THE VALUE OF PERSISTENCE

Starting an area from scratch is something that doesn’t happen overnight. There are three principles that many Area Developers uphold: Local Ownership, Staff Supervision, and Incarnational Ministry. To have a good start to brand new ministry, you need to make sure all are in a healthy spot before you make big steps (like hiring staff) to launching.

Halifax County is rural community of 35,000 people on the North Carolina border in southside Virginia. People there do not experience lots of change. Getting buy-in to build local ownership would take time. It took three years to grow a fully functioning committee who decided to pursue a full time Area Director. Growing a full-time budget, in a small, economically challenged community, full of late adopters, takes time.

It also takes time to raise up the right leader for the job. The area did not see club for three years while informational meetings were taking place and the committee and donor infrastructure was being built. Volunteers started a club in years three and four. Years five through seven saw one of these volunteers’ step into a Teacher Staff role.  That teacher staff expanded the volunteer team that led to one of them coming on full time staff in year eight.

An important objective in the development of this Area Director was to model and teach Incarnational Ministry. Some communities cling to traditional ministry models thinking that all ministry takes place in the church. Ideas like “going where kids are at” and “earning the right to be heard” are strange to some. It took time to grow one of their own who could take the reins and lead the charge in Halifax. After seven years we finally had the staff supervision needed to ensure quality ministry AND to grow new clubs and start neighboring areas. Was it worth it to pour so much time and energy into one county? For seven years?

There are about a dozen counties in southside Virginia that are just like Halifax County. Rural communities with about half of the population being people of color. And Young Life has never been in any of these places. The hope, desire, and vision that fueled the 7-year start-up in Halifax is to have Young Life in all these counties.

What is your long-range vision? What are you persevering at? Caleb saw and tasted the promised land, was denied entry, languished in the desert for 40 years then asked for some of the hardest territory in the promised land which was still full of those blasted Canaanites! Is it the rocky soil of a kid’s heart? A subset of the school you have been doing contact work with but have yet to see them at club? The school next door that does not seem to have any adult interest in Young Life?

Be encouraged and keep 1 Thessalonians 5:24 on your mind and in your heart; “Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”

Written by: Steve Schmitt

A DOOR CLOSED - A WINDOW OPENED.

If you stand at a window, looking into a room, could you give an accurate description of what the room looked like? Of course you could! But let’s say you only look through that one window for five, ten, or even twenty years. Then one day, someone comes along and pulls you around the corner to look into the same room, but from a different angle. Would anything change?

You would still see an accurate depiction of the interior, but you might notice a new clock, a new table, or a new wastebasket. How much would you have been missing all those years?

With the coronavirus pandemic, we Young Life people are being pulled to a new window. It’s new, it’s potentially uncomfortable (“I really like my window!”), but it is absolutely necessary. And while the transition might be tough, I encourage everyone working in the world of kids to consider these words: “Fear sees a challenge, but faith sees an opportunity,” (shout out to my work crew bosses a decade ago).

Here is an example: the club that I volunteer with normally sees about 50-60 kids at our weekly meetings. When Newt handed down the announcement that club would need to be suspended in order to protect our high school friends, we made the quick move to host club on Instagram live.

The result? Nearly 90 kids showed up to watch me pie my co-leaders in the face (a sacrifice I was willing to make). That was bigger than any in-person club we had hosted all semester.

Here’s what I’m not saying- I’m not saying that virtual connection should replace the actual contact work of being in the world of kids. Once the world gets back to normal, we need to double-down on our commitment to being at ballgames, grabbing coffee, and hosting Bible study.

What I am saying is that the social-distancing regulations put in place as of late have given us a new window to reach the kids that don’t come around to our clubs and campaigners during “peacetime”. The virtual world we’ve been thrown into has given the “furthest-out kid” a new chance to interact with our community. Once the social-distancing protocols are lifted, why would we sacrifice that?

When Paul went to Athens in Acts 17, he had to look at ministry through a new window. He had to offer the same gospel in a new, relevant way. As we move our ministry online for a stint, we must do the same. In Paul’s case, “…when they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, ‘We want to hear you again on this subject,’” (v. 32). Is this not the response we get in Young Life?

So here is my call to action: as things go back to normal (and they will), let’s fight to keep those new, virtual connections alive. While we do the good work of getting to the schools and setting up clubs, let’s keep the virtual line open for the middle school, high school, and college-aged friends that may not be ready to jump into club, but are ready to watch me eat extremely hot wings and host an ask-me-anything. These connections, while virtual, can still set the stage for that 1:1 over coffee where we proclaim the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

Staying  hopeful,

Kyle Bush

AREA DIRECTOR OR AREA DOER

 Am I an Area Director or an Area Doer?

Our business cards might say “Area Director,” but at the heart of the job is “doing,” “going,” and “engaging.”  Quite frankly, I believe whole-heartedly that we are “Doers” first, “Directors” second. But we are certainly both.

I am reminded of First Sergeant, Carwood Lipton, from Band of Brothers.  Serving with Easy Company, in the 101st Airborne Division, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Lipton was a favorite among his troops as First Sergeant. He had “boots” on the ground with his men from the moment of his parachute landing in France, through Holland, through the long and wintry Battle of the Bulge, and all the way to the Eagle’s Nest (Hitler’s mountaintop fortress in Austria). He kept them focused and kept them encouraged. He never sent his troops on ahead. He always showed them the way and courageously led them into battle, every step of the way.  Carwood Lipton was the embodiment of the “Doer.”  

  (a few scenes of graphic war time violence)

By the end of the war, he had received a battlefield commission to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.

While we are not in military combat with actual bullets flying, we most definitely have boots on the ground, fighting the most worthy and the most holy of battles. Our mission? To charge the hill and help take back the land for kids, so that they might clearly see, hear, and experience the beautiful story of Jesus and His message of hope, love, healing and forgiveness. There is a real and present enemy who “seeks to kill, steal and destroy” not only the hearts of teenagers, but our hearts as well, but we fight alongside and for the King of kings.

We must be the ones to lead the way for our volunteers and other staff…our great privilege and you’re up for the task! We must first be the ones to spend time in the cafeteria, in the stands, in the parking lots of the school campuses. And we must be effective in teaching our “troops” what relational excellence and efficiency looks like, along with the “why and the how” of the fight!

