Whether your teens have TikTok accounts or not, it’s difficult to imagine that they haven’t seen a TikTok trend or two-not to mention noticing the ways that TikTok impacts their experience at school and in their friend groups.
What is TikTok?
What are its potential dangers?
Why is it so popular with young people?
How does it work?
Are there any options for parental controls?
How can parents help their teens think about TikTok wisely?
How many conversations have you had about money with anyone other than a parent or spouse? Most people have had very few conversations about money - ever. So, for those of us who are involved in ministries and nonprofits either as staff, on a board, or as a partner, these conversations are ones we’ve probably just had conversations in our own heads around generosity.
And at Young Life, we’ve found a great partner to help us think about these conversations: Generous Giving. This organization has opened doors for us to have conversations about generosity without any pressure to give. These conversations have opened up minds for creativity and getting ideas swirling. They’ve been amazing relationship building experiences for volunteers, committees, and other friends of Young Life. They’ve even been ways we’ve made new friends within our Young Life circles through these conversations. Generous Giving calls these conversations and experiences JOG’s.
Before we go too far, let’s take a look at what Generous Giving is all about…
Generous Giving stands as a truly unique organization in the landscape of faith-based ministry, distinguished by its foundational principle of giving rather than receiving. Founded in 2000 by The Maclellan Foundation, this privately funded organization operates with a focused mission: to spread the message of biblical generosity and cultivate generous hearts, particularly among those who have been entrusted with significant resources.
Unlike most organizations that discuss finances, Generous Giving approaches conversations about money from a radically different perspective. Their core philosophy centers on wanting something for people rather than from them. And they really mean it!
This fundamental shift creates an environment where participants can engage authentically without the underlying tension of being solicited for donations or commitments.
The organization's vision extends far beyond individual transformation. They envision a large-scale cultural movement where Christians become known for extravagant generosity rather than consumption or accumulation. This movement aims to reshape how society perceives Christianity, with young people organizing their lives around giving before becoming trapped in endless pursuit of material wealth, and non-believers being drawn to Christ through the compelling generosity of His followers.
At its heart, Generous Giving seeks to liberate people to live and give in God's image, reflecting His character through radical generosity. This liberation promises greater joy, freedom, and purpose as individuals trade earthly accumulation for eternal treasure. The organization believes this transformation will ultimately release billions of dollars for Kingdom purposes, advancing the gospel, serving the needy, and bringing healing to a broken world.
A Journey of Generosity represents the primary vehicle through which Generous Giving accomplishes its mission. These carefully crafted retreats bring together peers for meaningful conversations about God and money in an atmosphere of safety and spiritual exploration.
The JOG experience emphasizes conversation over prescription, recognizing that there is no universal formula for generosity. Rather than providing rigid answers about how or where to give, these gatherings create space for participants to reflect on Scripture, encounter inspiring stories of generosity, and listen attentively to the Holy Spirit's guidance for their unique circumstances.
The retreat format intentionally removes participants from their daily routines, allowing time and mental space for deeper contemplation. Trained facilitators guide these experiences without lecturing or teaching, instead fostering dialogue where everyone participates as fellow travelers on the journey toward greater generosity.
The pressure-free environment remains paramount to the JOG experience. Because Generous Giving operates through independent funding, participants never face requests for financial commitments. This freedom allows for authentic exploration of biblical principles without the distraction of fundraising motives.
JOGs can take various forms to accommodate different preferences and circumstances. Some gather in intimate home settings, others in vacation rentals or corporate boardrooms, and some even connect virtually through video calls. The flexibility of format ensures accessibility while maintaining the core elements of meaningful conversation and spiritual reflection.
For those called to host a JOG, the process involves selecting dates with adequate planning time, securing appropriate venues, and providing meals for guests. Generous Giving supplies trained facilitators and materials, creating a partnership that enables hosts to focus on gathering the right people for transformative conversations.
The ultimate goal of every JOG extends beyond the retreat itself, planting seeds for lifelong transformation in how participants view and practice generosity as expressions of their faith and response to God's radical grace.
