The HU-Youth For Christ Connection
When discussing the long and compelling relationship between Huntington University and Youth For Christ, any origin story always involves LaDoyt “Rody” Rodeheaver, the connection story has Dave Rahn wound in through many roles in several decades and the current story has HU grads involved at all levels of YFC. Looking back at this deep partnership involving all the years and all the people produces the realization that this article is merely a fly-over, not a deep dive. The collaboration is rich, meaningful and ongoing. Enjoy the view from the clouds!
1960s
- LaDoyt “Rody” Rodeheaver (1966) went on to lead Youth For Christ of Northeast Indiana for many years. In that role, he mentored a number of Huntington alumni from the 1970s and 80s.
1970s
- Lawrence "Larry" A. Russell (1971) was hired by Youth For Christ in Fort Wayne to work in the area of troubled youth. Russell held several positions within YFC over the next 30 years, including significant time in the national office of YFC.
- Trent Bushnell (1974) joined Greater Lansing YFC in 1977. He is still there 47 years later, as executive director until 2024 and now as a senior advisor.
- Dr. Dave Rahn (1976) served at HU for decades as professor of youth ministry and director of the nationally recognized LINK Institute. Rahn continued his national ministry in 2007 with YFC USA, serving as vice president, chief ministry officer and senior ministry advisor before retiring in 2020.
- In 1973, Bushnell and Rahn launched the Campus Life Club at Huntington North High School as HU students. That club has been rolling strong for over 50 years.
- Tim Atkins (1979) met Rahn as a college freshman. During the next 40 years, Atkins worked with high school and middle school youth as a Campus Life director for Garrett YFC, Fort Wayne YFC, Adams, Jay and Wells Counties (commonly called JAWS) YFC. He also served as national ministry coordinator at YFC/USA.
1980s
- The Campus Life Club at Huntington North continued to grow due to the involvement of HU students like Jim Hittler (1979), Tom Clounie (AA 1980, BS 1983) and Larry Lance (1980). HU student volunteers like Ron Coffey (1981), Diane Frame (1985) and Betty Kramer (attended 1979-1983) led Campus Life Clubs in other Northeast Indiana high schools.
- Lance joined YFC as a staff member right after graduation. Forty years later, Lance was still with YFC, serving as the CEO of YFC of Northern Indiana.
- Coffey served full-time with YFC from 1983-1985 before beginning his long-time involvement in Christian higher education, including various student life roles at HU, in 1986.
- Roger Vezeau (1984) has served for 21 years (and counting) with YFC. Vezeau’s first eight years were as a Campus Life director and Project Serve regional director, then chief ministry officer with YFC of Northern Indiana for 10 years and now as a National Chapter advancement lead, where he equips 20 executive leaders of regional YFC chapters around the country.
1990s
- Brad Johnson (1993) was on staff with Fort Wayne YFC as a Campus Life director at Carroll High School from 1993-1998. He and his wife, Vanessa Herron Johnson (1993), then founded the international organization Mission of Hope, where Lance now serves as board chair.
- In 1994, the YFC Merillat Scholar Program was launched to provide Campus Life student leaders with additional scholarship dollars to attend HU. The scholarship was a strategy for both enrollment growth and the enhancement of the campus spiritual climate. During the following 15 years, over 400 Campus Life student leaders would attend HU as YFC Merillat Scholars.
- In 1996, two freshmen enrolled at HU who would end up as long-term YFC staff members. Jose Huerta (2000) and Dave Ramseyer (2000) were both volunteers with the Huntington North Campus Life Club as students, along with many of their HU classmates. (See photo)
2000s
- Ramseyer started his service with YFC as the Huntington North Campus Life director in 2000. He moved to the YFC USA office as the National Campus Life director, then vice president of national ministries and now as the chief of staff for West Michigan YFC.
- Huerta began his time with YFC in 2003 in an entirely different country, Germany. Huerta and his family lived in Germany for the next 14 years as Youth For Christ International (YFCI) staff. Huerta was also a ministry director for YFC in Louisville, Kentucky, from 2019-2023.
- In 2005, the Master of Arts in youth ministry leadership (YML) was launched under the direction of Rahn, who divided his talents between his national role at YFC USA and Huntington’s graduate program. Several current national YFC USA leaders received their YML master’s degree from HU, including Jacob Bland, president & CEO, Allison Johnson, vice president, and Eric Kelly, national director of chapter advancement.
- The Horizon Leadership Program was launched in the fall of 2008 as a collaborative effort between HU and Youth For Christ. The selected Horizon Scholars came from all over the country, and their impact on campus was significant. The program still exists at HU under the name Horizon Multicultural Scholarship Program.
2010s
- Danni Blackburn (2013) served with YFC for 12 years. She began as the Campus Life director of Whitko Middle School and High School for four years, then shifted to her role as the Huntington Middle School Campus Life director.
Current
Several HU graduates are currently YFC staff members making a difference in the lives of young people here in Northeastern Indiana.
- Dana Siferd Neuenschwander (2005) initially served as a YFC Campus Life director and then became the regional ministry director for Huntington, Kosciusko, Wabash and Whitley Counties from 2013-2021. She is currently the Wabash County lead for YFC Northern Indiana.
- Liz Adams Irick (2006) has embraced her role as Campus Life director of Huntington North High School for 18 years and counting
- Bushnell, Ramseyer and Vezeau currently serve at regional or national levels with YFC
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