1st Lieutenant (US Army), Amber Thompson, one of our Young Life leaders, summed it up this way:

“1SG Lipton was promoted to Lieutenant because his vision was bigger and far reaching, making him more suitable to take command rather than to just follow orders. His vision needed to direct (2LT) came from his first ‘going and doing’ (1SG).”

The Area Director must have boots on the ground (we go and we do), all the while strategizing and seeing the bigger picture and view of not only the battle, but the war on the enemy and for the hearts of ALL kids. And before we “do” and “direct”, we pray fervently to the One who has already laid claim to victory!  There is no forward movement without Him.  

“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.”  Matthew 24:6

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”  2nd Corinthians 10:4

Written by: Glenn Austell, Senior Area Director, Lubbock, Texas (ylhubcity@msn.com)

Global Training & Discipleship February 2020

In the Bible, the word “witness” is used to describe both a person and an action—someone who sees something and then talks about what they’ve seen. Similar to today, this word is used in both legal settings and to describe an experience with God. But what’s most interesting about the word witness is how it illuminates the story of Scripture, especially the role of the people of God. In this video, we explore how this word contributes to the overarching story of the Bible.

See what The Bible Project has put together:

December 2019 Global Training

WHAT I LEARNED FROM BEING A REGIONAL DIRECTOR OVER 3 DECADES

Jim Rayburn chose a motto for Young Life, BEFORE Young Life became Young Life. It was “Christ is life” from 1 John 5:12. Everything we know about Young Life today (camps, clubs, messages, campaigners, relationships, mission, approach to kids, etc) comes from Rayburn’s thinking (theology) of this passage. It is a BIG DEAL. Click here to hear Bob Mitchell’s comments about “Christ is Life.”

Jim Rayburn also said, “the best Young Life work has yet to be done.” Jim’s words call for us to think about all the things he meant by his statement. One of the most important ideas is that Young Life is dynamic. It is ever-changing. First, it is changing because adolescent culture is changing. The 60’s kids are not like today’s kids. Kids in Hawaii, Armenia, Peru, or India are not the kids of Tyler, Texas in 1941. Second, I am changing as I grow in the Lord (my understanding of Jesus is greater now than when I was in high school and first met Him… He is bigger and better!).

We in Young Life need to be “learners/students” of kids (adolescent culture) and “learners/students” of Christ (who He is, what He has done for us, and how that relates to us).  All that Young Life is doing is putting Christ and kids together… and seeing what happens! Tom Raley spoke at a staff conference in 1977 entitled “13 Qualities of a Disciple on the YL Staff.”  One point was we are to always be growing. Click here to hear Tom’s 13 points.

Our challenge in the mission of Young Life today, is how to create a place (a Mission/Community) to live out those two big ideas. “Christ is life,” and “the best Young Life has yet to be done.”

We do fairly well in the mission part of Mission Community, but we sometimes lack in the community part looks like.

Here are a few things we found to be important, qualities, about what this community is like and how it needs to function.

• it must be safe

• a place of trust between individuals and the leader

• the leader must be a learner and risk being vulnerable

• it goes beyond tolerance to embrace different opinions and even conflict

• the group acts more than talks… commits to act as a group

• the leader invites and desires honest feedback of meetings

If your team or leader is not functioning this way, it is time for an open and honest discussion to get there. We are privileged to serve Christ and kids this way.

Written by Randy Jackson (rackson@me.com)

November 2019 Global Training

WHAT I LEARNED FROM MOVING TO A NEW YL AREA

Last August, I was asked by a dear friend to pray about moving to Colorado. In my head I said, “heck no!” but what came out of my mouth was, “sure I’ll pray about it, I’ll pray about anything. I love to pray!” Within three months, Alli and I packed up our home to make the biggest move of our lives. 

Moving across the country meant we would be leaving behind our family, lifetime friends, and a thriving ministry. There was one thing I wanted to know for sure. Was I running from something or was I running to something? There is a huge difference between the two. In no way did I want to run from where God had planted me based on a false belief that the grass would be greener. I wanted to be SURE that we were running TO a place God was calling us…no matter what color the grass was!  He made it clear to us that this was His move, not ours and we had complete confidence He would go before us.  

We have been in Colorado for almost a year now and God has been faithful! He has taught us so much through this process. In the first few months, I felt strongly about taking time to listen and observe, without making any big changes. This was partly because I read a book my friend Ryan Wiggins gave me, The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins. During this time of observation and prayer the Lord showed me four values He wanted for our area long-term. I believe that if we commit to these four things, we will continue to see success in our relationships with the community we serve.

1. Humility - One of the most attractive attributes of an influential leader is Humility. This is particularly true when you are coming into a new area. People are often waiting to see what the “new guy/girl” will do. Humility is the gateway to Kingdom leadership because it creates a culture of honor. I wanted to honor the work that our leadership had been doing before I entered the scene. Although I am far from where I would like to be in this area, I have seen the incredible difference it makes when, by God’s grace, I choose to lean into humility as a leader. 

   Proverbs 18:12- "haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor"

2. Teachability - The second thing the Lord revealed to me earlier this year is that humility precedes teachability. In my beginning conversations, I was finding that most people responded to feedback in one of two ways: with excuses or eagerness to grow. It reminded me that I want to be the kind of leader that is teachable and willing to ask for help. I’ve found that people are honored when you say “you are better at this than me, can you help me succeed?” It empowers people! I truly believe weakness is the doorway to God’s strength. Over and over I have seen how saying "I need help" leads the unengaged adults in our area to step up and meet those needs.

3. Initiative - I also learned that being humble and teachable only goes so far. If you lack initiative, you end up losing the honor and respect that you’ve worked so hard to earn. For me, the simple act of responding to people (ie. texts, emails, etc.) and follow-through has been a game changer in moving to a new area. I have been very far from perfect in this but when we’ve shown this to our leaders and committee they have responded with initiative of their own.

