Designed for students who are presently high school juniors or seniors, the program is open only to members of the CRC who are nominated by their pastor, youth pastor, or a Christian high school administrator or Bible teacher. Its aim is to reflect on ministry as a lifelong vocation.

Nominees should have a demonstrated involvement in the life and ministry of the church, possess the character and qualities for Christian leadership, and exhibit the ability to grapple thoughtfully with big ideas and important issues.

The program runs from July 2 through July 23, 2008.

It consists of 10 days on the Calvin Theological Seminary campus, a 10-day excursion, and 1 day back in Grand Rapids for closure. There is an application fee of $295 due upon acceptance into the program. All other expenses are paid by Calvin Theological Seminary, including food, lodging, and transportation to and from the excursion site.

If you know an outstanding candidate for this unique, challenging, and rewarding program, please do the following:

• Discuss the program with the student and the student's parents or guardians.
• Review the FYF program with them.
• With the parents' permission and the student's commitment to participate, complete and remit the enclosed forms.

Your nomination form, the student's nominee form, and the student's high school transcript must be received in the FYF office by midnight on Friday, February 1, 2007. Individual nominators may only submit one nomination. The FYF office will send out notifications to all nominees on March 3, 2007 as to their acceptance into the program.

Students arrive on the beautiful Calvin Theological Seminary campus on July 2, where the lodging, dining, learning, and recreational resources will support their stay.

The program begins the next day. With Calvin Theological Seminary faculty and other invited guests, students will probe the Bible for what it has to say about modern issues such as:

• How does the image of God contribute to healthy self-esteem?
• Is peace on earth possible? What about peace in the church?
• Can racial reconciliation occur in urban ministry?
• How does a good God let Hurricane Katrina take place?
• Can truth be found in Islam?

These will stretch the mind and reach the heart. The schedule is fast-paced, including group discussions, readings from Plantinga and Wolters, films, excursions, and worship.

Built into the program are recreational opportunities on campus (basketball, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, etc.) and off campus. Getting to know one another and relaxing together are important features of the program.

When the first 9 days in Grand Rapids are completed, young people will be deeply impressed with the cultural and civic importance of solid, biblical thinking for life and ministry. Such an approach to our modern age is not only exciting and challenging but also deeply fulfilling and essential for the health of our church and community.

Students will participate in one of the following three options. The excursion reinforces the correlation between theological reflection and ministry. These sites have been uniquely developed for FYF in partnership with Youth Unlimited's ENCOUNTERS Program.

Toronto, Ontario

The Toronto, Ontario site is hosted by a unique partnership between a Christian Reformed campus ministry at York University (one of the largest universities in Canada with 40,000 students), namely LOGOS Campus Ministry, and a church plant, Friendship Community CRC, which is also part of a larger cross-denominational coalition of churches in the Jane-Finch community, one of the most multi-culturally diverse communities in the already multi-cultural city of Toronto.

Participants will serve hands-on in cross-denominational programs tackling urban poverty in a cross-cultural neighborhood, e.g. after school programs for at risk youths and GED education programs preparing moms for their high school equivalency exam. Learning modules or presentations will cover topics such as, "Ministry on a Secular Campus", "Theology and the City", "The Power of Servant Leadership", "God's Mission and World Religions", "Poverty & the City", "Cross-Cultural Ministry". Some learning modules will be held at York University.

Tualatin/Portland, Oregon

Tualatin, OR is a southern suburb of Portland, OR. Tualatin is an Indian word meaning "lazy river". Portland is located at the confluence of two of the West's Coasts largest rivers, the Willamette and the mighty Columbia. Portland is 90 miles upriver from the mouth of the Columbia and about 90 feet above sea level. Oregonians are a unique breed in the Pacific Northwest. Many of them think they still have the pioneer spirit. It is also a place to escape from Midwest values. The Max line, the homeless, hippie remnants and the wealthy among others all converge in one place in quite an ethnic display. You might run into the spaced out rubber guitar player singing Elvis songs off-key asking for donations to Portland's legitimate non-profit church of Elvis. We have screaming liberals and rednecks, no military bases except for the National Guard and we are as politically divided as the rest of the country. Mormonism is huge here with a large Temple just a couple of miles away. The cults seem to thrive here from Jehovah Witnesses to Eastern Religions to New Thought Churches, Christian Science and Scientology. The Foursquare denomination is the fastest growing Christian denomination in Oregon and is the only one that rivals the cults in growth.

Some of the possible projects for FYF to experience is a day with the homeless passing out socks and other daily necessities, doing a door-to-door survey in Tualatin, canvassing for a day for food for a local food-bank, learning "The Way of the Master evangelism method" and then doing some cold-turkey interviews in downtown Portland, working a day at Medical Ministries international which includes touring their third world re-creation of a Mexico City slum complete with the garbage and the smells. We might consider serving a day in the migrant camps as well. Hopefully we will spend one day either on the Pacific Ocean or hike up Oregon's famous Multnomah Falls trail. Or, if we go the top of Larch Mountain at 4,000 feet, we can hike to the bottom of Multnomah Falls (passing other falls on the way) all the way down to about 100 feet above sea level.

Paterson, NJ / New York City

Paterson, NJ is the first planned industrial city of the United States. Since its founding in 1792 it has been a city of working immigrants from around the world. Today is no different. In Paterson you will meet people from over 80 different nations. You will be hosted by Pastor John A. Algera and the Madison Ave. Christian Reformed Church while staying in the Crossroads Ministry Center in the heart of the Madison/10th Ave. neighborhood. You see and participate in the unfolding of God’s vision to us of a “Transformed Community of Committed Christians”.

While here you will participate in prayer walking in the neighborhood as well as with church planters in New York City. You will also explore how Christian Community Development is done in a way to bring transformation and permanent change and engage in a series of ministry seminars and nightly reflections. Ministry opportunities will including serving in food pantries, serving the homeless, working with children in summer day camps, Christian child care centers and at a summer kid’s church and visiting other Latino, African American and multi-racial churches. In addition there will be opportunities to visit the Brooklyn Tabernacle prayer service and spend time in New York City and down at the Jersey shore.

On July 21, all students will return to Grand Rapids. There, each of the groups from the three excursion sites will present their experiences to their colleagues. Students will share what they did, whom they worked with and what they learned at their place of ministry. Before heading back home, the students will have time to begin processing their studies and excursion experiences together. On July 23, all students will return home.

All participating students and their nominators (or designated alternates) must agree to establish a mentoring relationship that extends through the college years. The purpose of this relationship is to sustain the student’s interest in theological reflection, face issues related to ministry that may arise, and seek the holistic wellbeing of the student. Suggested guidelines for mentoring are available from the FYF office. In short, the main tasks of the mentor are to support, challenge and provide vision for the student. An effective mentor is a good, active listener, and is both intentional and committed to maintaining a relationship with the student. Calvin Theological Seminary also maintains contact with both mentors and students following the completion of the program.

• Program is open to 35 students who are in grades 11 or 12 at the time of nomination.
• Students must be baptized or professing members of the Christian Reformed Church.
• Students must be nominated by a pastor, youth leader, high school administrator or Bible teacher.
• The cost of the program is $295 US/$350 CAN due at the time of acceptance into the program. The student is also responsible for travel costs to and from Grand Rapids.
• Nominees must have:
  • A demonstrated involvement in the life and ministry of the church
  • Possess the character and qualities for Christian leadership(ability to lead, exert influence, motivate, inspire, and take initiative)
  • A GPA of 3.25 (85%) or higher

Activities subject to change

Coming Soon.