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)

December 2019 Global Committees

A GIFT FOR YOU, YOUR SUPPORTERS & YOUR COMMUNITY:  RCE

We have all become accustomed to Taking Donors Seriously (TDS) and for 30 years it has served Young Life well. Under the guidelines of innovation and wanting to give our ministries the best opportunity to reach more kids, we have a new YL DNA approach to adult development called Relationship Centered Engagement. Relationship Centered Engagement is a transformational approach on how to develop adult relationships as compared to just raising money. Biblical truths transcend Relationship Centered Engagement and they apply to developing a new ministry, recruiting a prayer team or raising your area budget.

WHY RELATIONSHIP CENTERED ENGAGEMENT (RCE)?

• To help you reach kids in your area through engaging adults to more effectively engage the Lord, the Scriptures, and current/future generations of financial supporters.

• To develop a biblical philosophy and practice of fundraising to enhance field staff and committee engagement with local Young Life supporters.

• To develop a field-based fundraising philosophy and practice that moves toward a more practical, sustainable, and year-round fundraising method that fits within the context of the local Young Life area.

• To develop executable year-round adult engagement plans for field staff and committee to consistently engage local adults in the Young Life area.

RCE VALUES

• That we would grow in our relationship with Jesus and possess scriptural insight about how mission work is funded in the Bible.

• That we are more inclusive in the way we fundraise, meaning it makes fundraising more accessible for all staff and committee members.

• That field staff and local committee members would practice incarnational relationship development with financial supporters in the local area.

WE ARE COMMITTED TO: 

Consistent Prayer — speaking and listening to the Lord. Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” 

Walking in Faith — as we fundraise. 

Valuing and stewarding relationships — that the Lord has provided (even more than money). Building one another up — and facing our fears in fundraising. 

Anchoring — our fundraising theology in the Scriptures; allowing the experience of Jesus’ mission work in the world to impact how we think about fundraising. 

Aligning — our adult engagement work more closely to our incarnational work with kids.

ENGAGEMENT LEVELS

The goal is to invite adults in our communities into deeper relationship and involvement with Young Life. We have had practical levels of involvement in our ministry with kids for years, but now we have a way to think about these levels for adults.

AWARE – adults who have no local experience, but we know “of” them in some way. We are not sure what they think of Young Life or if they have had any experience with the mission.

INTERESTED – adults who have some experience locally with Young Life but are not currently participating in a meaningful way.

INVOLVED - adults who are participating in the ministry, but there is opportunity and potential for deeper involvement in the local Young Life work.

INVESTED - adults who are significantly and consistently generous and contributing to the local Young Life work.

ADVOCATES - adults who invest and invite others in their sphere of influence to be involved in Young Life.

ENGAGEMENT CYCLE:

The Donor Engagement Cycle is a process that happens with adults in our community many times over to invite them into a deeper level of engagement.  You can also think of it as an inviting or asking cycle.

Relationship Centered Engagement is intentionally reaching out to adults in our area to invite them in more deeply to a relationship with Young Life through another caring adult. Let’s reach out!

Resources:

https://staff.younglife.org/Mission-Services/Field-Development/Pages/DonorCare/default.aspx 

December 2019 Global Volunteers

PRESENTS / PRESENCE AT CHRISTMAS 

We Were All Together 

When we were kids we always had three traditions during Christmas. We had this box of terrible old ornaments for the tree, so my dad would bring a noble fir home in early December and we'd put the ornaments on, remembering the story of each one. We listened to the Muppets holiday cassette featuring John Denver and then we'd watch a Charlie Brown Christmas.

My mom died when I was in my mid-twenties and I came home for Christmas seeing all the empty spaces, "The ornaments are silhouettes from when nothing bad had happened yet." I was drinking while my sister slept, while my high school friends were in other places. I realized that the holidays are a really symbolic time for a ton of people. It's a symbol of how things are not how we want them to be and how they could be maybe. They are much more like a reminder of how things didn't work out for us.

I think the opposite side of that coin is the idea that Christmas is, itself, a promise of how things could feel when the world reconciles with itself, when there is peace on earth, good will towards men. In loss, in missing pieces, we have the option to discover a greater hidden meaning, that all missing pieces imply the possibility of redemption. In other words, if there is a piece missing, then there is also a missing piece. It's the promise that separation is only a distance, that fractures can be mended, that reconciliation is a universal longing. I wondered what the promise of reconciliation would sound like:

Would it sound like coming down?

Like a quiet voice…

Or a turning page…

Like Linus standing on that stage…

Like where we are is not where we are going…

I have a new song, it's called We Were All Together. It's a Christmas song about the hard side of the holidays for some of us. It's also about the promise of Christmas. Both things at once.

