For years, Youth For Christ Metro Pittsburgh summer trips have been a sacred rhythm in our ministry. They’ve consistently created space for students to hear truth, experience belonging, and encounter Jesus. This summer was no different.
We showed up for students, just like we always do—with prayer, presence, and trust that God is writing something lasting. What followed included road trips, bunk beds, messy conversations, tearful prayers, late-night texts, and first-time faith.
Here’s what it looked like.
We Build Relationships That Help Students Feel Known
Nathan, a high school student from our Washington/Trinity site, entered the week at Heatwave carrying weight that wasn’t obvious from the outside. A few hours before one of the evening sessions, he sat down with his Ministry Director, Stephen, and adult leader Milena. The conversation lasted more than two hours.
Nathan poured out where he was mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. He felt defeated. He said it out loud. Angry. Worn out. Lost.
Stephen and Milena didn’t try to fix it. They listened. They wept with him. They prayed.
That conversation didn’t end with a resolution, but it planted something. And it gave Nathan space to be fully known, fully heard, and not alone.
Lucas, a 9th grader from our Bethel Park site, also rode out to Heatwave carrying more than most knew. He had first come to Campus Life in middle school, often staying in the background. But then hockey took him away—he joined an elite club team and attended school out of state.
When he walked back into Campus Life this past year, he came with his girlfriend beside him. And he said what he had held inside for a while: “It was hard being away from home all year.”
Throughout the spring, leaders and students invited him to join them at Heatwave. He hesitated. But at the last minute, he signed up.
That week, surrounded by trust and truth, Lucas began to open up. On the last day, he texted his cabin: “Thank you all for supporting me while I made some big changes in my life and committed my life to Christ.”
What started as a return became a step toward something new.
We Create Space for Real Conversations
Griffin, a rising 8th grader from our South Fayette site, had given his life to Christ before. But if he was being honest, he didn’t really understand what it meant.
That might sound theologically complicated. And it is, sometimes. But our job isn’t to force clarity into every story. It’s to come alongside, to notice where God is already moving, and to keep pointing students to Jesus. Even when the road zigzags.
At Summer Escape, something deeper started stirring in Griffin. Through worship, quiet time, and solid teaching, things began to click.
One night after small group, he pulled aside his leader Jorrin, a soon-to-be college freshman volunteering for the first time.
“I want to make the decision for myself,” Griffin said. “I want to live for Him.”
Jorrin listened, explained, and prayed with him. Griffin’s story didn’t start that night, but it turned.
We Make Room for Response
On the third night of Heatwave, Pastor Tucker, the main session speaker, gave a clear invitation. If students wanted to respond to the Gospel personally for the first time, this was their moment.
Immanuel, a high school student from the Washington/Trinity site, stood up and walked forward.
His decision wasn’t dramatic or emotional. It was real. A quiet yes, planted deep.
Stephen, watching from the back, felt something stir in him. It brought him back to his own story—when he first chose to walk with Jesus, and how faithful God had been since that moment.
The next night, Tucker invited students to rededicate their lives. And this time, Nathan stood.
After the last few hours of being honest about his struggles, he responded. That night, Nathan took his next step. Toward peace. Toward life. Toward Jesus.
God Moves Where We Show Up
These trips don’t change hearts on their own. But they give students space to ask real questions, feel known, and hear truth without pressure.
Jesus moves in those spaces.
He moved when Nathan broke open and chose to stand. He moved when Lucas returned and found a new direction. He moved when Griffin asked for a deeper yes. He moved when Immanuel quietly stepped forward.
This is the work. This is the wonder. And this is what we’ll keep doing this fall, this school year, and for as long as young people need someone in their corner.
