Christ in Youth (CIY) — Organization Profile
Christ in Youth (CIY) is a youth-ministry organization headquartered in Joplin, Missouri, that partners with local churches to help students follow Jesus and live out what CIY calls “Kingdom Work.” CIY traces its beginnings to 1968, when Ozark Bible College professor Bob Stacy founded the ministry with a vision for presenting the gospel to young people in culturally relevant ways. Over time, CIY developed a nationwide event and resource strategy designed to support churches as they disciple preteens, middle schoolers, high school students, and youth leaders.
CIY’s stated mission is to call youth to Christ and into a life of Kingdom Work through His Church. That focus shapes how CIY designs its experiences: gatherings are built to serve church groups (not replace them), giving students shared moments with their peers and adult leaders, and helping youth leaders follow up in the months after an event. CIY also emphasizes a “core” framework that includes being rooted in the gospel, recognizing students as made for Kingdom Work, and staying connected to the church.
A major part of CIY’s work happens through its event programs. CIY describes SuperStart as a weekend event for preteens, MIX as a four-day summer event for middle school students, and MOVE as a five-day summer event for high school students. CIY Engage provides cross-cultural mission trips that train students for Kingdom Work through immersive service experiences. CIY also hosts Wilderness, a five-day retreat in the Rocky Mountains for youth ministers, and Youth Ministry Summit (YMS), a retreat designed to encourage and equip youth leaders.
Alongside events and trips, CIY develops tools meant to help churches maintain momentum between big gatherings. These include story-driven media and discipleship resources, CIY’s film and teaching content, and resources distributed through platforms like Convos and the FollowThrough app. CIY also publishes the Beyond the Event podcast and maintains a Facebook Community group as a space for youth leaders to learn and connect.
Churches and individuals can engage with CIY in several ways. Youth ministries can explore program options, find dates and locations, and register for events that fit their students’ age group and ministry calendar. Youth leaders can pursue training and connection through Wilderness, YMS, and community resources. Supporters can participate through giving options on CIY’s “Get Involved” pages, including targeted giving categories that CIY uses to expand capacity and support follow-through. CIY also offers opportunities to serve through summer event staffing and other roles, with job and application information available on its website.
Key Links
- Website: https://ciy.com/
- About (Mission/History): https://ciy.com/about
- Programs (SuperStart, MIX, MOVE, Engage, Wilderness, YMS): https://ciy.com/programs
- Find Your Event: https://ciy.com/find-your-event
- Register: https://ciy.com/register
- Donate / Get Involved: https://ciy.com/get-involved
- Contact: https://ciy.com/contact
- CIY MOVE: https://ciy.com/move
- CIY MIX: https://ciy.com/mix
- CIY Engage: https://ciy.com/engage
Contact Information
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- Email: mi*@*iy.com
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- Phone: 417-781-2273
- Mailing address: PO Box B, Joplin, MO 64802
Socials
- https://instagram.com/christinyouth
- https://tiktok.com/@christinyouth
- https://www.facebook.com/ChristInYouth/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/christ-in-youth/
- https://www.youtube.com/christinyouth
Leadership
- Jayson French — President
- Jennifer Deardorff — Vice President of Culture
- John Luzadder — Vice President of Experience
- Mark Hand — Vice President of Business Strategies
- Patrick Snow — Vice President of Content Creation
- Ryan Claborn — Vice President of Operations
- Titus Weece — Vice President of Story
- Jasper Rutherford — European Director
