Our Focus
Introducing young people to Jesus at pivotal moments
YFC is a movement that reaches young people everywhere with the hope of Christ. We work with the local church and other like-minded partners to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who lead by their godliness in lifestyle, devotion to the Word of God and prayer, passion for sharing the love of Christ, and commitment to social involvement.
78 Years and counting Serving Central Indiana
Our pursuit: CIYFC reaches young people everywhere, working together with the local church and other like-minded partners to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who lead by their godliness in lifestyle, devotion to prayer and the Word of God, passion for sharing the love of Christ and commitment to social involvement. As part of the body of Christ, the vision of CIYFC is to see every young person in every people group in every nation have the opportunity to make an informed decision to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to become part of a local church.
Our pursuit: CIYFC reaches young people everywhere, working together with the local church and other like-minded partners to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who lead by their godliness in lifestyle, devotion to prayer and the Word of God, passion for sharing the love of Christ and commitment to social involvement. As part of the body of Christ, the vision of CIYFC is to see every young person in every people group in every nation have the opportunity to make an informed decision to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to become part of a local church.
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Jacob Bland, YFC USA President & CEO
"This is our pivotal moment to serve the church"
This is our pivotal moment to serve the church by creatively re-imagining youth ministry yet again. I believe the cultural conditions are right for us to experience the greatest youth revival our generation has ever seen. God has given us the right team to do this—and His hand is clearly on our mission.
Libby Sanderson, executive director of Indian River YFC
"The goal was to foster unity"
The goal was to foster unity, both for the students as well as the parents and the local volunteers… It’s truly amazing to see God work in the lives of the students, and having that dedicated time to pray for this school year and what’s to come was incredibly powerful.
Alexandra, YFC Denver
"I didn’t know where God would use that redemption that He has given me"
I always just kind of knew that was my story, but I didn’t know where God would use that redemption that He has given me through my life. Seeing in real life, the stories of the young people, showed me clearly that I was supposed to be involved to bring life to my story as well as to their story.
Our Team
We're so excited to be able to nurture the lives of young people
Our chapter Board of Directors works diligently to ensure we are leading the ministry in a positive direction to reach young people in our area, while providing direction, oversight, and vision to the Executive Director and CIYFC staff. This group of well qualified individuals from our community comes alongside our team through counsel, strategy, and accountability. The Board of Directors meets quarterly for prayer, ministry updates, and strategic planning.
Dr. Dara Berkhalter, Executive Director
dberkhalter@ciyfc.org
Pam Meadows, Assistant to the Executive Director
Clyde Bodkin, Community Engagement Coordinator & Interim Zionsville Campus Life Director
cbodkin@ciyfc.org
Brittany Wayman, Staff Coach,
bwayman@ciyfc.org
Phil Wolfe, Accountant YFC/USA
pwolfe@yfc.net
Yasmin Cline, Parent Life Director
ycline@ciyfc.org
Niccole Wilkes, Parent Life Director
nwilkes@ciyfc.org
Nate Hershey, Director, City Life Wheels Automotive Academy
nhershey@ciyfc.org
Curtis Adkins, City Life Wheels Director
cadkins@ciyfc.org
Dan Hillen, Fishers Campus Life Director, Fishers MS & HS
dhillen@ciyfc.org
Grace Patterson, Moorseville Campus Life Director, Paul Hadley Middle School,
gpatterson@ciyfc.org
Phil Siefert, Triton Campus Life Director, Triton MS
psiefert@ciyfc.org
Michaela Barton, Southport Campus Life Director, Southport MS & HS,
mbarton@ciyfc.org
Adi Ferguson, Zionsville Campus Life Director, Zionsville HS, Zionsville MS, Zionsville West MS; aferguson@ciyfc.org
Alex Choate, Matchbook Learning City Life Director; achoate@ciyfc.org
Announcement
CIYFC Names Dr. Dara Berkhalter Executive Director
Central Indiana Youth for Christ is proud to name Dr. Dara Berkhalter the new Executive Director, effective June 1, 2022. The Executive Director will oversee all aspects of CIYFC. YFC USA Chief Operating Officer Ali King stated, “As I look back on the impact the ministry had while I was a part of Central Indiana Youth for Christ, there is so much to be thankful for. I have no doubt that Dr. Berkhalter will inspire and lead the team into this new and exciting season.” For the last 10 years Central Indiana Youth for Christ has been under the direction, empowerment, and blessing of Executive Director Ali King. From serving as a Campus Life Director, Ministry Director, and National Middle School Campus Life Director, King has poured her leadership into Youth for Christ for over 30 years. As of October 8, 2021, YFC USA President and CEO Jacob Bland has named Ali King the ministry’s new Chief Operating Officer (COO). Prior to being named the Executive Director, Dr. Berkhalter gained strong experience as a leader in strategic planning, management and fundraising as the Chief Advancement Officer with SpringHill Camps. Dr. Berkhalter holds an Executive Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership and Education from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in Business Administration and a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Taylor University. Dr. Berkhalter also serves as an adjunct faculty professor at Taylor University. “I am excited to join the team at CIYFC, stated Dr. Dara Berkhalter. I’m looking forward to continuing to build on the impact that Ali and others have made in the city of Indianapolis.”
Our Response to Covid
Socially distant, spiritually together.
There's no way around it, the ongoing pandemic has continued to shift ministry and serving the next generation in a variety of ways. Throughout this time we have continued to push God's kingdom further in creative ways. From virtual group meetings to outdoor events, we are committed to ministering to young people safely and intentionally in the greater Indianapolis area.
YFC USA & YFC International
A global movement to uncover God's Story in the next generation
As a ministry of YFC USA we are dedicated to acting as a local extension of the work being done nationally. We actively work to create engaging experiences for youth in our area.
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