{"id":32114,"date":"2017-03-02T12:20:21","date_gmt":"2017-03-02T17:20:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=32114"},"modified":"2022-09-19T15:13:14","modified_gmt":"2022-09-19T19:13:14","slug":"emus-oldest-influential-student-organization-ypca-now-y-serve-continues-lead-serve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2017\/emus-oldest-influential-student-organization-ypca-now-y-serve-continues-lead-serve\/","title":{"rendered":"EMU’s oldest, most influential student organization YPCA, now Y-Serve, continues its ministry"},"content":{"rendered":"

From March 6-10, 2017, Eastern Mennonite University Y-Serve sends four student groups on service learning trips. A special chapel Friday, March 3, at 10 a.m. in Lehman Auditorium, will offer prayers for their safe journeys. <\/em><\/p>\n

Read on to learn more about the history of YPCA\/Y-Serve.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

If asked to identify the most influential student organization in Eastern Mennonite University\u2019s 100-year history, the answer is easy: the Young People\u2019s Christian Association, known popularly as YPCA or the Y.<\/p>\n

<\/a>
The City Evangelism Commission goes out to do mission work in 1955. (EMU Archives)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For many years, the student body and YPCA were one and the same: if you were a student at what was then called Eastern Mennonite School in its earliest years, you were a member of the YPCA.<\/p>\n

The organization continues today under a new name: Y-Serve. This recent change, in spring 2016, has puzzled some alumni, but advisor and Campus Pastor Brian Martin Burkholder<\/strong> says the mission and vision of the organization remain the same. \u201cThe new name reflects more about the organization to a new generation of students that doesn\u2019t necessarily know the acronym,\u201d he said. \u201cThe organization\u2019s mission of taking ministry into neighborhoods, communities, retirement homes and other places hasn\u2019t changed. The Jesus-centered focus continues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Under its charter, Y-Serve still occupies a unique place as one of two student organizations on campus (the other is the Student Government Association). In contrast to clubs, Y-Serve \u201cprovides resources, opportunities for service projects and service-related trips to all students. That\u2019s a key difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another difference: the old structures of commissions and committees are gone, replaced by \u201ca more responsive, less obligation-driven structure,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Burkholder, who has advised the group for 12 of the nearly 14 years he\u2019s been at EMU, likens the need for change to a \u201cbig church that spends so much time trying to fill committees that it hinders responding to God\u2019s call in the community \u2026 this structure will allow members more time to serve and do service and ministry instead of working to fill the commissions.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new Y-Serve continues the important legacy of the YPCA on campus. \u201cThere\u2019s a rich history of contributing to this institution\u2019s vibrancy and Christian character,\u201d Burkholder said.<\/p>\n

That legacy was honored at an 85th anniversary celebration, in which Carmen Schrock-Hurst \u201981<\/strong>, who was co-president (with Harry Kraus ’82<\/strong>) from 1980-81 and is now an instructor in the Bible and Religion department, eloquently linked the YPCA of old to its modern membership.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
EMU Y-Serve participants on the 2016 service trip with Alterna community founder Anton Flores (left) in LaGrange, Georgia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Perhaps at this anniversary celebration it behooves us to ask ‘Why?’ of the Y. Why, when there is pressure to study and work to pay the tuition bills, and infinite opportunities to socialize and participate in extra- curricular activities – why do students consistently continue choose to give of their time and money to keep alive the Y?<\/em><\/p>\n

The answer, she said, is at the heart of what makes EMU unique: a belief in God’s word and the call to find one’s life by losing it. Y participants have exemplified and continue to model the “desire to have education be rooted in the real world and not tucked away in an ivory tower of isolationism,” she said.<\/p>\n

Decades of Christian education and witness<\/strong><\/h3>\n

From its first meeting on March 17, 1922, the group was involved in all aspects of student life on campus, mobilizing student cooperation to \u201cstrengthen the spiritual life of the school; to promote growth in Christian character, fellowship and aggressive Christian work; and to train its members for Christian service and to teach them to devote their lives to Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n

The organization enveloped all students and infused Christian devotion into every aspect of student life, from planning on-campus ministry activities and social activities to forming a quasi-student government and initiating fundraising efforts to support the school. YPCA also was active in off-campus ministry and service learning trips, which often served the dual purpose of weekend social activities.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Impact over the years<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Here\u2019s just a sampling of the impact YPCA had on EMC\/EMU:<\/p>\n

