
. The work continues to grow as a pastor was trained during January and February 2009 to take the work to Gopalganj
. Gopalganj is a district in the Dhaka division of Bangladesh. The district has about 1.1 million inhabitants.
There are also 3 chapters in Savar
, reaching almost 200 teens. The ministry is now reaching out into the northern part of the country, where there are three chapters established that are reaching about 200 teens every week.
This ministry is also part of Teens For Christ’s efforts to team up with a ministry that has planted 800 churches within the past five years in this area of the world. It is a land of poverty where an average person makes $30 a month. Christians face serious persecution, and most have no Bible.
History of TFC
In the 1940s Youth For ChristYouth for Christ
Youth for Christ is the name of a number of previously unaffiliated evangelical Protestant religious campaigns which led to the creation of Youth for Christ International in 1946....
was formed in Allen County. During the 1980s, the local Youth For Christ became Teens For Christ and started to hold chapter meetings in various homes throughout the area. During the 1990s, TFC accepted the mandate to "Turn Teenagers into Fully Committed Followers of Jesus Christ" and came under the leadership of its current Executive Director, Buck Sutton. From the 90s, with three senior high chapters totaling 30 teens and 8 volunteer leaders, today's roster encompasses 17 chapters and over 60 volunteers.
In November 2008, the Gentry Sr. chapter was launched in Gentry, Arkansas, led by TFC alumni David Young. In September 2009, the Rockford, Illinois, chapter was launched.
TFC Kenya
TFC Kenya began in August 2005 with a man named Moses Omondi. He started in a handful of schools, and has since expanded to over 100 schools in areas of KenyaKenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, including Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
and Kisumu
Kisumu
Kisumu is a port city in western Kenya at , with a population of 355,024 . It is the third largest city in Kenya, the principal city of western Kenya, the immediate former capital of Nyanza Province and the headquarters of Kisumu County. It has a municipal charter but no city charter...
. This ministry is reaching over 35,000 teens a week in over 130 chapters.
TFC Bangladesh
TFC Bangladesh was launched in June 2008. After six months of training with TFC-Kenya, the Executive Director of TFC-Bangladesh returned to his country and capital city of DhakaDhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
, along with the Director of Operations. Dhaka has a population of over 12 million people, making it the largest city in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. The work continues to grow as a pastor was trained during January and February 2009 to take the work to Gopalganj
Gopalganj
Gopalganj may refer to:*Gopalganj District *Gopalganj, Bangladesh*Gopalganj District, India, is a district of the state of Bihar.*Gopalganj, Bihar, is a town and a municipality in and the headquarters of Gopalganj district in Bihar, India....
. Gopalganj is a district in the Dhaka division of Bangladesh. The district has about 1.1 million inhabitants.
There are also 3 chapters in Savar
Sävar
Sävar is a locality situated in Umeå Municipality, Västerbotten County, Sweden with 2,672 inhabitants in 2005.It is located by E4 about 15 km north of Umeå, Sweden. Sävar is mostly known for being the last battlefield of the Finnish War....
, reaching almost 200 teens. The ministry is now reaching out into the northern part of the country, where there are three chapters established that are reaching about 200 teens every week.
This ministry is also part of Teens For Christ’s efforts to team up with a ministry that has planted 800 churches within the past five years in this area of the world. It is a land of poverty where an average person makes $30 a month. Christians face serious persecution, and most have no Bible.
Beliefs
TFC members state that they:- believe the Bible to be the inspired, infallible, authoritative Word of God,
- believe that God exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
- believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ: in His virgin birth, sinless life, vicarious and atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension, and personal bodily return,
- believe humanity to be fallen and depraved, needing the regenerating work of God’s Holy Spirit for salvation,
- believe every Christian to be empowered to live a Christ-honoring life by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit,
- believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the unsaved: they that are saved will be resurrected unto eternal life; they that are unsaved will be resurrected unto eternal damnation,
- believe in the spiritual unity of all members of Christ’s body,
- believe that God is the Creator of all heaven and earth.
Doctrinal Statement
TFC teaches that:- The 66 books of the Bible are the verbally and plenarily inspired word of God in the original autographs. As such, it is both infallible and inerrant and the only infallible rule of faith and practice for Christians, both individually and corporately (Matt. 5:18; Jn. 10:35; 2 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 4:12; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).
- There is only one God, perfect in all his attributes, eternally existing in three uncreated persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, each equally deserving full worship and obedience (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14).
- Jesus Christ is the second person of the trinity, possessing all the divine excellencies, and in these he is coequal, consubstantial, and coeternal with the other persons of the trinity (Jn. 10:30, 14:9). In his incarnation, the eternally existing second person of the trinity accepted all the essential characteristics of humanity and so became the God-Man (Phil. 2:5-8; Col. 2:9). Jesus Christ was virgin-born (Matt. 1:23-25), he was God in flesh (Jn. 1:1,14), he lived a sinless life (Heb. 4:15), he accomplished redemption through the shedding of his blood and sacrificial death on the cross, which was voluntary, substitutionary, propitiatory, and redemptive (Jn. 10:15; Rom. 3:24-25, 5:8; 1 Pet. 2:24), he was resurrected from the grave and is now ascended to the right hand of the Father, where he now mediates as our advocate and high priest (Matt. 28:6; Luke 24:38-39; Acts 2:30-31; Heb. 7:25; 1 Jn. 2:1), and that he will return and establish his kingdom on Earth and will judge all mankind (Jn. 5:22-23; Acts 1:9-11; I Cor. 3: 10-15; Rev. 20).
- The Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity, being coequal and consubstantial with the Father and the Son (Matt. 28:19; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor. 12:4-6; 2 Cor. 13:14). The present ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Christ by regenerating, indwelling, sanctifying, instructing, empowering and sealing (Jn. 16:13-16; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 1:13, 5:18; Titus 3:5).
- The entire human race was created in the image of God and, as such, its chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever (Gen. 1:26-27; Col. 1:16). However, when Adam sinned, the corrupted nature of Adam was transmitted to all people, Jesus Christ being the only exception (Gen. 3:1-19; Rom. 5:12-19). All men are sinners by nature and by choice (Rom. 3:9-23). With no recuperative powers to enable him to recover, mankind is hopelessly lost and his salvation is thereby wholly of God’s grace through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:1-3, 2:8-9). Those persons who die without saving faith in the redemption of Christ will be committed to an eternal conscious punishment in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15).
- All who place their faith in Jesus Christ are immediately placed through the Holy Spirit into one unified spiritual body, the church (1 Cor. 12:12-13), of which Christ is intimately connected as the head (Col. 1:18). The establishment and continuity of local churches is the God-ordained method for propagating the gospel of Jesus Christ, and members of the spiritual body are directed to associate themselves together in local assemblies (Acts 20:17-18, Heb. 10:25). As such, this organization serves the church in presenting and propagating the faith, once for all, delivered to the saints.