My dad got our family VHS tapes together this fall and sent them to a guy in a garage in Ellensburg, Washington to have them converted from the tapes. I watched through them. It was an odd experience. I saw young me with a new perspective, how smart I was, how much I was trying to curate likeableness with an infinite energy, how irritating the combination was. I had a lot of compassion for that kid, because in some ways I am the only person who really understands him, which is what he wanted the most – and also, I am the only one who knows exactly what that kid is in for.

Written by Tyson Motsenbocker (tyson.motsenbocker@gmail.com)

HOW TO DOUBLE THE VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP IN YOUR YL AREA IN 45 MINUTES

In everyone’s life and leadership there are pivotal ‘aha!’ moments that simplify, clarify, and define our next steps going forward. Basically, they become teachable moments! I want to share one of mine. It happened to me 20 years ago as a young Area Director. Every Friday, we would gather for our three hour staff meeting. The time was rich but not unique in YL circles:  food, fellowship, community, devotion, some to-do’s, and a teaching.  

When I arrived Friday morning, I didn’t make it past the front door of the office before my staff barraged me with different needs they had for the YL Clubs they supervised. The list was long:  ...a male to work with the freshman boys...a team leader on a WL team...a whole group of volunteers for a new Club... Parents to support the Capernaum ministry ...a musician...etc. They were desperate, passionate, anxious and somehow I had become the ‘clearing house’ for all volunteerism in my YL Area. I was immediately overwhelmed.

So we got to work, once the screaming and yelling had subsided, we made the decision to set aside the agenda for the day and sit down and talk about what had become the most pressing issue in the Area:  ‘WE NEEDED MORE VOLUNTEERS!’ This is typical because ‘more volunteers’ is always at the top of every YL area’s list of needs. However, the next 45 minutes changed my perspective and approach on volunteerism forever. 

Here is what happened:

First, I got out a pad and pen and asked everyone to list for me the ‘right now’ needs they had in their individual Clubs. We wanted a baseline of what we had to have to keep the area running. We went around the circle and the result was that we needed 15 VOLUNTEERS immediately! Men, women, parents, WL to College and everything in between! 

Then, I asked everyone to bring out their Matthew 9:38 List. (“Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”- Mt 9:38) We had been keeping this list of potential ‘workers’ to join us in ministry for a while so that wasn’t new either. For some that list was in their journal or notepad, for others it was tucked away in the back of their mind somewhere but we all had a list. 

Now here is where it got fun! We shared our list of people, but then we brainstormed more,  then we prayed some more, then we talked some more, then we debated, discussed, prayed and dreamed some more. What we typically gave a few moments of attention, we allowed to take the next 45 minutes. Talking, praying, thinking, dreaming, scheming, and asking ‘who else?’ It was amazing! The list kept growing and we slowly gained God’s perspective. I think sometimes we give five minutes to a topic, need, or problem that maybe deserves 45 minutes. We gave this one 45.

At the end of the 45 minutes, our cumulative Matthew 9:38 list was 147 NAMES! Remember, our need was 15, and we had close to 10x that on our prayer board! At the end of the meeting we realized that if only 10% of the folks that we had listed responded to the invitation to join us- we would be good to go! So as the dust settled, we decided on a few things going forward-. 

1. EVERYONE in the YL Area had a vested interest in recruiting the next volunteer.  Not just staff or Committee but everyone in the community!

2. We were going to continue to EXPAND that list by talking to our existing Volunteers in the area who also had Mt. 9:38 lists.  (that was another 75 people and 75 lists! )

3. We were going to continue  praying, dreaming and inviting this  group. This list was going to grow and be a significant part of EVERY TIME we were together. 

4. Lastly, we decided that we would be PERSONALLY INVITE all those people on the list to join us in becoming volunteers in the Area. The invitation would be face to face, specific, and intentional. 

Yes, we doubled the number of volunteers because of that day! Finally, we realized that if we did three things well in our YL Area we would always identify enough volunteers but we would retain them too because they would be un-recruitable. They were:

1. Live out God’s calling in our life within the mission of YL.

2. Seeing change (transformation) in our community and in our own lives.

3. Having fun while we are at it!  

HERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU! If you think walking through these steps may be a fit for your area then we want to help. Over the coming months we are accepting applications for 12 YL areas around the Globe to go through the same process that I went through as a cohort in an attempt to significantly increase the number of volunteer leaders in your area. We will do it together, step by step, and celebrate what happens when you invite someone into an area of gifting and a community of transformation. If you are interested in being one of the 12 - email TANK (kenbtank@gmail.com) and tell him you are interested in the +1 PILOT  and we will send you a brief application and get you going. You may be 45 minutes away from doubling your leadership base!

