The Calvary Presbyterian Church youth group did it. They won the $25,000 ymiLIVE Video Challenge.

When the announcement came Thursday, the text messaging and e-mails started flowing. The news spread through the Enumclaw community like wildfire.

And to think the entire process started five months ago, when Calvary youth minister Ben Auger and youth group member David Smith were grabbing a bite to eat. During the conversation, Smith mentioned he likes to make videos. Auger said he’d received something in the mail recently from the Presbyterian Foundation about making a video, but he didn’t think the kids would have the interest or time.

“We should totally do it,” Smith said was his reaction.

“Now look, that one lunch brought us 25 grand,” Smith said. “It’s pretty amazing when you think about it.”

The video, titled “Changes,” had to be based on John 7:38: “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.”

“We just worked off each others’ ideas,” Calvary youth member Emily Gulan said of the group’s creative effort.

“It started off with a comedic idea,” Smith said. “And morphed into a meaningful message. It definitely turned out to be very moving.”

“We weren’t anticipating the impact it would have on the people that watched it,” Auger said.

Youth videos from across the nation were posted on ymiLIVE.org and from May 1 through June 7, family, friends, and congregation members registered on the site to vote for their three favorite videos. The 10 videos with the most online votes determined the semi-finalists. The General Assembly Youth Task Force, composed of 10 youth or young adult members and five adult members, voted on the 10 semi-finalists to determine the two winning videos – Enumclaw and a group from Kansas.

The money is expected to arrive as an endowment, and Auger was not sure if it would come as a lump sum or trickle in over time.

“Whatever we do with the money it will be used to help more people to learn about God and his place in their lives,” Auger said. “To build his reputation in this community, especially among the youth.”