   “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Proverbs 14:23 

4. Faith - My friend, Steve Larmey, VP of Africa, told me on one of our assignments together that “faith, is the key that opens up God’s grace in our lives. When we live by faith, God pours out His grace all around us.” Without FAITH all of these principles are just great relationship tools. I saw this clearly during our spring fundraising event. Being humble, teachable, and willing to take initiative were helpful to get people in the room, but without in faith in Christ and his ability to supernaturally do more than I could ever hope or imagine, we wouldn’t have prayed BIG prayers leading up to that night. We wouldn’t have walked away with triple the amount we had hoped to raise. Faith is inviting Jesus in the boat…that’s when we get to where we are supposed to be.

“Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.” John 6:21

And

“And without faith it is impossible to please him” Hebrews 11:6

I believe that in Young Life, we aren’t just building into an organization. We are building culture - a Kingdom culture that the world does not know. I am excited about the way this transition has caused me to really see those around me, and how it has pushed me to grow as a leader and son of the King. 

Things to Ponder:

• If a friend or mentor asked you to consider moving across the country would you: A. Shut it down immediately? B. Say you’ll pray but not really. C. Really press in and see what Jesus is doing?

• If you’re currently considering a move, how would you answer the questions, “Am I running from something” or “toward what God is doing”? 

• Can you think of an influential leader you know personally who has demonstrated true humility? Can you think of one who hasn’t? What are three things about the one with humility that you respect? 

• What are the things that you believe could move a Kingdom Culture into your community? What are the things you hope your leaders, committee, and staff will live out? 

October 2019 Global Training

We all have really good stories about being on really bad conference calls. 

You might have thought it was a good idea  to do a video call in your pajamas until you accidentally turn on your camera in front of the entire group OR, thinking you’ve muted the phone to yell at your dog, only to realize everyone heard what you said.

Running a conference call is not as easy as it seems. I’m not an expert, but here are a few simple tricks that I’ve learned from a lot of experience and a few bad calls.

The Four C’s of a GREAT Conference Call: 

#1. CLARITY: When you invite participants to join a conference call, the intent, purpose, and goals for the call should be CLEAR. Make sure you have an agenda and are able to stay on task as you host and lead the call.

#2. CONTENT: Technology is AWESOME! We have endless possibilities to connect with people anywhere at anytime. With that in mind make sure your CONTENT is best suited for a conference call.  Do things on a conference call that should only be covered on a conference call. For example; the roll out of a new program or big announcements are great for conference call platforms. Try to stay away from asking for feedback or input - save that for email or one-on-one calls.

#3: CONTEXT: Like I said above, it can be hard to do things like ask for feedback on conference calls because you run the risk of everyone talking over each other so have a plan so give CONTEXT for the structure of the call. Take a brief moment to give an overview of the agenda and mention the different options that participants have to ask questions or give input. Many times, you can anticipate questions people might ask sand take the time to address those on the call. Also, you can call on people by name to speak or answer a specific question if appropriate. 

#4: CLOCK:  Start and end on time! Log into the conference call early so you can welcome people as they join. Don’t be afraid to begin even if a few participants are missing or late. Keep things moving so folks stay engaged and feel free to ask for conversations to continue ‘off-line’ so you can end on time!

For other helpful tips like asking people to mute their phones and what to include in a follow up email, CLICK HERE .

Written by Kimberly Silvernale (kimberlygraceyl@gmail.com)

September 2019 Global Training

REFLECTIONS OF A LIFELONG TRAINER

In YL we train on everything!  From our personal spiritual life to direct ministry skills.  From fundraising to developing a team. We are all students for life.  I have always fostered a teachable posture, but for much of my career I have been grateful to have the carried the label of ‘trainer.’ 

One of the earliest training recollections I have is a story I heard from one of my ‘heroes’ in the mission, Chuck Reinhold.  He shared about one of his fraternity brothers in college. Chuck said that his friend could have run a much better club than he could. His friend was funny, a musician, and had a winsome presence. He would have been a pied piper for teenagers with one exception:  he didn’t know Jesus. Chuck’s friend had no desire to know or follow Jesus. I learned early on that as important as our ability to entertain and draw people together there are some things far more important. 

I love that our mission places a high value on three things:

1. Godly character

2. Relational intelligence

3. Ministry skills.

My journey with Young Life started with examples of men and women who lived out of a vibrant faith. These men and women were my examples. At an early stage in my faith formation I gained an image of what it looks like to follow Jesus. They taught and modeled that ministry is much more than a place to contribute to God’s kingdom, as important as this is. They kept reminding me that ministry is a work of heart and that it’s the potter’s wheel on which the Lord will shape me.  Over the past few decades, I have been molded, refined, and shaped into a different person because of Christ, family, friends, and my experience in ministry through YL.  

I once was interviewing a prospective staff associate. As part of the process we spent the day together. He watched me deal with one fire after another—an upset parent, a slacking volunteer leader, issues surrounding our golf tournament, and a finance committee meeting.

At the end of a day of him watching me navigate one crisis after another he said, “If being on staff means I have to live like that I’m not sure I can do it.” This got me thinking: do the people around me see me as miserable, unhappy, joyless, stressed, and over-committed or do they see me as someone who joyfully loves his Lord, is faithful to his call and energized by the things he experiences as he follows Jesus? Or put differently, would I want others to look like me as they walk with their Lord?

I’ve learned that out of the abundance of my heart my mouth speaks. My words and self-talk give me a clue to the state of my heart. Understanding my godly character and relational intelligence begins here. Thankfully, it didn’t take me 45 years to realize the critical nature of these things in a life of a believer and missionary, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t reminded of them every day.  

After years of training, what I have learned is that ministry comes down to deeply knowing Jesus, and being an example that others will follow. The rest will sort itself out.  

Written by Ray Donatucci

Global Training August 2019

My first summer assignment was work crew boss (Pits) at Frontier Ranch in July 1974. It was there that my training as a disciple and as a leader was accelerated beyond anything I could have ever dreamed. Each subsequent assignment was a catalyst for further deepening of faith and finding my voice as a leader. I have learned plenty from good books and classrooms, but I have learned more about life in Christ from YL assignments because of the living laboratory of faith and community that happens there. Being in an intense mission community for a month becomes a model for the possibilities that exist in my community at home. To say that YL assignments deeply shaped my leadership and faith would be an understatement.

Assignments are unique in this way:  they are “more.” More laughter, more tears, more conflict, more reconciliation, more joy, more sorrow, more transformation and redemption, more healing and more hope and prayer, and of course, even a chance at more of Jesus.

