WHY JOIN CFC YOUTH FOR CHRIST?

Blabbing Out Faith
Angelu D. Peralta

Faith? Believing in God. Faith? Praying. Faith? Helping those who are in need. Faith? Glorifying God. Faith? Being a good person. Faith? Striving to be a true children of God. But wait, is faith just really about doing these things? As far as I know, believing in God would make it all. As they say, faith is believing without seeing.

Explaining how important faith is, is very hard than explaining how much you love food. Isn’t it? Because faith is something we do consciously or unconsciously. It is something we do to feed our spiritual needs. Things that may not stuff our stomachs, but things that fulfills our hearts. It is more of gratitude rather than satisfaction.

But when do you say that someone is faithful? Are there any points to be considered? It can be.. Going to church every Sunday. Praying every day. Offering gifts to the poor. Reading the bible. But what if, things happens like this. Yes, you go to church every Sunday but because you just want to see your boyfriend/girlfriend and not because you want to listen to the homily. Yes, you pray everyday, but because you always ask God for the things you want without even saying sorry or thank you. Yes, you offer gifts to the poor, but because you want to be known as a rich person and not because you really want to help. Yes, you read the bible, but because you just want to post a status on your facebook account just to tell everybody that you are a good person without even understanding what you are reading. It doesn’t make sense after all.

Amen? Yeah. I can’t tell you that I am faithful. I am but not that very very. I do good things but still I commit mistakes. But you know, building your faith won’t be easy. Especially if you’ve chosen to forget about it for a long time. I was just fortunate because I found a place where my faith was strengthened. A place where you won’t be judged with the things you have done. Instead, they’ll help you correct it. And I am proud to say that I am a member of the organization CFC Youth For Christ. CFC youth For Christ is a young community of believers, a ministry of Couples for Christ Global Mission Foundation, which is recognized by the Vatican. It is filled with vibrancy and conviction of the spirit , eager to do one thing, spread the love of Christ. It is now established in more than 100 countries and counting.

There are 4 programs under the CFC Youth For Christ community:
A. CFC YFC Community Based: Renewal in Christ through raising faith in communities. A program that is grounded with different kids of communities such as villages, subdivisions, barangays and parishes.

B. CFC YFC High School-Based: Bringing God’s high to the schools. This program deals with the youth in both private and public high schools, but also reaches out to the school administration, faculty, and moderators.

C. CFC YFC Campus-Based: Renewing the society in Christ through the campuses. A program which interacts with the more mature individuals in the YFC age spectrum. It is composed of all admin, faculty, staff, parents, and college students in universities and colleges.

Although there are different programs in the CFC Youth For Christ, all new members undergo the same process in entering the CFC Youth For Christ. The entry point to YFC is through the youth camp. It is a two-day live-in camp usually conducted during summer or semestral breaks to officially bring teenagers and/ or young adults (age ranging from 12-21) into YFC. Although it is a Catholic organization, it is open to all youths regardless of their religion.

In Youth For Christ, youths are evangelized and facilitated through the 4F.
The Youth For Christ is also guided by the 4Fs: Fun, Friendship, Faith, Freedom.

FUN: Being young means having fun, YFC promotes and supports the dynamism of the youth’s thirst to enjoy life by empowering them to live it to the fullest. YFC encourages good and clean fun.
FRIENDSHIP: This is the time of their lives when the youth begin to form lasting relationships with their peers. YFC encourages friendship among young people, enabling them to see God in each and every individual they encounter. The community allows the youth to experience new things, to learn, and to grow with friends.
FREEDOM: One can barely contain the enthusiasm of a spirit. Within the YFC community, the youth experience freedom from sins, from insecurities, and from difficulties in the past, as well as the freedom to express love and to become the individuals whom God meant them to be.
FAITH: None of the three can be fully experienced without faith in God. In YFC, the youth are taught the Catholic faith that they may better appreciate the abundant blessing they receive in their lives. Being a part of the CFC YFC community is a great experience. You meet new friends, grow spiritually and gradually realizes the reality of life. There are a lot of activities that you can encounter and have fun. Sports Activities, Conferences, Friendly Competitions, Camps and many more fun activities. Trying won’t harm you after all.

Let me tell you a story of someone I really know. Three years ago, there was a girl, just an ordinary girl. She’s a student. She goes to a public high school. Well, what do you think an ordinary girl do? Surfing the net. Sleeping. Eating. Going out. And all the other stuffs. One time, she even had a relationship with a guy without her parents knowing it. But it did not last long. She even tell lies. Most of the time. She goes to church, at least once a month. And one day, she was invited to join a camp. A 2 day live-in camp. She never thought that attending that camp would cause a big change in her life. Months passed by, and she started turning away from her not so good deeds. She goes to church every Sunday and she prays more often. She thought that everything would be alright because she already trust God so much. Very much.
But she didn’t know a big wave was about to come. 2012, 2 days before her HS graduation, her father passed away. It was the most tragic event of her life. Everyday, it breaks her heart to see her father, buried in their house. But instead of crying, she kept on praying. And God was really good. God proved her how much he love her. After that tragedy, she was given a new mission. She was assigned as a Chapter Youth Head. She became more prayerful, faithful. She was even invited to different gatherings to share her testimony on how God worked in her life. She’s very proud whenever she was called to share her story. Her life’s story.

And she is very proud to stand in front of you right now. Three years ago, I am just your typical teenager. But the old Angelu does not exist anymore. I know that I’ve learned a lot. My spiritual and emotional skills are more matured because of my YFC family. I found a place where I can say everything that I want so say. A place where no one would judge me for being who I am. A place where you know you are loved and given importance.
And just like me, I would like to encourage each and everyone of you, to try joining the CFC Youth For Christ. I won’t tell you that after the camp, you are already a better person. No. It is only you who can say if you are ready to change. I am already serving the CFC Youth For Christ for almost 4 years and I am very proud to say that. Change is gradual. And change is for the better. You won’t be forced to change once you’ve entered this community. You are just being helped. You are being brought closer to God. I hope that just like me, you’ll find a place where you can build your faith. A place where you’ll have fun while you are being evangelized.

To end this speech, I would like to leave you with this verse:
“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” –James 2:17