November 2019 Global Discipleship

SCHOOL'S OUT!!

Do you remember how you spent your afternoons after school? They might have included sports, homework, or playing with friends. Today’s teens now have a glowing mobile device vying for their time and it can affect how they are interacting with the world. Can we, as adults, help teens go deeper with God when they’re not at school, rather than go deeper into the black hole of their smartphone? Can we use this strategic time between end-of-school and end-of-day to go deeper with teens instead? 

Barna did a study on how kids are spending their time after school and how what implications that might mean as they grow older. “We owe them, at the very minimum, early years of real, embodied, difficult, rewarding learning, the kind that screens cannot provide. And that is why a family that cares about developing wisdom and courage will exert every effort to avoid the thin simplicity of screens in the first years of life.”

Read the full article HERE.

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 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? 

November 2019 Global Innovation

”ARE YOU OPEN TO AN IDEA?”

I was described by a friend last month as an ‘early adopter.’ I understood the term but hadn’t really thought about it much. I asked why he would describe me that way and he said, “because every time we try to solve a problem you always say  phrases like ‘what if?,’ ‘let’s try it,’ and ‘why not?’ I guess that’s true and I probably have at least one person to thank. You see, for more than 20 years I’ve had the privilege of being mentored by Ted Johnson, former interim President of Young Life and “encourager-in-chief” for the mission. There have been many times in that 20 years when I needed advice. Sometimes the situation was work-related and sometimes personal. Most of the time, upon approaching Ted for help, he started his thoughts by asking me a question – “are you open to an idea?” My response to that simple question would change everything. Because of my respect for Ted, I almost always said ‘yes’ and that response changed the course of the conversation to a new approach, plan or path.  

YL is full of early adopters who are open to ideas. 

I am thankful that we embraced the list below:

Contact work

The ‘Clubble’ and the Big Cookie 

Summer Camp obstacle course and Real Life 

Multi-Ethnic Student Staff

The Local Committee model

WyldLife

Capernaum

YoungLives

Young Life College

...And the list goes on and on, ideas that gain traction and become part of the fabric of the mission. I guess we all have benefited from someone who was open to an idea. It seems like early adopters are always trying to find a new way... see a way... or make a way to get things accomplished. We need that creativity now more than ever in the mission of YL. We are in a time where more and more is asked of everyone on staff, and our openness to ideas becomes increasingly relevant to our individual and corporate success. A humility, flexibility and teachable spirit, need to continue to  be the mark of the culture of YL. 

One of the great attractions to being on Young Life staff is that often our entrepreneurial spirit is able to shine through. We get to make decisions about how we function in the day to day. Busy ministry entrepreneurs must  always be looking for an opportunity to create, innovate, and improve. If we don’t, we miss out on game-changing ideas simply because someone else invented them or we didn’t take the time to educate ourselves.  

For the last few years I have been a member of YL’s Innovation Team. I have been impressed that we are surrounded by game-changing ideas in this mission. In a time where building relationships with kids is more difficult than ever, we create ‘Brilliant at the Basics’ and see dozens of Regions benefit from this cohort training. During a time of unprecedented growth in the mission, Volunteer 101 gets developed so that we are able to give every leader in the mission- core and principled training. With camp costs and transportation costs rising, ideas like the Campership Legacy Fund are developed with currently over 25,000 kids to camp. Lastly, in a time where the priority of discipleship is paramount, tools like The Good Way, the Rooted Devotional, and Summer Staff training arrive. 

Adopting new ideas is hard work. The process can feel a bit like leaning backwards off the cliff at Frontier Ranch with your first repel alongside kids. It can be scary! However, if we can become an ‘idea culture’ that looks for the very best of what other people are inventing and incorporate those great ideas into the way we operate as a mission we can potentially become even more fruitful that we already are. Ultimately, God is the Lord of the harvest. But we can and should work to do our part as thoughtfully, prayerfully, and efficiently as possible. That may mean looking outside ourselves for the very best of ideas that others have to offer. Together!  

So if you are open to new ideas - we have them. Currently there are dozens of initiatives around the mission that range from ministry models to funding structures and from volunteer leader recruitment to staff development and spiritual growth. 

 ‘Are you open to an idea?’ Let’s talk - Jeff Rudder (JRudder@sc.younglife.org) Executive Director, The Young Life Foundation 

November 2019 Global Committees

PUTTING ON YOUR FIRST BANQUET

Is a first-time Banquet in your Area’s plans this year? The task seems daunting. Let me be clear: it is an enormous undertaking. Note: Don’t Do This Alone! I’ve seen hundreds of Banquets over the past 25 years. One pitfall I see staff fall into is doing much of the preparation and performing on their own. By the way, nobody expects staff to. You Need A Team! (Yes, the A-Team would be preferable.)