The ministry leadership learning that takes place on assignments is as fine as there is. The intensity, the modeling, the experiments all lend themselves to better leadership and even character development.  Though no one suggests a name change, it would be fair to say that YL camps and camping are fundamentally training environments so that it would be reasonable to refer to every camp as a training camp. Many countries around YL think of camp this way and this shows great insight and higher expected outcomes .

In 2008, Lost Canyon did an experiment with a multi-country assignment team. Kenya, Tanzania, Peru, Paraguay, US, Argentina, and South Africa.  Most leaders, began the week (which happened to be all US campers) with a question: ‘How is this going to work?’ Thick accents and cultural hits and misses aside, all involved came away with a bigger view of God and a bigger view of His Kingdom.

We always approached assignments the same way:  bring as much of our area or region with us as we could. We would beg, borrow, and persuade to get more work crew and summer staff spots. We wanted to have committee and donors come as adult guests. This not only made for great assignments, it meant we took the “experiences” home with us. These were touchpoints of courage and faith that we know will last a lifetime.

Whether you were watching this happen in Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Mongolia, Armenia, Ukraine, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Scotland or the Czech Republic, the elements are the same:

• Hard work. 

• Fervent prayers. 

• Creating environments where the gospel is seen and heard with power. 

• Joy inexpressible. 

• Kids going from death to life. 

• Leaders being redirected to a lifetime walk of faith. 

• Work crew finding community and mission for a lifetime. 

• Summer staff choosing new career paths.

I have had about 30 summer assignments.  Whenever I visit a camp now, Susan sees it in my eyes….I want to do another one, but can I still go to sleep by 10:30?  

Written by Mary Caldwell mcaldwell@sc.younglife.org

Global Training July 2019 - PREPARING TO LAUNCH

Everyone in Young Life would agree: we want to grow Young Life in new communities, believing that every kid deserves a chance to hear and respond to the Gospel and to be loved regardless of their response. We also want to start things in a healthy way.

But everyone in Young Life would also agree that launching a new Young Life Area can be daunting and exciting. Every step forward requires deep community support, sustainable fundraising practices, and committed/engaged leaders and staff.

There are plenty of stories – successful and unsuccessful – of new startup areas across the entire Young Life mission. Learning from these stories is extremely important, as helps us build on valuable practices and avoid common pitfalls.

As such, Jon Houghton and Annie Udell (Young Life Chicagoland) have compiled “Pathway to Healthy Young Life Launch,” a guide to establishing a healthy and sustainable new area. This startup strategy emphasizes the importance of a communication hierarchy (when to communicate what to whom, and how). It also gives helpful milestones to achieve along the way, leading you through the process of recruiting adults, securing financial support and, eventually, hiring a dedicated staff person. The purpose of this document and its resources is not to eliminate the need for guidance from someone who has the lead the start up process previously but to minimize the need for guidance and streamline the process. Our hope is that this will give you and the people you lead confidence that there is a coherent plan.

What does it take to get YL started?

- Prayer for a vision and guidance of new areas to reach

- The launching group must have an understanding of the mission of Young Live

- Establish a local Committee

- Understand the Financial Structure and Raise Money

- Hire Staff (some communities will choose to hire a staff person at this point and some will focus on recruiting

volunteer leaders)

- Recruit and Train Volunteer Leaders

Learn more about the steps above in the full Pathway to Healthy Young Life Launch guide HERE .

By Jon Houghton (jonhoughton2@gmail.com)

The 7 reasons you MUST start WyldLife this year.

1. Middle school kids need Jesus. Because of the ways God created their minds and hearts, young teenagers are often more open to the gospel. “Recent studies we have conducted show that the beliefs a person holds at age 13 vary little during their adult years. The most effective way to influence such beliefs is by teaching people when they are young and still in a spiritually formative stage,” said George Barna, founder of the Barna Group.

2. You have a longer window to help kids grow in their faith. When kids begin a relationship with Jesus in sixth grade, your leaders get to spend the next six years helping them learn what it looks like to follow Jesus and give their lives away. Imagine the fruit that can appear in those years.

When your area has WyldLife, you will be a part of changing kids’ lives for eternity. WyldLife can also impact parents, donors, leaders and the area as a whole. A healthy WyldLife ministry can produce these significant secondary benefits:

1. Parent connections. Because parents manage the schedules, transportation and finances of their middle school children, WyldLife leaders must get to know, earn the trust and communicate regularly with parents. Relationships with WyldLife parents can efficiently and organically open doors to parents serving in many ways.

2. New and longer-term donors. Parents are still actively involved in the lives of their middle school kids, so they will notice leaders who care for their kids. Because of what they see firsthand, they may be willing to give financially throughout their children’s time in middle school and high school.

3. High school discipleship. WyldLife started in some areas more than 40 years ago because leaders wanted their high school Campaigners kids to know how to share their lives and the gospel with others. When your area has WyldLife, you have a built-in discipleship opportunity for your high school friends.

4. Bigger pool of leaders. High school students can be great WyldLife leaders, but they need to serve alongside adults who provide maturity and stability. Teachers, coaches and middle school parents are great potential leaders. WyldLife may include only two clubs and two Campaigners a month, and contact work is often done with groups instead of one-on-one. This lighter schedule may make WyldLife an option for some great adult leaders.

5. Area stability. Staff who start with WyldLife in an area before adding Young Life point to WyldLife as the stabilizing factor. The solid parent support and existing relationships with kids contribute to this consistency.

For more information about how to start WyldLife, visit the WyldLife Toolbox on Staff/Volunteer Resources, or contact your WyldLife divisional representative.

Written by: Julie Clapp, Mission Director of WyldLife

FILLING UP SO YOU CAN POUR OUT — The Good Way

The prophet Jeremiah harkened, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls,’” (Jeremiah 6:16)

Three years ago we came to a crossroads in Young Life. Our leadership conducted a missionwide listening exercise and clearly heard a few core things.

• We want to go deeper in Christ as a mission.

• We wanted to give a renewed focus on the second half of the mission statement.

• We wanted to have significant depth in our own life in Christ.

• We wanted to lead our volunteers in a way where their experience of faith was transformative.

