Area Youth Ministry (AYM)

Area Youth Ministry (AYM) is a nationwide non-profit Christian youth organization that offers activities such as volleyball leagues and tournaments, camps, retreats, clinics, open gyms, club teams, and sports camps including basketball and volleyball. The program also runs Code & Design camps, STEM camps, Impact camps, all-nighter events, the AYM Summer Festival, Summer Nights, and the Intersect Winter Retreat. AYM provides mentorship, workshops that address questions about Christian faith, and events such as Lead The Cause – Local in NYC and Lead the Cause with Dare 2 Share Ministries.

AYM started in 2018 and is made up of college students and alumni who mentor teens. AYM mentors go through background checks, screening, and reference checks, and they complete annual safety and compliance training before doing any work that involves minors. AYM mentors are college students and recent alumni, and the program implements a “2-Adult Rule” when meeting with minors, with in-person mentorship meetings taking place in open, public spaces.

AYM states that it is a nationwide non-profit Christian youth organization that connects teens with like-minded peers and mentors and is not a church but is similar to a para-church ministry. Its mission statement says that its vision is to go beyond church walls to provide students with caring mentors, to support youth in maturing in Christ, and to inspire them through Scripture to be agents of God’s love in their schools, families, and communities. The mission statement also says that AYM wants students to know they are not alone in the challenges they face, to provide a listening ear, and to bless the community and youth in the area with the love of Jesus.

Area Youth Ministry is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and a parachurch ministry of Acts 2 Network. AYM is a parachurch ministry of Acts2 Network and partners with Word of Life ministries to host the Intersect Winter Retreat. AYM partners with many local churches and many Gospel-advancing churches and organizations to put on events, apologetics conferences, summer camps, and other activities. AYM describes itself as a resource to serve parents in the community and the youth in the area, and it has 25 chapters across the nation with additional locations including Taipei and Vancouver.

According to one mentee, “Thank you AYM for coming to teach us God’s word. We always appreciate your hard work and patience, and we really admire your dedication and how you spread the love of God to us. It really means a lot!” — EL (AYM Mentee).

Last updated June 19, 2026.