LINNEA SHAW

MY NEW ROLE- ​Western Alaska Network Associate

CYAK is dedicated to working in collaboration with churches and ministries in each village to champion the cause of ministry to young people in Alaska. My role as part of the CYAK team will be to continue building new and deeper relationships with the young people and leaders in western Alaska through regular visits to their communities and through intentional, ongoing discipleship.

Many of our visits are simply about building , encouraging relationships with the community. Some of my favorite activities from past visits include visiting students during open gym times at the local schools, organizing chapel services and youth choirs, and baking cookies with students for their elders.

We also visit in response to challenging community events such as a suicide, death, or natural disaster. The goal of these visits is to encourage youth, care for the community, and provide safe spaces for the community to grieve. We want to help foster communities that meet youth where they are at and demonstrate God’s unconditional love in the face of life’s challenges.

Outside of onsite visits, there are also opportunities to build relationships thorough technology, yearly at Covenant Bible Camp and by connecting with youth when they make their own visits to Anchorage.

MY STORY

In 2022 I started working at a mental health and drug treatment center for youth. I began to ask the question,“God, where are you working in the livesof these youths?”

The same year I went to Covenant Bible Camp in Unalakleet: a camp that serves the mostly indigenous communities of western Alaska. There I saw how God was working in the lives of youth whose stories were similar to the stories of the clients I worked with at the treatment center. I saw how the hope of Jesus impacted them and that God is indeed close to the broken-hearted.

Since then, looking for where the heart of God is moving in the lives of young people has become a heartbeat of mine. This heartbeat led me to serve as an intern with CYAK for a year. I worked with youth in Nome and went on short outreach trips to the villages of Elim and Unalakleet. Each of these opportunities allowed me to have conversations with youth about life’s challenges and their faith. Here are some of the words youth have shared with me in those conversations:
“I feel alone and I don’t know what to do.”
“Sometimes I want to give up, but I know God wants me to stay alive.”
“Will you pray that my parents will get sober?”
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This new job allows me to continue to deepen and multiply these relationships with the vision of seeing lives transformed by the hope of Jesus.
Contact Me
(907) 952-5033​
My E-mail is:
[email protected] 

MY INVITATION TO YOU

I would like to invite you to be a part of my prayer and or financial support team. This role requires that I build a team of people who will pray for me and who will financially support me. I earnestly believe true ministry happens as a result of prayer.

As a CYAK staff I need to raise a full salary in addition to covering the other costs associated with being in a full time ministry role like this. I ask that you prayerfully consider contributing financially to this ministry. Often people find it easiest to give a monthly gift, which also gives me welcome stability. But no matter what, I am grateful for whatever God puts on your heart. I am not looking to just raise support, I am looking to build relationships in ministry. I am looking forward to praying regularly for my support team.

Thank you! If you would like to start praying now, below are some prayer points.
​Go team Jesus!
-Linnea Jane

THANK YOU!

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PLEASE JOIN ME IN PRAYER

  • For each young person in Western Alaska to have a relationship with a supportive adult who can celebrate and encourage them.
  • For youth to learn how to access the Hope of Jesus, and to learn that there is a redemptive way to deal with the challenges of life.
  • For youth to develop a vision of what new life with Jesus could look like for them.
  • For communities to embrace healing together, for forgiveness and unity.
  • For me to depend on God equipping me for his good work.
  • For sensitivity to see what God is doing. I want the humility to meet people just where they are.
  • For creativity in the midst of challenges and tension.
  • For spiritual protection.