These convictions led us to one question:

“What will we offer our staff in response to this clearly stated need and desire?”

This spring we are completing the first year of a three-year pilot designed to answer that question, at least in part. The Good Way is a Training Timeline cohort dedicated to deepening our lives in Christ in the midst of the unique and complex demands of ministry. The feedback expressed to our senior leadership suggests we are meeting a felt need. Here is a representative example:

“This has been the single-most valuable training I have been to in 17 years of Young Life staff. I hope and pray that all staff get to experience The Good Way.”

The Good Way consists of multiple cohorts of 24 senior staff that meet three times across the course of the year. Check out the Staff Resources page for more information and/or to register, then have a conversation with your supervisor to determine your plan. Judging by the feedback, the LORD is making foundational changes in our staff that is generating a new rhythm of rest for their leadership and their lives through The Good Way. We invite you to prayerfully consider whether you are drawn to this offering at this time.

Registration Click HERE.

Written by: Donna Hatasaki (DHatasaki@sc.younglife.org)

A MASTER'S DEGREE IN 5 YEARS! (Look inside)

Q.  Would you like the letters “M.A.” behind your name?

Q. Would you like to complete a degree in less time and at less cost than you thought possible?

Q. Would you like to complete that degree while working full time with Young Life and completing your normal training requirements?

YOU CAN!

Fuller Seminary has recently approved a 12-course M.A. in Ministry Leadership degree that is only available to YOUNG LIFE STAFF. This degree program is built on the 50-year relationship of trust between Young Life and Fuller Seminary.

While you’ll travel to Young Life trainings such as New Staff Training, Area Director School, or Winter Training, there is NO TRAVEL or time out of the area for any Fuller classes, since they are all delivered online.

There is some flexibility in the order classes can be taken, but we imagine the typical approach will look something like the plan below. Please note that six of the courses are delivered by Young Life, and six are delivered as online classes through Fuller.

TEN of these classes fulfill Young Life training requirements. The only exceptions are the theology and Bible electives.  As a part of this partnership, Young Life will pay the upfront tuition cost for each course, and charge staff a $650 transcription fee for each of these classes for FY20; which is about half of the normal tuition cost. Your area, or PDD, account can be used to pay for the transcription fee for all of these courses. Please talk with your supervisor and/or committee chair about your options as you think through how to budget for this degree.

We have a variety of options for staff to pursue academic degrees with any of our excellent partners, and each offers significant discounts. This new degree consists of fewer classes, at a lower total cost, than any other degree available to staff.

What would this look like for me if …

… I am just coming on to Young Life staff and starting my training track?

• Staff who will begin with Young Life this summer/fall and come to New Staff in August can register at that time.

… I started with Young Life in the last two years and took my training for credit?

• You can easily move into this degree program. Please refer to the FAQ document on the Staff Resources page linked below.

… I have been on staff longer than two years?

• You can still move into this program; specific requirements will vary from person to person based on what classes have been taken for credit already, but in most instances it will make sense to move into this degree. Please refer to the FAQ document on the Staff Resources page linked below.

You can find more information on the Fuller/Young Life Partnership page on Staff Resources.

Staff who have taken classes for credit from Fuller will receive further information from Fuller and Young Life.

We’ll provide informational conference calls for interested staff this spring and summer. Dates and call information are posted at the link.

Bottom line: If you’ve thought about completing a master’s, this is a FANTASTIC option. The major roadblocks of time commitment and affordability have been greatly reduced.

We encourage you to check the link and take the next step!

Written by: Ken Knipp (KKnipp@sc.younglife.org)

5 WAYS TO FAIL ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media can be an enormous asset to your ministry! You’ve seen other areas of Young Life thrive on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and you’ve decided it’s time for you to follow suit. Social media is a huge opportunity for building community digitally, but it’s also a territory that can be very overwhelming. Because we know you’re eager to jump in and spreading the word about your ministry, here are our top five ways to FAIL on social media when you start firing off posts (DON’T DO THESE THINGS).

INCONSISTENCY

Don’t Start Something You Can’t Maintain

• Don’t forget about your accounts or your audience! Establishing a pattern of consistency is key to keeping that audience and community engaged.

• Don’t spread yourself too thin by creating a page or account you don’t plan on using.

• Social media marketing done right can be very powerful for building a community and connecting people in your ministry. Depending on the size of your ministry, you may actually need several people dedicated to keeping your social media presence fresh and engaging.

GOING OVERBOARD

Don’t be Overbearing, but Don’t be Absent Either

• Be smart about how often you post, and find the sweet spot for your ministry. If you have enough good content, try posting once a day. Otherwise 3-4 times a week should keep your audience engaged.

• Depending on the type of ministry you’re representing, social media can be a great way for kids and parents to stay engaged. Make sure you keep up with both messages and responses.

• Keep your social media efforts natural and authentic. Your online presence should be an accurate extension of your real-life ministry. Think photos vs. flyers (promotions).

BEING A SLOB

Don’t Have a Bad Design

• Create a plan for how you want your account to look as a whole, and make sure it makes a great first impression! Today your social media presence can directly affect how people view your ministry (sad, but true).

• For Instagram in particular, remember that your last 6-9 posts give a user their first impression, so try and keep your posts cohesive. If the goal of your social media efforts is to foster community, you want the visitor who lands on your page to want to be a part of that community.

• Use a Young Life logo as the profile photo! For logo help, see here.

BEING CARELESS

Don’t Post Things You Shouldn’t

• Don’t post confidential or personal information about kids.

• Consult parents for permission whenever possible.

• It’s not a good idea to post personal opinions on a Young Life area or club account, especially political opinions. These can be divisive, and it’s just not worth the battle (at least not on a digital/public forum). Be smart about what you share on your personal accounts as well, as you are an extension of your area’s/ministry’s account.

• You’re speaking and posting on behalf of your ministry as a whole.

• Avoid using the first person, “I” when posting.

WINGING IT

Don’t forget to have a plan

When it comes to your personal social media accounts, you’re totally free to “wing it.” But when it comes to marketing your ministry or organization, you need to have a plan. Developing a clear direction and sticking to your goals will greatly improve the effectiveness of your efforts.

