Takhlakh Lake near Mount Adams in Washington State

Mission

Vision Statement

  • We envision many Epic Youth Centers throughout rural America that will: Promote and catalyze transformational change in the lives of youth, their families, and their communities.

Mission Statement

  • Epic Youth Centers exist to bring about emotional and spiritual life change through social and physical activities that instill hope, character, and confidence in the youth of rural America.
  • We accomplish this mission in three ways:
    1. First, encourage rural leaders to get the rest and renewal needed to flourish in their significant roles.
    2. Second, we invest in the next generation, providing space, organization, and leadership for social and physical activities that instill hope, character, and confidence in the youth of rural communities.
    3. Finally, in the process of the above efforts, we catalyze volunteer partnerships, encouraging a greater sense of trust, cooperation, and pride in rural communities.
  • All EPIC activity somehow integrates our 7 key values in everything that is offered and utilized at the site.

EPIC Key Values

  • Courage; Humility; Self-respect; Integrity; Responsibility; Compassion; and Service.

Serving The Next Generation

  • In 2021 we began work on a facility to expand our support to rural young people. We chose Goldendale, Washington as the site for a “pilot project” for EPIC YOUTH CENTERS.
  • Since EPIC YOUTH CENTERS exist to bring about emotional and spiritual life change through social and physical activities that instill hope, character, and confidence in the youth of rural America, we realized that our outreach model needed to specifically address a young person’s need for belonging, identity, purpose, and community.

The Facing Crisis

  • March 2020 began years of disruption, to say the least. From the beginning of the pandemic to a movement of demonstrations for racial justice, to looming presidential elections, U.S. residents—along with many of their global neighbors—are living in a state of uncertainty. And the younger adult generations of Millennials and Gen Z are facing some of the greatest challenges in these moments.
  • The outlook for young adults and teens is already starkly different than that of generations past, and has only been further altered in light of recent events. Young people are questioning their place in this new reality. Further, half of rural pastors surveyed say that they are struggling in their ministry to kids and youth right now. They are finding that traditional methods are no longer effective. How can the we come alongside the emerging generations right now and help them navigate change?
  • In Barna’s Caring for Souls in a New Reality webcast, Kinnaman reported on the needs and concerns of young adults since the virus outbreak, comparing their responses against those of older generations. As of late May, one in three Millennials reported being in need of food and supplies (35% vs. 24% Gen X, 21% Boomers), emotional support (33% vs. 25% Gen X, 13% Boomers) and financial assistance (32% vs. 31% Gen X, 12% Boomers). One in five (19%) said they were feeling lonely “all the time,” a quarter (25%) for at least some of each day and 21 percent at least one day a week. Only one in three (35%) hadn’t faced loneliness as opposed to half of Gen X (50%) and Boomers (59%). The results are higher in rural areas.
  • Loneliness, and a lack of sense of belonging are creating an isolated, fragmented, and angry younger generation. In fact, they are now being called the Lost Generation.
  • More recent research is now pointing toward how Pandemic Policies have damaged speech, mental development of youth and high degrees of youth social breakdown. From early childhood through high school, youth rely on facial expressions, social interactions, conversations with new people and friendships to develop mentally. The lack of these opportunities for rural youth is causing social and mental disfunction in this Lost Generation.

We Must Integrate a New Response to the Youth Crisis!

Catalyzing a Community

  • Whole and healthy communities are the fruit of energized leaders, hopeful youth, and parents, teachers, schools, churches, and other local entities cooperating to help one another flourish. The EPIC Youth Center project desires to galvanize the local people and catalyze a sense of community that changes the lives of rural youth forever.