This is where a Committee can shine. As you recruit to the Event Teams, it will help you to have clear roles within these teams. (Sponsorship, Table Host, Administration, Hospitality, Program.) There are a few roles that are entirely vital – Table Host Team Captain & Sponsorship Team Captain (I say Captain, but you might say “Chair” – But as I see it, who wants to be a Chair, when you could be a Team Captain.)

The more energy you put into the Sponsorship and Table Host Teams, the more successful your event will be. Period. The Sponsorship Team’s mission is to find funds to underwrite the event, ensuring every dollar raised that night will directly fund the Area and help reach the stated Financial Goal.

The Table Host Team is tasked with filling the seats. As a mission, we are only as good as our Volunteer Leaders and because of this, their training is of utmost importance. I believe the same about our Table Hosts. A Banquet will only be as good as our Table Hosts and their willingness to communicate and invite. We need to care for Table Hosts well. If the banquet venue is filled with people who are interested in our Mission, it will be because of great Table Hosts. Coaching this team is well-spent time and energy.

As the Committee fills the venue, the staff’s role is to provide a 1-night Young Life Camp-Like Experience for adults in attendance. The cornerstones of camp (below) are also the foundations of your Banquet. 

• Elaborate Greeting & Warm Welcome – Young Life Kids

• Real Fun & Adventure – Young Life Program

• Great Food & Music – Hire Professional Catering & Knowledgeable A/V person

• Clear Message of the Gospel – Share the Story through Speaker & Testimonies

• Simple Invitation – Concise Ask for a Clear Goal for Funds & Friends at the End of the Evening

Not your gifting? We got you! YL staff have been set apart for this very thing. (i.e. Senior Mission Specialists – Mike Ashburn, Shelley Sadler, & Kent Williams.)

I’m partnering with JC Bowman and his Small Towns team to help those planning their inaugural banquets. If you would be interested in a Zoom call to walk through your preparation with seasoned staff members, please contact JC at JBowman@smalltown.younglife.org or Kent at Kent@1161.younglife.org.

3 keys to focus on for a first-time Banquet:

• Recruit a Team of Committed Adults Who Support Your Area 

• Assign Roles, especially Team Captains. Train them, Encourage Them, Thank Them, Celebrate with Them.

• Provide a 1-night Young Life Camp-Like Experience for the Adults in attendance. 

October 2019 Global Committees

Missional Community: A Christ-centered community that exists for those outside.  

 We worship a God of community. Three in one, each expression unique, mysterious, and beautiful, working and communing together in perfect harmony. Man was made in God’s image, and from the beginning it was clear that it was not good for man to be alone. As the missional plan of God was revealed (and recorded in scriptures), it was evident that the God of community desired to fulfill His plan through community.  This community would enjoy the benefits of being “God’s people” but with the expressed purpose of sharing with those outside of the community the truth of God’s saving grace and love. The first such community was the nation of Israel and then (and now) the body of believers that share faith in the Gospel reveal this triune God.  

Two thousand years after the book of Acts was penned, God’s plan for missional communities has not changed. We know this and have experienced this in the mission of Young Life. As a missional arm of the body of Christ, our desire is to reach every adolescent with the Good News of Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith. United as one mission around this passion and yet organized locally in thousands of missional communities around the globe, this is Young Life.  

Each community (or Young Life team) is unique, an eclectic group with diverse characteristics, but unified in their diversity. The global missional community of Young Life represents every denomination, culture, background, educational level, and socio-economic class. Every identifier that our world would use to divide is united in Young Life around the desire to share the gospel with adolescents. The body of Christ fully represented in order that anyone outside of our community might also be given an opportunity to be invited in. A truly missional community.

The blueprint is not new to the Church; it is not unique to (and was not invented by) Young Life. Healthy Young Life teams have as their primary focus - Jesus and not Young Life. These communities gather regularly to worship, pray, and open the scriptures together. There is time for fellowship -- usually around food -- intentionality in asking questions that matter, and a desire to know others as well as the courage to be known. There is laughter that unifies and lightens the mood, not the sarcastic or crude humor of the culture that tears down. There is time to linger, the opportunity to build friendships with people that you might not “choose” as your friends. There is adventure and surprises -- because Young Life people love both. There is a freedom to be who you are and, within the right context, the opportunity to share how you are struggling.  

There is also the mission. Young Life teams get to go out together. Literally, a short term mission experience happens every week. Individually scared, but scared together. Courageous together, creative together, awkward together, succeeding together, and failing together. The mission field becomes the fertile soil for the community to grow in dependence and love, for Christ and for each other. Of course the Lord doesn’t need us or these communities to accomplish His purpose with teenagers. This mission and its community are His gift to us. For this we were created. Only in missional community do we have the “life to the full” that Jesus promises; we were made for this.  