Social media can be a powerful and integral part of your ministry strategy. It’s a great way to develop a community and spread the word about events, dates, and announcements. Our hope is to provide you with tips and tricks to use in your ministry and find new innovative ways to reach young people around the world​!

Written by: Blake Anderson (banderson@sc.younglife.org)

WHAT HAPPENS IN A SMALL GROUP...SOMETIMES NEEDS TO BE SHARED! (My Trip to NST)

32 years ago, my wife and I attended New Staff Training (NST) at Trail West Lodge.  I vividly remember the impact of the teaching, the modeling, and the Christ-centered tone with which the experience launched us into ministry.

Fast Forward to 2019, Lori and I had the privilege of serving as Small Group Leaders at New Staff Training.  Over the past fifteen years, I have popped in for a 24 hour visit to our NST to cheer on these brand new mission leaders as they embark on the adventure of a lifetime.  However, this time was different. This time we treated our visit like a Summer Assignment: engaging as many of the 300 attendees as we could.

We….

• Shared meals and led a small group of thirteen New Staff (which felt like Cabin Time).  

• We also attended class each day, giving us a chance to hear what our new staff are being taught these days, and helping them translate what they heard into their context.  

• We enjoyed how thoughtful the schedule was:  the priority was prayer, personal spiritual life and it was Jesus first.  I promise, I’m not making this up…there were many blocks of alone time to reflect and process; it felt like a good rhythm and pace.

We left our week with full hearts, greatly encouraged and inspired by the amazing people the Lord is sending to join our staff!  That room of 300+ folks truly are the future of our mission. They are an answer to prayer, as we all ask the Lord of the harvest to raise up workers in His field (Matthew 9:38).  We, as a mission, are doing everything we can to encourage and support them as they launch into this Grand Adventure of proclaiming the life-giving love of Jesus Christ across the globe.  

Here are a few take a ways I might ask you to consider.  

• LISTEN- LEARN:  If you currently supervise New Staff, go buy them a cup of coffee and ask them to reflect on their experience.  Ask them about what feels most relevant to you now a month later?

• VOLUNTEER:  Every year, the Training Team is tasked with recruiting 30+ experienced staff to serve in this role.  This opportunity may be one of the best kept secrets in our mission. Travel and lodging costs are covered by the Training Department.  You are well-equipped each day with resources and have an opportunity to learn from other small group leaders who have been serving in this role for years. If you’re looking for an opportunity to serve our mission, encourage and steward new staff and hear how we are equipping them for their roles back home,  please contact the training department. (training@sc.younglife.org)

* ONE NOTE: due to YL2020 coming up, NST will be held in August at WFR (Washington Family Ranch).

Written by Pete Johnson (peterfjohnson@mac.com)

A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!

10 Years of wisdom, over 200 podcasts, in 9 minute, bite-sized portions

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally and without criticism, and it will be given to him.” - James 1:5 (MEV)

For over ten years, the Field Development Team has hosted over 200 podcasts for committee chairs, committee members and staff. According to our most recent survey, most committees feel unprepared in the ministry of fundraising. Many staff are looking for a few quick ideas and encouragement to improve their funding efforts.  

There is help available. Hosts Pat Rhoades and Greg Lehman share insights from their work in Young Life Development.  From time to time, there are insightful guests and stories from the field.  They offer an entertaining and engaging look at topics such as area fundraising, community ownership, donor care, relational best practices and more. Utilizing this resource with your Committee could be a game changer for fundraising in your area.

• Consider listening in with your Committee and staff

• Subscribe to the podcast (new episodes twice a month)

• Pick a podcast to listen to before your next Committee or financial team meeting and discuss what you could use in your area to strengthen your fundraising.

• Follow Field Development on Twitter

The Young Life Funding Help podcast can be found at YLFundingHelp.org on iTunes and Google Play by searching for “ylfundinghelp”. Successful area funding requires opening our hearts and minds up to what the Lord wants to do. Remember that you are not alone!  Visit YLFundingHelp.org for the latest podcast!  “Jesus said, ‘If? There are no ‘ifs’ among believers. Anything can happen.’” - Mark 9:23 (MSG)

Here are links TOP 10 PODCASTS  to help you get started:

1. Walking by Faith in Fundraising - This podcast asks the important question: “Does your area live by faith and not by sight?” Faith is generated through practice; we get to use fundraising as our generator.

2. Helping Donors Catch Young Life - This podcast gives advice to help donors catch the vision for Young Life.  It can be hard to explain in words, but we can help them see and experience what we do.

3. Who to Ask:  This Podcast talks through how to decide who to engage with and who to talk to in your funding strategy.

4. The Why Behind Events - In this episode we discuss how events fit into our year-round relationships with donors.

5. Levels of Engagement - In this episode we discuss how to understand the levels of engagement of your donors to better help you cultivate them and bring them deeper into the ministry.

6. Keeping Donors Happy - In this episode we discuss how to invite your donors in as partners within your ministry instead of leaving them on the outside.

7. The Value of a Question - In this episode we discuss how to invite donors in by asking questions and inviting them in to be a bigger part of the story.

8. Raising More Monthly Donors - In this episode we discuss the importance of monthly donors and how to engage more monthly donors.

9. Understanding Your Donors Why - In this episode we discuss the importance of understanding your Donor’s “Why” in order to cultivate and engage in closer relationships with them.

10. What Fundraising Is Really All About with Brent Cunningham - In this episode we discuss ways to have a healthy (and possibly a different) perspective on fundraising.

Written by Pat Rhoades prhoades@sc.younglife.org

EVERYONE HAS ONE...WHO IS YOUR TRAINER?

The longer you serve on Young Life staff, the more you will be confronted with three simple questions. They are asked at banquets, summer assignments, staff conferences and trainings. They will be posed by adult guests, committee chairs, staff associates, senior staff and peers. On the surface, the questions seem harmless, but if you look closely, they reveal one of the secrets of the mission. Here they are:

Question 1: “When did you come on staff?”

Question 2: “In what communities or schools have you led Young Life ?”

These first two are obvious and even expected. They speak to your tenure, experience and to some level, your resume — where you served, roles you have had and the ministry context. However, there is a third question, and it may be the most important. It speaks to your lineage and DNA in the mission.

Question 3: “Who Trained you?”

