YouthQuake Live

Main Description

YouthQuake Live is a ministry based out of Jacksonville, Florida that focuses on teenagers. It was established in 1995 after a local group of teenagers returned from an overseas mission trip with the idea to reach teens in their community with a positive message of hope in a fun and relevant way that teenagers would relate to. Today YouthQuake Live, or YQL as locals call it, has cast members from over 40 churches from multiple Christian denominations. Its main focus is live events for teenagers, but it also runs a year long internship program and provides resources for Youth Pastors.

Mission Statement

The purpose of YouthQuake Live is to provide alternative Christian entertainment that unflinchingly confronts issues relevant to today’s teenagers, and to inspire young people to lead a revolution of righteousness and boldly fulfill their God-given destiny.

Live Events

YouthQuake’s Live events are filled with hilarious skits, live music, dancing, giveaways and a message based around a specific theme. Some have compared it to a spiritual version of Saturday Night Live or a live variety show. It is a free monthly event for the community of Jacksonville, with anywhere between 1,300 and 2,000 in attendance. Past themes have included True Love Waits, overseas missions, Making a Difference, Living w/ Purpose and more.YouthQuake Live is typically held at local churches, but has also been to the University of North Florida as well as the Jacksonville Landing, a large outdoor mall in downtown Jacksonville. YouthQuake Live is now live on the web during the show at synclive.com.

Director & Cast

Sean Yost has been working with youth in one-on-one ministry, as the director of YouthQuake Live since its beginning in 1995. Sean’s passion is to see young people established in the purpose and destiny that God has for their individual lives and for their generation. He believes that a new breed of teenagers is emerging. They are a generation looking for a cause worth giving their lives for; a generation poised to change the world. His conviction to see young people mobilized into ministry is being fulfilled through YouthQuake Live and short term mission projects. Sean has been active in missions since 1990 when he traveled to Africa for six months. Since then he has been to twelve countries. He has also led numerous groups of young people on overseas missions trips where they were able to experience for themselves the transforming power of Christ in salvation, miracles and personal renewal. He is currently the Associate Pastor at Christ the Redeemer Church. Sean and his wife Barbara, reside in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, with their three children, Gabriel, Lydia, and Josiah.

Cast and Internship:

The cast of YouthQuake Live is made up of local teens who commit a year to be a part of the ministry in the areas of drama, music, dance or technical assistance. They are the ones who come up with the original drama material for the shows, choreograph the dances, choose the music and run the production side of the show. Each group of cast members is led by a young adult who has graduated high school and is a part of YouthQuake Live’s Internship Program. The Internship is designed to cultivate and develop the leadership potential in young adults while preparing them to impact today’s world for Christ. The scope of the program is extensive and includes weekly instruction, practical hands-on experience, and life-transforming events. All are designed to give each a balanced, strategic approach to Godly character and lasting leadership skills.

References

http://www.youthquakelive.com

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/101101/met_7522916.html

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/031302/dsr_8854371.html

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/111697/b1youthq.html

http://www.beachesleader.com/articles/2005/11/04/news/news5.txt