We live in a time where we are exposed to more counterfeit communities than ever before.  Hours daily are spent building a virtual community that portrays a certain image on a social media platform that perpetuates constant comparison. We work with teenagers that have a thousand “friends” and yet are more lonely than ever before. Opportunities for entertainment, activity, and productivity have never been greater, and people are overscheduled, exhausted, and alone. If true community is water, the world has never been more thirsty. A healthy missional community is literally a stream of living water.

And yet, as the mission of Young Life continues in a season of unparalleled favor, one of the threats to our current and future health is the pull away from a movement of missional communities to an organization of ministry programs. The lure of the latter is tempting as it fits nicely in the plans and strategies of man, and it might even give the impression of predictable success. One might view Young Life’s meteoric growth as a strategic cocktail of great leadership, beautiful camps, and prescribed program. That would be a mistake. The favor of the Lord on the mission of Young Life has little to do with these things. Our favor rests in an individual and corporate love for and commitment to our triune God, a desire and commitment to go together, and a passion to know every adolescent that has not personally known or experienced the goodness of these gospel truths.  

As the missional community that has experienced God’s goodness through the ministry of Young Life, let’s not lose sight of our first Love and how that first Love has been so clearly expressed. It was into a missional community that we were invited. Let us not fall into the temptation to make the programs, the properties, or the brand of Young Life into an idol or to give them too much importance. Let us be very careful to not think too highly of our creativity, humor, and courage. An arrogant community that sets itself apart from the body of Christ is not a missional community.  

Jim Rayburn is noted as saying “the best Young Life is yet to come.” The world has set the stage for this to be true. Our invitation is to missional community: life and ministry together wonderfully expressed through the ministry vehicle of Young Life. May God grace us with his favor in our communities, and may our Living God, not Young Life, get the glory.

October 2019 Global Volunteers

GETTING YOUR BANQUET MESSAGE

DOWN TO A FINE POINT

Tell me a story.

Don’t tell me all of the stories. Tell the right story and tell it well!

I’ve found this encouragement, instruction, pro tip—call it whatever you like—to be more than helpful as we continue to work through the Banquet Project in the Northwest Division, alongside the Field Events team at the Service Center. We continue to discover ways that Areas can produce consistent, excellent fundraisers. This one statement is significant:  tell the right story and tell it well.

In the interest of honoring your guests and to be a good steward of your stakeholder’s time, don’t miss this! Tell them what their supporting. Make it clear. Keep it simple. Identify a problem or a void and tell them how Young Life in your community is solving the problem or filling the void. 

Please don’t lose their interest by over-telling the story. 

As a staff person or volunteer leader, you give and receive to this mission in remarkable ways! I’m certain that you could tell all sorts of amazing stories. Believe me, each of those stories have value. Yet, telling a single story and telling it well may be our greatest challenge in our fundraising efforts today. 

Could you tell me in one clear statement what you’re expecting me to know at the end of your fundraising event?

When you plan a banquet, auction, 5k, skeet shoot, game night, or whatever else, are you considering this question:  what is the one story that I’m telling my guests? 

Let’s imagine for a moment that one day you get home in the evening and decide to make a large pot of soup. It’s a good soup and there’s lots of it! Then, you just sit around and wait for your friends to show up and eat it…right? NO! You’ve never done that. When you prepare a meal for your friends, you invite them over first; then you’re careful to think about what they like or if they have dietary restrictions. You’ll consider how many are coming and what time of day it is; you’ll prepare a table or a picnic; you’ll buy wine or lemonade. Whatever you produce, it will be completely dependent on who will be there.

Can we give that same attention to our Banquets? What if your entire banquet plan began with “who’s coming?” Begin every part of your strategy with that filter. What have they seen/heard in our community recently? What drives their passion? How are they currently connected to our ministry? What will offend them? What problems exist in their lives and how can Young Life help solve them? What burns in their gut and makes them stand up and cheer?!

It’s likely that, of everyone at your Banquet, you care the most about the mission of Young Life. Think about that reality for a second. You eat, breathe, and sleep Young Life. I think we owe it to your guest to give them one, clear story to grasp.

Tell them the right story and tell it well.

Like every good recipe for a meal, our fundraiser should include elements or ingredients that come together to make one great thing. Your MC, Program Team, Kid Testimony, Committee Member, Auctioneer, Speaker, and whomever else gets on that stage to share will honor your guests if they blend their messages together to tell one story. 

