Lifecycles

LIFECYCLES is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) non-profit and a mission of Community Fellowship Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania since 2014.

Mission: LIFECYCLES builds young men and women of character in a Christ-centered bicycle touring adventure experience.

LIFECYCLES has served over 350 teens in our nine years of ministry, and in 2023, we are serving 180 teens in five teams. These teams include one girls’ team and three boys’ teams in Lancaster County, and one team in Mandeville, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans.

The LIFECYCLES experience is available without entry barriers: There is never any fee, as we provide bicycles, helmets, strobe lights, uniforms, meals, and transportation for free. Even our week-long summer challenge rides cost nothing for teens or their families. There is also no tryout. Any teen who wants to ride with LIFECYCLES will find a welcoming ride group to meet their riding level.

LIFECYCLES provides a positive and encouraging environment in which teens grow at their own pace, learning to set goals, challenge themselves, and grow spiritually, mentally, physically, and in self-confidence and leadership skills under the supervision of trained Christian leaders.

LIFECYCLES takes a building block approach to developing teens. Each teen is enrolled in our layered curriculum on their first ride, when they are provided a curriculum book and a Bible. Weeknight rides from April through August focus on safety, riding skills, strength-building, and basic bicycle maintenance as teens build friendships and experience one-on-one mentoring. Teens who are ready for longer rides are invited to join any of the 12 Saturday rides in Lancaster and neighboring counties from May through October. Teens who complete their first curriculum book, and who are physically and socially ready to spend a week away from home riding each day are invited to participate in summer challenge rides with planned adventures and much deeper mentoring and relationship-building. Teens who advance through these levels of the LIFECYCLES experience are invited to intern as Young Leaders at age 17 and 18.

LIFECYCLES maintains standards of governance in the following ways:
– We are governed by a board of directors as required by federal law.
– We are a mission of Community Fellowship Church.
– We file annual reports to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Charitable Organizations as required by Pennsylvania law.
– An independent CPA provides a certified financial review each year.
– LIFECYCLES has maintained membership with the Guide Star organization and has earned Platinum status each year.

Examples of how your gift can be used:

A $25 gift provides 3 curriculum books.
A $40 gift provides a new helmet.
A $600 gift provides a new bicycle.
An $1100 gift sponsors a teen for a year with meals, equipment, and their summer challenge ride.