Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

‘It’s harder being a teenager these days than when I was growing up’

By Ayanna Eckblad

Jonathan Dagner, 73, grew up in Albert Lea, attending all of his schooling in the city through high school. He loves car racing and used to go to Austin to watch races nearly every weekend. As a young 11- or 12-year-old, he got connected with the Youth For Christ organization.

He said when the Youth for Christ program started, it had different types of programs and speakers that would come.

His experiences left an impact on him that has stuck with him to this day.

Even after graduating from high school, Dagner kept in touch with the people and goings-on of Youth for Christ. During his years at junior college and Mankato State University, he began volunteering.

“They (Youth for Christ) were starting a new program with the high school youth,” he said. “And I got acquainted with the director and I just thought I’d try and see where I could help.”

Dagner continued his volunteer work after college, coming to help year after year. Along with sharing the good news of God’s Word with the kids he volunteered with, he also tried to make sure to teach them valuable skills they would need in the future.

“We hope that they can grow up making good choices in their life,” Dagner said. “But it’s all up to them, whatever they decide to do, we try to encourage them to make good choices in their life.”

In November, Youth for Christ recognized Dagner for 50 years of volunteer work with the organization. Robin Gudal, who works in administration for the organization, described Dagner as quiet, humble and very artistic.

Dagner currently helps with YFC’s weekly Tuesday meetings with middle school-age youth.

“It’s a program that helps the youth and helps them as they’re getting their education and growing up and it helps supplement other things in their lives that they need to help them,” he said.

When not at Youth for Christ, Dagner keeps himself busy volunteering at Bridge Community Church, which he attends. He has also kept his love of cars and racing.

“The older cars are my favorite because the newer ones are really high-tech electronics and everything, and I’m not very good with electronics,” he said.

Dagner plans to continue volunteering at Youth for Christ and hopes he is able to do so for many years to come.

“I think it’s harder being a teenager these days than when I was growing up,” he said. “There’s so many things that are going on in the world… It seems like there’s even more conflict and things with the world.”