Here are two videos that author and founder or Story Brand, Donald Miller published recently to support this concept: 

https://www.businessmadesimple.com/video/should-marketing-messages-be-short/?inf_contact_key=d3d02e00f429f33aa269d91a987d8eebe785e10e4d66e1d24c16227e162c13f0

https://www.businessmadesimple.com/video/this-marketing-message-works-every-time/?inf_contact_key=fd32d8a2bf7fe6ac203e876890c9da20a91245ca6bd452a9752f53c4c590a541

Written by:  Blake Raney (blakeraney@gmail.com)

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)

October 2019 Global Discipleship

Recording Discipling Moments: Organic & Formal

All discipling (“helping others become more like Jesus by…”) falls into two basic categories.

Organic

As leaders spend time with students outside of a small-group or other structured spiritual context, they may have the opportunity to guide conversations and experiences towards spiritual things. These conversations, plus leaders’ attitudes and actions, all provide potential discipling moments.

Though it may sound counter-intuitive, organic discipling only happens if leaders are prepared for the possibility. You can plan for organic discipling by honing these skills:

Be a good conversation starter.

• Have good conversation-starting questions ready, always, everywhere.

• Some students are quiet, cautious, and don’t believe an adult would be interested in what they have to say. Prove them wrong.

• Don’t give up if your first question flops. Students are too often on the receiving end of someone who “gave up.” Don’t be one of them.

Be a good listener.

• Take careful note of everything they say.

• Do not plan a response while they are talking. Just listen.

• Ask relevant and engaging follow-up questions to keep the conversation going.

• Be on the lookout for moments when a follow-up question could make a natural turn towards faith, truth, doubt, God, and following Jesus.

Be aware of your surroundings.

• Note where you are, who else is present, and what’s happening.

• Be on the lookout for ways you could naturally and safely serve or help someone.

• Model natural and enthusiastic service and kindness.

Formal

As leaders spend time with students in a planned spiritual context (such as Campaigners, or a small group, or a one-on-one) and engage in a planned experience (whether worship, service, or study), they intentionally guide both conversations and experiences to a place of learning and growth.

Though it may sound counter-intuitive, formal discipling is often most powerful when it feels organic. But in order for formal discipling to feel truly organic, it must be carefully planned and skillfully executed. In the case of a small group Bible study, these steps will help you prepare for organically styled discipling:

Know the Bible passage inside, outside, upside down.

• Make it the focus of your personal daily Bible reading for the week prior.

• Read what comes before and after it — an entire chapter at least, and the full book if possible. 

• Read what wise teachers and theologians have said about it. Free online commentaries abound.

• Serve the meal (the specific passage of your planned reading and discussion) but be sure it is grounded in solid nutrition (the overarching doctrinal truths that shape and inform the passage).

Lead students towards truth by way of guided discovery.

• Telling students “what the Bible means” is not the goal (though you should have studied this for yourself and should feel confident about your own knowledge, and you should make sure the conversation doesn’t lead down a road of untruth).

• Use guided questions related to observation and understanding (e.g. “Why do you think Jesus said that to the women?” or “What do you think the woman expected Jesus to say?”) rather than factual questions (e.g. “What did Jesus say to the woman?”)

• Teach students how to notice things before asking them what they noticed.

Be flexibly focused.

• Welcome questions and doubts, counting them as opportunities for increased understanding and growth.

• Be ready with your own observations based on your personal study, but allow for students to observe something unexpected and (sometimes) far more profound.

• Do not force the passage towards “personal application.” Sometimes the most profound result and most appropriate response to scripture is simply having spent time in God’s Word, immersed in His written revelation, listening to the voice of God meet us there. There does not always need to be an immediate follow-up action step. Demanding scripture to function in this way is to reduce it to a behavioral handbook.

Between both organic and formal discipling, it’s safe to say that any time a leader is with a student, there is the opportunity for discipleship (living my own life in pursuit of becoming more like Jesus) and discipling (guiding, encouraging, and helping another person live their life in pursuit of becoming more like Jesus).

Written by Crystal Kirgiss (crystal.kirgiss@comcast.net)

October 2019 Global Innovation

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF HAD  $$$$$ TO REACH MORE KIDS?

Ok, made you ‘click!’  We may have gotten your attention with the title, but it’s going to be worth it.

Now let’s give you the big vision: YOUNG LIFE INNOVATION SHARK TANK! In a mission full of ENTREPRENEURS we are hoping to identify The Next Big Thing.  It could be a new ministry model, game-changing idea, or training approach that will go viral across the mission. In our- close to 80 years of history as a mission, the list of innovations is impressive: Young Life College, YoungLives, 15 minutes of silence, The Crud War, The Big Cookie, ‘Got milk?’ Club, Capernaum, Oct-a-Ball, YL Connect, Deaf YL, ...and the list just goes on and on. 