<\/a>
Tract distribution in 1963.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2014From 1922-46<\/strong>, YPCA published the student handbook, a combination rulebook, welcome packet, calendar, and social guide.<\/p>\n

\u2014Fund drives provided financial backing for campus buildings, social activities and the evangelizing Christian witness. Examples include a 1926<\/strong> fundraiser of $1,200 [$16,200 in 2016 dollars] that helped build a new chapel in the south annex of the Administration Building.\u00a0Nearly 40 years later, in 1960<\/strong>, a spring fund drive raised $4,746 [$38,650 in today\u2019s dollars], with pledges coming from 330 students, faculty and staff. The planned budget breakdown for usage of that money was \u201c42% for city evangelism, 25% for rural evangelism, 10% for the foreign student fund, and 6% for institutional evangelism. The remaining 17% will go for literature evangelism, itinerary evangelism, and miscellaneous expenses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014In 1938<\/strong>, the \u201cTract Distributors\u201d would, once a month, place a tract on every doorstep in Harrisonburg. It took 36 students a full day to distribute the 1,700 tracts.<\/p>\n

\u2014At least 20 local congregations were either begun or significantly boosted by YPCA students: Beldor, Big Spring, Broad Street, Crossroads, Elkton, Gospel Hill, Morning View, Mt. Hermon, Mt. Jackson, Mt. Vernon, Ridgeway, Staunton, Valley View, and Zion Hill are just a few.<\/p>\n

\u2014The 1950<\/strong> Annual Report listed \u201c129 conversions\u201d and \u201c5,690 service opportunities,\u201d with 111 student leaders and two YCPA-owned cars.<\/p>\n

\u2014YPCA activities and structure provided the foundations for three now-separate student organizations: Campus Activities Council, Celebration, and Peace Fellowship. Many other clubs should also trace their organization\u2019s beginning to the Y, when it filled their roles in slightly different ways when it was the only student led social organization for years.<\/p>\n

<\/a>
Students work on a home in Mobile, Alabama, with Mennonite Disaster Services.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2014Well before the cross-cultural experience became a graduation requirement, many students traveled to new areas with YPCA. The 1967-68<\/strong> report states \u201cthere is an increasing awareness among student groups that many times a more practical experience than just \u2018book learning\u2019 is necessary in order to relate well to the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014In the 1980s<\/strong>, the main ministries were the Saturday Adoption Program, Y-Church, Western State mental hospital outreach, Wilson Rehabilitation, Gospel Outreach Teams, Work Teams, and Jail Ministry.<\/p>\n

\u2014In the 2000s<\/strong>, YPCA launched and strengthened partnerships with ministries including the Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale, Virginia Mennonite Retirement Center, Sharing with Appalachian People, Mennonite Disaster Service, Jubilee Partners, Alterna Community and area Kid\u2019s Clubs.<\/p>\n

\u2014In 2016<\/strong>, Y-Serve paired with Gospel Choir and the Black Student Union to fund and coordinate a\u201cCivil Rights Tour\u201d through the American South during Spring Break. Additionally, four other Y-Serve groups traveled to work sites.<\/p>\n

Junior Caleb Schrock-Hurst contributed research and analysis to this article.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From March 6-10, 2017, Eastern Mennonite University Y-Serve sends four student groups on service learning trips. A special chapel Friday, March 3, at 10 a.m. in Lehman Auditorium, will offer ... read more about EMU’s oldest, most influential student organization YPCA, now Y-Serve, continues its ministry<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32115,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[266,5589,5583,14715,5185,17562,8845,4513,12632],"tags":[5809,8971,6795],"feature":[17427,17425,17426,17241,17422],"class_list":["post-32114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-bible-and-religion","category-campus-community","category-campus-life","category-campus-ministries","category-digest","category-emu-at-lancaster","category-student-life","category-wcsc","tag-brian-martin-burkholder","tag-carmen-schrock-hurst","tag-diversity","feature-emu-home-page-feature","feature-featured-seminary","feature-myemu-feature","feature-news-feature","feature-news-landing-page-main-feature"],"yoast_head":"\nEMU's oldest, most influential student organization YPCA, now Y-Serve, continues its ministry - EMU News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2017\/emus-oldest-influential-student-organization-ypca-now-y-serve-continues-lead-serve\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"EMU's oldest, most influential student organization YPCA, now Y-Serve, continues its ministry - EMU News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"From March 6-10, 2017, Eastern Mennonite University Y-Serve sends four student groups on service learning trips. 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