Our History


Long Island YFC started in 1959 led by Dave and Darlene Swanson.

Monthly youth rallies at the Cathedral House in Garden City, special trips and weekly Bible Clubs challenged young people to follow Jesus Christ. Chuck Rigby served with the Swansons as LI YFC’s ministry director (1962-1970) coordinating special outreach events that attracted thousands of teenagers.

The Youth For Christ movement began in 1944 in Chicago and spread across the USA and around the world. It all started with a rather remarkable young man:

"It was my privilege to be the first full-time employee of Youth For Christ. After 50 years Youth For Christ continues to communicate the life-changing message of Jesus Christ to our youth." – Dr. Billy Graham

The present executive director of Long Island Youth For Christ, Jack Crabtree started with LIYFC in 1971 and took the role as leader in 1975. During these years thousands of teens attended Campus Life Clubs and found Christ on summer bike trips, winter snow camps and Florida spring break trips.

In 1990, Long Island pastors affirmed YFC’s commitment to build the local church and to evangelism by selecting Jack Crabtree to serve as the chairman for the LI Billy Graham Crusade.

In the 1990s Long Island Youth For Christ helped launch the student-led ministry to public high schools and middle schools. It is YFC’s goal to train and empower young people ti initiate and lead Christian Clubs or personal ministry with friends in all the public high schools and middle schools in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

From 1995 to present Long Island Youth For Christ is actively linked with South Africa Youth For Christ by hosting Team I-Themba, a group of seven young people who perform and speak about racism and HIV-AIDS in Africa. It is YFC’s purpose to break down racial division in society and the church community and to build racially diverse ministry teams working in local communities.

In the new millennium (2000-2006) Long Island Youth For Christ offers a variety of ministry methods (Campus Life, Student-Led, Friday Night Live, Teen Parents, Team I-Themba, Youth Leader Networks and several annual large events for young people.

An Ongoing Heritage — Over 500 professional and volunteer staff have served LI YFC since it was founded in 1959. Many of these young men and women have been launched from LI YFC into church youth ministry, teachers, counselors, pastors, foreign missionaries and leaders in their local churches.