About

Statement of Faith | History | About our Leaders | Partnerships

The mission of REYS Youth Center is to reach local youth in Christian love, to encourage, develop, and equip them to experience Godly wholeness and success by praying, sharing Christ, teaching God’s Word, and offering supervised activities.

The purpose of REYS Youth Center is to initiate and develop mentoring relationships with community youth in fulfillment of the Center’s mission statement.

Methods of Engagement

Spiritual Direction

Through our Spiritual Direction program we hope to be an example of Christ’s love through our programs, staff, and volunteers. By this effort, we strive to bring glory to God by making Christ known to all those who come and participate in our programs.

Academic Assistance

Academic Assistance programs are free for all students of the Donegal School District and surrounding areas. We focus on teaching our students the importance of homework comprehension, organization, and consistency.

Social Support

Our Social Support program’s purpose is to help the students in their everyday lives by fostering relationships, so that they can have a strong positive role in the community.

Statement of Faith

All those who participate in the on-going work and witness of REYS Youth Center attest to the the Gospel of Jesus Christ and following articles of faith:

The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, being given by divine inspiration, are the Word of God, the final and supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
In the Scriptures God reveals Himself as the living and true God, Creator of all things. Perfect in love and righteous in all His ways this one God exists eternally as a Trinity of persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
God made us in His image that we might have fellowship with Him. Being estranged from God by our disobedience, we are incapable of a right relationship to God apart from divine grace.
The only Mediator between God and us is Jesus Christ our Lord, God’s eternal Son, who as man fully shared and fulfilled our humanity in a life of perfect obedience.
By His death in our place, Jesus revealed the divine love and upheld divine justice, removing our guilt and reconciling us to God. Having risen bodily from the dead and ascending into heaven, He rules as Lord over all and intercedes for us as our great high priest.
The Holy Spirit, through the proclamation of the gospel, renews our hearts, persuading us to repent of our sins and confess Jesus as Lord. By the same Spirit we are led to trust in divine mercy, whereby we are forgiven all our sins, justified by faith through the merit of Christ our Savior, adopted into God’s family as His children and enabled so to live in the world that everyone may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven.
God by His Word and Spirit calls everyone into the fellowship of Christ’s body. Thus He creates the one holy, universal and apostolic church, united in the bonds of love, endowed with the gifts of the Spirit and summoned by Christ to preach the gospel and to administer the sacraments, to relieve human needs and to strive for social justice.
God’s redemptive purpose will be consummated by the return of Christ to raise the dead, judge everyone and establish His glorious kingdom. Those who are apart from Christ shall be eternally separated from God’s presence, but the righteous shall live and reign with Him forever.

History

1981- The Mount Joy community expresses interest in opening a youth center
1982- A board is formed from interested members of the community. The board is commissioned by the Mount Joy Inter-Church Council to open a community youth center.
1982, July 16th - The Mount Joy Youth Center opens
1991- Rainbow's End Youth Services becomes an independent non-profit ministry
1999- SICO Oil sells building at 105 Fairview St. to REYS. Capital Campaign begins to fund renovations.
2001- Renovations begin on 6,200 sq ft of space, including 5,000 sq ft of gymnasium construction
2002, April - Renovations of facility completed
2007- REYS acquires adjacent 2.25 acre field to expand property
2010-present- REYS expands on after-school and evening programs to meet community youth needs

About our Leaders

Cristina Paden is the Executive Director at Rainbow’s End Youth Services since July 2020. Prior to joining the REYS team, Cristina served as a Campus Minister where she directed short-term domestic and international mission/service trips for college students. She also served a volunteer Youth Ministry Director for many years at her former church in Reading, PA. Cristina has her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Counseling, and has taken graduate courses in Ministry Leadership. She loves developing the REYS staff and sharing stories of how God is working at REYS. She is passionate about connecting with young people and encouraging them to enter into a transformative relationship with Jesus.

Cristina is originally from New York City and moved to Pennsylvania in 2009. She is of Dominican descent and is fluent in Spanish. She enjoys travelling the world, eating delicious foods, and spending time with her loved ones – especially her husband, Mark and their furry son, Ori. You can reach Cristina at cpaden@reys.org.

Travis Reish is the Director of Student Ministries at Rainbow’s End Youth Services. Prior to joining the REYS team, Travis served as the Director of Spiritual Life and High School Bible teacher at the Christian School of York. Travis has a Bachelor’s degree in History, a Master’s degree from Palmer Theological Seminary in Christian Counseling, and Master’s degree from Grand Canyon University in Education. Travis is passionate about teaching and sharing the good news of Jesus with everyone.

Travis and his wife, April, reside in Etters with their two foster daughters and their four dogs (Axel, Dillon, Parker, and Morales). Travis enjoys spending time outdoors, from hiking to playing in the local church softball league. Travis and his family spend their summers competing in the sport of Dockdogs with their four dogs. They travel all over the Mid-Atlantic competing in competitions. You may reach Travis via email at programs@reys.org.

Hannah Wheeler is the Program and Communications Coordinator at Rainbow’s End Youth Services. She graduated in 2021 from Lancaster Bible College with a double BA in Communication and Biblical Studies with a minor in Intercultural Studies. Born and raised in Florida, Hannah enjoys sunny days, kayaking, going on runs, and any time spent with friends or family. Although she enjoys the outdoors, you can also catch Hannah enjoying a cup of tea while watching anything from a musical to The Hobbit series (although she prefers the book).

As a communicator, Hannah enjoys writing (poems, blogs, articles, etc.) and speaking, but above all else, she has a passion for people; to give them a safe space to be heard, empathized with, and to come alongside them in discipleship. Her life and ministry are directed by the words of 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. She has adopted a life motto to, glorify God and further His Kingdom in both mundane and thrilling, happy and difficult, seasons of life.

You may reach Hannah via email at hwheeler@reys.org

Cameron is the male program assistant at REYS. Cameron (or Cam, Captain, etc.) is a creative, optimistic, and excitable ball of energy, who is always open to new ideas. He is also prepared to turn any and all strangers into friends. Cameron has been privileged to be a part of many different church and volunteer programs, and throughout his time serving has developed a love for working with kids to help them grow in faith and maturity while showing them the joy and wonder that can be found in life. Cameron has a passion for adventures and pirates, as well as interests in music, writing, and games. He only speaks one language, but might be able to make one up if you asked him. You may reach Cameron via email at cbush@reys.org.

Jennifer Gibson, or Jenn as most know her, is the Office Assistant at Rainbow’s End Youth Services (REYS Youth Center). Jenn joined the REYS team in August of 2019. Jenn has always heart for youth, and so she decided to go to Lancaster Bible College where she received her bachelor’s degree in Children and Family Ministries in 2017. After obtaining her degree Jenn worked for a couple years as an Assistant Children’s Director, running the evening children’s programming. Jenn and her husband live in the Mount Joy area with their daughters. Jenn enjoys cooking for her family, playing games (card, board and computer), photography, and solving puzzles. You may reach Jenn via email at jgibson@reys.org