So, if you have an idea that could be a game-changer as we endeavor to reach more kids than ever, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE! If you can dream it, then we can help you build it!  So here are the details: 

• INNOVATION SHARK TANK -  All across the mission, staff are submitting ideas that will help us reach more kids then ever and we will help the most compelling ideas scale across contexts, Regions, and Divisions. We are essentially creating a YL version of SHARK TANK! 

• GOAL- Identify some the next innovations that could be a game changer in ‘reaching more kids” than ever before.

• WHO CAN WIN?  Anyone! Just have a well-thought-through model in your local context that can be scaled. 

• WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO? The first step of the process is a simple email to TANK (kenbtank@gmail.com) and answer the following questions.  .  

  • 1.  Your Name, email, and contact phone #.

  • 2.  Division, Region, Area name

  • 3.  Brief description of the idea. (2-3 Sentences)

• WHAT KIND OF IDEAS DO WE WANT? We want well thought out, compelling, scalable project ideas. We want something that you have been doing locally would be the best. If you win, you will get coaching and design support, as well as possible funding to help scale your project. Some SAMPLE IDEAS  that others have suggested are: 

  • A new ministry model 

  • Student leadership initiative

  • A camping model, tweak, or new design

  • Volunteer Team Leader training

  • A contact work initiative 

  • Creative club ministry (lunch, school or community based etc.) 

  • Ministry cohort training for a Region or Division

  • A volunteer leader recruitment/training or development idea

  • Contact Work initiative within a Division or Region 

  • Campaigner vision initiative tied to evangelism and discipleship

  • Creative core ministry/specialized ministry growth initiative

  • Student Staff Pilot (new model or curriculum) 

  • Teacher/Coach volunteer initiative 

You get the idea?   

What we know for sure is that... 

A good  IDEA, can become a MOVEMENT,  

MOVEMENTS help design PILOTS,

PILOTS that work, become MODELS and,

MODELS can then become a MINISTRY,

And a good MINISTRY could be THE NEXT BIG THING! 

Come with your best, game changing, exponential, leveraged effect idea!  Help us reach the next kid through the next big thing and change the world! We will wait for your email! 

- Young Life, Global Innovation and Growth Office

(kenbtank@gmail.com)

YL Store Look Book

Stepping into their World

If you saw the news on July 20th this summer, you probably caught some nostalgic interviews and footage of the 50th anniversary of man setting foot on the moon. You may have also heard scientists and explorers talking about Artemis.

In Greek mythology, Artemis was Apollo’s sister. In NASA-speak, it is our NEXT attempt at putting an American on the moon (this time, fitting with the name, a woman). It is exciting to think about. It will also be unbelievably expensive – nothing less than 30 billion dollars, and likely more. So, sometime in the 2020’s, we’ll be doing a more modern version of exactly what we did in 1969.

How did we get in this position? Some people call it “lost knowledge.” Think of it like this – in the 1970’s, we decided to wind down trips to the moon to save some money for other projects. What might have been intended to be a “pause” became a “stop.” The scientists aged or passed away. The mechanical systems rusted. The factories and craftspeople who made components moved onto other work. We accidentally forgot how to get to the moon. 

I don’t know about you, but I think our moonshot in Young Life is “showing up” - contact work. We go to campus, to sporting events, and to neighborhood hangouts. We go in discomfort at being out of place, in solidarity with other leaders and Campaigners, and in hopes of being Jesus’ presence. It has gotten harder in many places to go – because of school rules, kids’ busyness, the administrative burdens of running Young Life, you name it. 

The temptation is to slowly stop going. To text a kid instead of saying hello in the hallway. To over-engineer the club skit at the expense of cheering at the field hockey game. My challenge to teams is to fight that. At your next team meeting, make a plan to:

• Prioritize Contact Work – how can we each be at the school once a week this month?

• Identify Distractions – what is eating up your time that we could be handling differently?

• Recognize the Cost and Benefit – know what you’d lose if you stopped showing up the school. What fruit have you seen by the discipline of being “on their turf?”

It is easy to slowly stop doing the important things. And it is very hard to start doing them again. It will cost you time, money and energy that we don’t have the luxury of wasting. Kids are waiting for us to take that “one small step” into their worlds. Let’s never stop. 

Written by Josh Griffin

September 2019 Global Innovation

Did you know?

• The hardest question for a military teen is “where are you from?”

• 1 of 5 Military teens has made a plan to end their own life (USC survey)

• Military teens move 10 times more often than civilian families -  on average every 2-3 years. every 18- to 30-months, and start all over again…

• Since 2001, more than 2 million American children have had a parent deployed at least once.

• More than 900,000 children have experienced the deployment of one or both parents multiple times.

