The Impact of Christian Youth in Action (CYIA)

May 5th, 2025

Myra Johnson and Chloe Wagner are two Children’s Ministries Institute® students who have been involved with Child Evangelism Fellowship® through Christian Youth in Action® in Wisconsin. They are two dedicated young women, sharing the word of God each summer with the kids in their communities through children’s ministries. Both Johnson and Wagner began their journeys with reluctance to be involved in a Gospel outreach program, but discovered God in the midst of their training, and established a new passion for lost children. They found joy in children’s ministries, and in the moving of God through the outreach programs they are involved in.

Christian Youth in Action (CYIA) is Children’s Ministries Done Differently

As young teens, Johnson and Wagner were both shy, and timid in regard to sharing their faith. When they were first introduced to Christian Youth in Action® (CYIA™) and asked to participate in the program, they both replied with a firm ”no”. Neither of the young women were interested in the idea of going outside of their norm to pursue the unknown of a Christian Youth in Action® camp.

Johnson was saved at a young age, and recalls wanting to share the Gospel with those around her, but being unsure of how to do so. She grew up attending a 5-Day Club® run by Christian Youth in Action® students, however, she was not entirely sure who the leaders were or where they came from. After an individual from church introduced CYIA to her family, Johnson was encouraged to participate by her sister, who had attended the program the previous year. Having heard this from her sister, Johnson prayed about it, and decided to obey the call to attend the Gospel training. Wagner, similarly, was resistant to attend Christian Youth in Action when her pastor introduced it to her. She told God there was “no way I’m doing this”, but eventually listened to the encouragement of the Spirit and went to camp for CYIA Gospel training.

Johnson recalls her training at CYIA as the “best week of her life” as she grew deeper in her Christian faith. She states that, as she was being trained to deliver the message of the Gospel to children, she began to truly understand the Good News and what it was that Jesus did for her. She gained answers to questions she had pondered as a child, and found purpose in being able to answer those same questions for the children she was ministering to. Wagner, too, states that CYIA impacted her life drastically. Being a shy, timid child, she was intimidated when speaking in front of people. Through her time in children’s ministries, however, Wagner has found a joy and love for public speaking, in direct opposition to what she felt as a child.

The Impact of Christian Youth in Action® (CYIA)

Both women felt a passion for CYIA and the mission of the outreach program, and have been involved for the past five years. They served as students for four of those years, and have recently served as staff this past year. For Johnson and Wagner, they both found God at work through CYIA, in more ways than they were expecting.

Although CYIA is intended to teach youth and young adults how to share the Gospel to kids and be effective in children’s ministries, both ladies discovered God moving in their own lives. Where in the past Johnson limited herself to simply going through the motions and living in a manner that was expected of her as a Christian, Christian Youth in Action® taught her how to have a deeper relationship with God. The intentionality of her walk with God was lacking, but she found CYIA changing her mindset on her salvation. She found herself as more than simply a servant or child of God in title, and began living in a manner worthy of Him. The way she lived her life outside of church changed as she came to the realization that God was not a being that was far away from her, but one who was with her throughout her daily life and wanted a deep relationship with her.

Wagner states that her time at CYIA has always been accompanied by a time of self-growth. During her first year, the speaker at the camp spoke on the topic of backsliding in one’s walk with Christ. Wagner felt that she had been struggling with this in her daily life. She surrounded herself with individuals who didn’t share her faith, and as a result began to walk away from God. Her time at CYIA brought her closer to people who believed God the way she did, and encouraged her to grow deeper in Him. She began to rely fully on God, rather than her peers, and started to completely trust Him with her life. Each year Wagner has gone to CYIA, she has felt God pulling her closer to Him and forming a stronger relationship with her.

As Johnson and Wagner serve as staff, they are witnessing a growth in children reached with the Gospel. In spite of the decrease in CYIA students due to Covid, Wisconsin has experienced an uptick in children attending 5-Day Club. Wagner recalls the impact of these clubs in an interview with Child Evangelism Fellowship worker, Lydia Kaiser, sharing the life-changing effect attending the summer club had on one child. He grew from a disruptive participant in the first year of his attendance, to a helper by his fifth year. Wagner states that, “[there is] no greater joy than to lead a child to Christ”.

Let Child Evangelism Fellowship Grow Your Gospel Outreach Programs

God is moving, and impacting the lives of young people through Child Evangelism Fellowship®—be it a child in attendance at 5-Day Club, or a student leading children’s ministries. CYIA participants are living out the call in Matthew 28; making disciples and teaching them the things Jesus commanded. For more information on how you can get involved with Christian Youth in Action® (CYIA), visit cefonline.com or contact your local Child Evangelism Fellowship® chapter.

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