Twenty-eight years ago this summer, Lisa and I embarked on a new youth ministry adventure. We left seminary in Massachusetts and moved to Philadelphia where I began working as a youth pastor in a suburban church. We inherited an amazing group of students and their families who had a passion to follow and serve Jesus Christ.
One student who eagerly took advantage of every opportunity to learn more about the Christian faith was Tracey, a high school senior who had a contagious passion for Christ and learning how to live life to His glory in the midst of a difficult youth culture.
Today, Tracey Van De Putte and her husband Paul are raising three boys of their own in Richmond, Virginia, and they are doing so with a deep commitment to honor and serve Christ by consciously working to guide Daniel (13), Josh (12), and Andrew (10) through the confusing maze of today's youth culture.
While Tracey and Paul have believed in and financially supported CPYU for many years, Tracey says that "it wasn't until recently, as our boys approached their tween years, that the mission of CPYU became real to us as parents. Parenting became more challenging, with more gray areas and uncertainty as our boys got older. It's been reassuring that CPYU is there to help and guide us."
Paul and Tracey say, "Because the issues facing our children have changed since we were kids, we don't have the benefit of looking back on how we and our parents handled things or to remember lessons learned. This is where CPYU comes in. The time CPYU spends understanding the world in which our children live and the practical ways in which they share that information with us is invaluable."