This third question speaks to something totally different. In a ministry that values relationship, contact and teaching, the question of where your training came from speaks to your ministerial family tree. In many ways Young Life is an “oral tradition” ministry that is passed down from person to person, and the role of the supervisor/trainer is to ensure that the principles and values of the mission are passed onto the next generation. Jesus did this the best, and if a disciple is a student, then a disciple-maker is a trainer (1 Corinthians 11:1). That is why we see some phrases continue to surround the Young Life mission:

• “Incarnational Supervision:” The premise that the relational style that we employ with students should be our model with supervision.

• “The greatest expression of love is wasted time:” In an age where time is currency, the most important investment we could make is the ability to spend time with those we supervise and train.

• “Walk alongside” Leadership: The biblical style of training that doesn’t just send but goes with.

• “Young Life-caught, not taught:” The realization that the beauty of good Young Life work is in the nuance and details. Not necessarily taught in the classroom.

• “I do it — you watch; you do it — I watch; YOU do it”: The beautifully inefficient and wonderfully effective slow style of local training.

I have been on staff for 28 years in 12 different schools, several communities and a geography that started within a school district and has grown in scope every year. I learned a good bit in every community, role and setting, and have had countless mentors, coaches and trainers, but I smile every time I am asked question #3 because I get to answer. “Ray Donatucci was my trainer!” Ray is one of the most senior staff in the mission, incredibly gifted and a legend in Young Life. The mere fact that I am associated with his training grants me access to any room in Young Life.

The Secret of Young Life is: “Everyone is a Trainer!”

This is what has enabled our mission to flourish for 77 years. We have a world-class Training department that is the envy of much of the non-profit ministry world, but the majority of our training (over 75 percent) occurs locally, and that is at the heart of a ministry of presence. We have over 70 courses, classes, experiences, and cohorts that facilitate the growth and development of all of our staff at every age and stage, but if the local training isn’t intentional and dynamic,all of our missionwide training is wasted.

That is why Ray entered my mind immediately. Words he said, priorities he instilled and challenges he extended my way all had their effect. It is one of the secrets of Young Life. The slow, subtle, transforming style of training.

Biblically, we often hear about rabbinic teaching where students would walk so closely to the rabbi that they would “collect the dust” from their sandals. That is Young Life training at its best because it leaves a mark on the person being trained. There are lots of avenues for training from several perspectives — missionwide to divisional and regional — but with the conviction that we are all trainers and it is all of our responsibility, everything changes!

Now, two questions for you:

1. If everyone is a trainer — who trained you? Maybe take a moment to thank them!

2. If everyone is a trainer — who are you training and how? Maybe go spend some time with them and leave a mark.

In Young Life we never just SEND someone to training, we prepare them for being SENT.

Written by: Ken B. Tank. kenbtank@gmail.com

October 2018 Training

“Our staff are always out of the area.”

“I am being pulled out of the area and away from my family.”

How often have you heard, said or had these thoughts? If you are on staff, you can feel pulled in different directions. If you are on committee, you’re invested in the local area but also recognize that there are reasons for staff to be out of the area. If you are a spouse you feel the strain of the ministry schedule every day, not to mention when your husband of wife is out of town with Young Life.

What is the appropriate amount of time out of the area and how do we have a discussion about it? How much time are staff actually out of the area? While we will not be able to be exhaustive here, hopefully we can help to direct the conversation and put some better definition on “time out of the area.” In 2013 we did a study about what takes staff out of the area and for how much time. The study included 438 staff from all divisions. While the study is now five years old, the results are still very relevant. Below are some highlights and insights to help foster conversation between staff and committee, supervisors and family.

Below are general categories, the averages from our survey and general insights.

My Area: I am out of the area but it is related to the local ministry.

• My area’s summer camping (one week).

• My area’s weekend camping (one or two weekends, outreach, discipleship).

• Volunteer leader/committee development ( weekends).

Insight: Although I am out of the area, I am with kids, leaders, and/or committee from my area. This impacts my family if they are not with me, but this should be considered area work.

Other Areas: Part of a staff’s job description is to be available to serve other areas in assignment team roles, whether it is in the summer or during the school year.

• Other area’s weekend camping (one weekend, if applicable).

• Summer Assignment. (one month, if applicable).

• Assignment Team Training (three days, two nights, if applicable).

Insight: Serving others is important for our mission to function. These are great opportunities for staff to grow and develop skills that will benefit the local area. Summer assignments are generally a great blessing for families if they can attend but difficult for them when they cannot. Some of the staff that are more stressed about time out of the area are also those who say yes to too many extra weekends (two or more) that are not related to their area.

Regional Staff Meetings: As a supervisor, the regional director will gather the regional staff for development, encouragement and organizational alignment. Some regions can meet for a day. Others, due to the geographical scope, need to hold overnights. (Average of nine days throughout the year. Some grouped as overnights)

Insight: The biggest impact on family and local ministry is whether or not the meeting includes an overnight.

Training and Staff Development: Staff will be out of the area for theological and practical development.

• National Training School: New Staff Training, Winter Training, Area Director School, Training Timeline, others (one week).

• Ministry Summits: YL College, YoungLives, Capernaum (three days, two nights).

• Regional Training Groups: (14 days throughout the year if applicable).

Insight: Young Life has a rich history and rhythm of training conferences and ongoing training in the field. These are relatively consistent with other professions. All of these are designed to have direct impact back into the local ministry and staff.

Vacation: We need to make sure that staff are taking time off for their health. The amount of time varies greatly due to how long people are on staff. The conversation here should not be about taking time off (unless it is being abused), but rather when the time is taken. There are better times during the ministry year to take time off and should be coordinated with the supervisor per the new PTO policy.

So what is the right number of days/nights out of the area? As you can see it depends. Not all time out of the area is the same. Not counting summer assignments (not everyone has an assignment) nor vacation, the average staff will be out of the area with Young Life for four to five weeks worth of days and about two-thirds of those will include the nights. That means that most staff (including assignments and vacation) are still in the area for 40-45 of the 52 weeks.

Because opportunities come up that can take staff out of the area for additional time, we encourage a healthy conversation between staff, supervisor, committee and family to maintain an appropriate schedule. Have a regular and ongoing conversation to understand the reason and impact (positive and negative) to being out of the area.