• Young Life has focused on military teens since 1959

Young Life has been working to reach military teens since 1959 when Jim Rayburn identified the teen-aged children of U.S. Military Families stationed in Europe as a unique demographic that Young Life needed to reach, reporting to the YL Board of Trustees that, “…these kids are stranded. If we don’t go after them, no one will.”

Since Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S. Military has endured the longest period of sustained armed conflict in the history of our nation, according to the Department of Defense. The current generation of teenagers has known only a post-9/11 world, which has been characterized by the frequent extended deployments of their military parents. 

As the “Did you know?” opening statements share, military teens face unique challenges, but the broadening experiences of military life and the military community values of resiliency, service, and sacrifice give these teens high potential to become leaders and world-changers. Helping these teens find faith can help them avoid the negative factors of their high-risk profile and can help them fulfill their full God-given potential.

Young Life Military is authorized to bring the Club Beyond ministry on-installation, “inside the gate,” at individual military installations around the world, and conducts ministry to military teens at these installations in close coordination with Military Chaplains and Installation Commanders.  Young Life Military has staff openings at installations in the United States and around the globe, and filling these openings to keep up with the military’s demand for Club Beyond ministry is YL Military’s #1 challenge. Perhaps you are hearing the “call of duty” to serve in ministry to military teens, or you know someone who is hearing that call. If so, please contact Phil Alfrey at palfrey@military.youmglife.org

Please see this month’s survey question, which asks you about personal connections you may have to the Military.  We’d love to hear your story!

Written by Marty McCarty, VP YL Military (mmccarty@military.younglife.org)

September 2019 Global Committees

THE FIRST YOUNG LIFE LEADER MANUAL (1942)

Q.  Why should we do Young Life? 

Q.  Aren’t there other organizations out in the world sharing the gospel? 

Q.  What does healthy Young Life ministry look like? 

These were all questions that Jim Rayburn (founder of Young Life) and other staff explored in 1942 at a staff gathering. These questions are still ones we ask today in all sorts of contexts. Regardless of time passing, much of what Jim shared here is helpful for us in Young Life. It’s a good reminder to help us know our role as leaders, boards, community peers, and representatives of the ministry.

September 2019 Global Discipleship

Young Life was built on prayer. 

You’ve likely heard the story about how, almost 90 years ago, a woman named Clara Frasher gathered with a group of her friends to pray for teenagers at a Texas high school. Through a series of divinely orchestrated events, Young Life began in that very community less than ten years later.

When people pray, God listens.

He does not always answer in ways we’d hoped. He does not always answer in ways that are obvious. He does not always answer in ways that align with our dreams and plans.

But he always listens. And he is always good.

On October 1st, our global mission will join together in prayer. Like Clara Frasher and her friends did almost 90 years ago, we will gather together in person (in offices, homes, schools) and also in spirit (across miles and mountains and oceans and continents) to speak and listen to our Father.

We will do this together as a global mission because God is our Father.

Yes, he is my Father and your Father and his Father and her Father. But he is first and foremost our Father.

Except in the narrative context of private conversations, the bulk of New Testament yous should really be translated as all y’alls.

God’s Word is written to his children. To his followers. To his kingdom — a collective noun comprised of many.

Young Life staff, leaders, supporters, and friends are often self-starters, people with visionary drive, individuals with a sense of entrepreneurial-can-do spirit.

But at our core, we are a family of God’s children, desperately in need of their Father’s loving-kindness, grace, strength, and direction. 

Even as we speak to adolescents about discovering and pursuing a “personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” we must never forget that nothing about Christian faith is personally singular.

Even as we encourage those around us to be sure “for themselves” about what they believe, we must never lose sight of the fact that Christian belief is communal and collective, bound as it is to the Savior of us all.

Even as we pray from the depths of our invisible and individual souls, we must never presuppose an invisible or individual faith. Neither of those would be true faith at all.

On October 1st as we pray for our mission, let us also be people who are praying as a mission. 

May we sense the kingdom’s diverse unity. 

May we posture ourselves as one-among-many.

And may be embrace our mission’s identity as just one of the many parts of Christ’s body.

Our mission will be stronger if those within it are knit together as one, praying in unison to our Father.

And our mission will be brighter if as a whole we are knit together with the countless other missions and congregations of Christ, our Lord and Savior.   

---

Here is a link to a prayer guide for the day, which offers us an opportunity to pray in unison prayers of adoration and thanksgiving as well as lift up local and global requests for the mission. The theme for the day, Our Father, is based upon the Lord’s Prayer in Matt. 6:9-13, and can be divided up into eight segments which you and your team can offer up on the hour. Thanks for spending this coming Tuesday in focused prayer to Our Father.

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