Tim Ahlgrim is the Executive Director for Vision For Youth, an international network of youth ministry that seeks to train and encourage youth workers and students for ministry. He has worked with students for the last 41 years – 25 as a youth pastor in Illinois (where he was a founding member of the State Youth Committee, “Funtastic” youth outreach event, and Teen Resource Institute) and Indiana (where he served in leadership roles in Indy Youth Ministries, the Indy Youth Explosion, and Blowout). Tim is a graduate of Baptist Bible College of Pennsylvania (AA and BRE) and Liberty University (MA). He also did graduate work at Baptist Bible School of Theology (Baptist Bible Seminary). Along with his work with Vision For Youth, he was an adjunct professor of youth ministry at Crossroads Bible College in Indianapolis, Indiana for 16 years. Tim has also taught classes at the University of Illinois in Springfield and Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana. He is also a wrestling coach at Lafayette Jefferson High School and serves as the Huddle Coach for the Jeff Fellowship of Christian Athletes. For the past four years he has also served as Chaplain for the Lafayette Fire Department.
Tim and his wife Bonnie have two children; Ben, who is a glass artist, living in Columbia, Pennsylvania, and Allison, who is married to Ian Davie and lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Tim and Bonnie have two grandsons. Tim plays in the worship band and works with students in his local church.
In his ministry with Vision For Youth, Tim has participated in youth ministry training in Southeast Asia, South America, and Europe. Tim began New Hope Student Ministries which is the inner-city ministry and the missions arm of VFY. Throughout the year Tim speaks to several thousand youth workers and students at conferences, camps, and seminars. Tim has extensive experience working in the inner cities of the United States and participating in student missions training in the cities of Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia. VFY also hosts several one-day youth worker training seminars around the USA in which Tim is the main speaker/teacher. He speaks in an average of 20-25 churches and events each year.
Tim has been published in several publications and has co-authored the youth ministry books, “Pushing the Limits – Unleashing the Hidden Potential in Youth Ministry” and “The Greenhouse Project – Cultivating Students of Influence”. He also publishes Vision For Youth internet newsletter.
Tim has served Vision For Youth as member of the board of directors’. He is a past member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. He is also a past recipient of the Outstanding Faithfulness in Youth Ministry Award. In athletics, Tim was inducted into the Lafayette Jefferson High School “Ring of Honor” for achievement in coaching in the sport of wrestling.