Youth Alive: Empowered by the Spirit, Sharing Faith on Campus

by Matt Harder

3/21/2025 7:00:00 AM

“Is this what the Holy Spirit is for?” That’s the question our students often ask after being baptized in the Spirit at one of our Northwest Ministry Network youth events. They’re discovering that the same God who gives them tongues is the same God who will give them boldness to share the gospel in the lunchroom. He’s not just for Sundays but for everyday life, empowering them to speak truth in the places that need it most.

A core ministry of Assemblies of God Youth Ministries that is mobilized through U.S. Missions, Youth Alive’s heartbeat has been to equip students to reach their peers with the hope of Christ since 1979. In Washington and North Idaho, we’ve grown from three campus clubs in 2023 to 72 in 2024, and we’re believing for 300 by the end of the 2026 school year. It’s a living example of Acts 1:8 — students receiving power and becoming witnesses in their own schools.

This movement is more than numbers; it’s about lives transformed. Take Jake’s story. After encountering God at one of our camps and committing to be a campus missionary, he returned home determined to start a Youth Alive club. Before long, hundreds of classmates were gathering, hungry for truth. Even entire football teams showed up, many finding Jesus and then attending church to be discipled. Now that Jake has graduated, younger leaders have stepped in. This passing of the torch shows how Youth Alive clubs don’t hinge on a single person but on the Holy Spirit’s ongoing work through our local churches.

We’ve seen similar breakthroughs in towns like Walla Walla, Washington, where a first-ever Bible club sparked new faith, and in King County, Washington, where urban schools are suddenly open to the gospel. From rural corners to major cities, our students' view of their school is transformed when they commit to be campus missionaries. The impact extends beyond future pastors or missionaries; it’s raising up tomorrow’s church board members, community influencers, and volunteers who start by sharing the gospel right in their hallways.

So, what’s next?

We believe Youth Alive is student-led but must be church-fed. For that to happen, U.S. Missions ministries like Youth Alive need local congregations’ support. Financial support enables U.S. missionaries serving with Youth Alive to train student leaders alongside their youth pastors, provide resources for Bible clubs, and establish a sustainable presence in schools through seasons like student transition.

As Youth Alive continues to expand, the impact will be felt not just in schools but in communities, churches, and families for generations to come.

Now is the time to invest in the next generation.