— Written by Mike Cramer (mikecramer67@gmail.com )

The Best Way To Spend 8-10 Hours A Week

Pastor Rick Warren (The Purpose Driven Life) says, “The best use of life is love. The best expression of love is time.”

In Young Life, one of the ways we let kids know we love them is through the time a leader gives in contact work. Job descriptions for a Young Life leader often list that contact work commitment as 8-10 hours a week.  

What that 8-10 hours a week looks like can look vastly different in various parts of the world.

In Munich, Germany, a week of contact work looks like the following for Nicki Walter. Nicki leads in a community of Munich public schools where he does not have access to campus. 

Monday: Grab coffee in the afternoon with one of our students who I’m mentoring.

Tuesday: Spend the afternoon playing soccer with some boys in a neighborhood park. At some point we might work on some graffiti together (in a legal spot!).

Wednesday: Grab some food or ride the subway with some guys after Campaigners.

Thursday: Hang out at the skatepark or the basketball court at a nearby park.

Friday: On the weeks when we don’t have club, I’ll plan some sort of organized event that our leaders can also bring friends to.

Saturday: Go to a soccer game for some of my kids, or we might have a breakfast in the park.

Sunday: Often I have students interested in trying out a church, so I’ll take them to church with me, or we might go try out a new church as a group.

As you can see, lack of campus access in no way hinders Nicki from going where kids are, earning the right to be heard. For every day of the week, he’s got a plan to be with kids.

In Hertfordshire, just north of London, the story is different for Beth Ann Hunter. She has access to the campus through volunteering at the school.

To get the broadest access to all kinds of kids, we’ve worked hard to volunteer at the schools. Usually just popping into the cafeteria to speak to kids is looked at as just plain weird, so we have to be a lot more creative. We have done all sorts of things — helped with school plays, gone to plays, musicals, concerts and talent shows. We’ve helped with accelerated reading challenges, and volunteered to run games at lunch times or in the library after school. Several of our schools have the library open where kids can hang before being picked up or taking their bus. The librarians have allowed us to interact and run games with kids there. In the U.K., many times the school will give access to someone who is willing to run an assembly on any topic, but especially on the Christian religious holidays as the teachers don’t always feel passionate about these assemblies.

For those of us in the states who might be reading this, I hope you are encouraged by the fact that contact work can happen without campus access, stopping by the cafeteria, or Friday night football games.

The common denominators between Nicki and Beth Ann seem to be time, a plan, and a willingness to show up. Notice, also, that none of these plans included texting, Snapchat, or online games. There is no substitute for physically showing up in a kid’s world.

After all, that’s what Jesus did for us.  

“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14, The Message).

SPIKEBALL DISCOUNT!

***Looking for a great idea to add a few hours of contact work to your schedule this week?  Go to spikeball.com and enter “YLspikes’ as a promo code to receive a 20% discount.

Written by Brian Summerall (bsummerall@mac.com)

View September 2018 Email

The Main Factor In Creating Culture: Volunteer Leaders

Regardless of setting, having a Mission Community of thriving volunteers is the way to grow deep and wide in reaching adolescents and helping them grow in their faith. This was modeled for me when I became a volunteer leader in college in 1972. I could not wait to be with those leaders. I had met Christ in Young Life and served on work crew and summer staff, so this was a natural outcome because my Young Life leaders always talked about me becoming a Young Life leader. I would not have called it this at the time, but they were “casting a vision for my life and growth.”

As a young area director, because it had been modeled for me, I knew the job was

• Recruiting (Always),

• Training (Always),

• Deploying , Empowering and Encouraging VOLUNTEERS.

Sure, I was doing contact work and running a good club and Campaigners, but my JOB was developing a culture where the volunteer leader was the KEY to effective, growing ministry. In the recruitment of new leaders, I invited every Jesus follower to join us because I knew they would experience Jesus in Young Life, in training and in being on a team reaching kids. Creating a culture where leaders would experience Jesus in doing Young Life was my job. There are thousands of ways to do this, so steal them all and create new ones every day. (Focus your time and talent here.)

“You can’t start or create a culture because you already have one. All you can do is develop it, adjust it, tweak it and change it over time.” — Anonymous

When I stepped into Young Life International in 2006, there were less than 1,000 volunteers outside of the U.S. I spoke with many mission agency leaders who told me that finding volunteers in undeveloped economies would not be possible because unemployment was often well over 50 percent. Stubbornly I responded, “Well, volunteers are the key to any healthy Young Life, so that is what we will aim for.” Most missionaries patted me on the head and said, “Good luck.”

All of the International leadership (tremendous, courageous staff) were in alignment on this, but we had to overcome one key dynamic: We were working with populations that had never heard of Jim Rayburn, had never seen a Young Life camp, didn’t know the term “contact work,” and more. Many of them had English as a second or third language. NONE had heard of Young Life.

In 2018, there are over 18,000 volunteer leaders outside of the U.S.!  What did we do?

1. We PRAYED. We used everything we could to prompt us to pray for laborers for the harvest: Matthew 9:38 lists, whiteboards, spreadsheets, leadership trees, maps ... we really prayed … a lot! And then repeated it. Pray for laborers of the harvest and call people to pray.

2. We DECIDED that the leaders were there in the neighborhood and we had to find them. If you do not believe they are there, you will not look for them and you likely will not pray.

3. We BELIEVED that Young Life would bless every leader who joined us with significant growth in Jesus, significant experience of mission and community (family), and they would model the hopes of the Kingdom for broken and lost communities.

4. We were CONVINCED that volunteers were the only way forward.

5. We made it FUN, ENCOURAGING, VALUABLE, JOYFUL and DEEP to be a leader.

We always say, “Being a Young Life leader will give you more joy and more sorrow that you can imagine, but it will also pull you into the abundant life Jesus has for you. It is worth it!” Bottom line: If you celebrate victories and lament great loss as a mission community, you will not only have an abundance of invested and committed volunteers, you will all experience greater intimacy with Jesus. Who doesn’t want that?

Written by Marty Caldwell (mcaldwell@sc.younglife.org)

Ever wonder about the state of the your Young Life Area's culture?  Take this simple, self-assessment quiz!  

Young Life AREA ‘CULTURE’ SELF-ASSESSMENT Quiz