“We are an organization that is built on volunteers - so the whole mission already rests on the generosity of volunteers: leaders, committee, work crew, summer staff, and countless other positions. Paid staff really are there to facilitate a program that allows generous people to continue to serve the Lord through the ministry of Young Life. It would make sense then, to continue to build and teach about generosity.
The format that JOG uses is very similar to how Young Life gives testimony and uses personal story. They use a medium that feels like home to us in the same language. What they DON'T do is direct asks and so even the presentation comes with no strings attached except what God is prompting each of us. This is a winning tool for us in Young Life!”
- Lee Anne Allman, YL Staff and JOG Facilitator
The Journey of Generosity events represent a powerful strategic partnership between Young Life and Generous Giving, offering a holistic discipleship tool that transforms how participants understand and live out biblical generosity. These experiences create space for staff, volunteers, donors, and committee members to explore how generosity profoundly impacts their relationship with God, themselves, and others.
For Young Life staff and volunteers who regularly invite others to support the ministry, JOG provides essential spiritual formation around fundraising, helping them recognize the spiritual value that generosity holds for both givers and the advancement of God's Kingdom. Additionally, JOG events leverage Young Life's extensive network of relationships to share the message of biblical generosity beyond our ministry context, promoting a Kingdom-centered vision that benefits the global Church and encourages faithful stewardship.
Young Life has been leveraging JOGs heavily in recent years, and has expanded these experiences internationally too! Our Global Field Development team coordinates and often facilitates these experiences. Based on our team's experience across Latin America, Europe, and various US areas, we've consistently seen JOG participants become more engaged with Young Life through both financial giving and volunteer service.
“I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit during the JOG. I thought back over all that Jesus went through for me; his life, ministry, arrest, physical pain going to the Cross, crucifixion…and for the first time I saw it in the light of His generosity. I had never thought of it from that perspective before.” - YL staff in Middle East
“The concept of generosity is hard, to find time and space to ask God what I can do, how I can participate? What actions to take? I am thankful for this time and space to do that. It was a gift” - Kenneth Céspedes, Friend of YL, Costa Rica.
“We are always busy during the week, so this is a gift to have time to reflect on this. Generosity moved beyond just money for me today. My hope for today was to understand the importance of generosity and now I know I must do something about it.”
María José Vindas, Friend of YL, Costa Rica.
Are you interested in participating in a JOG? Would you like to bring a JOG experience to your local Young Life Area for your leaders or committee members? Are you looking to bring friends of faith together to talk about generosity? If you want to experience this firsthand, or use a JOG to bring your local network of friends of faith together, we’d love to help connect you to the resources needed.
Connect with our Global Field Development Team for more info: ewaller@sc.younglife.org
“Sharing of our faith is an act of generosity. Contact work is an act of generosity. Opening a home for Young Life Club is an act of generosity. A JOG is a chance to explore and expand the concept of generosity in a safe space.”
-Chad Watson, Young Life Staff, Global Field Development
Written by: Valerie Morris
The Rippled Effect of a Life Transformed
In Chapter two of his recently launched book, “Foundation in Spirit and Truth: Discovering your strength and building the life you want,” Patrick Pence writes, “In 2018, my daughter got involved with a local group of the Young Life organization. They do a tremendous job helping young adults find guidance and community through the teaching and discussion of Christian principles. She attended Bible studies, prayer meetings, and then a large camp retreat in North Carolina. Her enthusiasm and thirst for knowledge to gain a deeper understanding of God led the two of us into many meaningful discussions.
I shared experiences from my childhood days in church and from my FCA days in high school. Sadly, after that I didn’t have much to contribute. After my mothers’ death, God had been just a desperate 911 call for me. Those prayers generally consisted of me trying to cut a deal. If You do this, God, I will do that. If I ever held up my end of the bargain, it wasn’t for long.
But, using the fuel of my daughter’s fire, we started incorporating Christian practices into our daily routine. We read and discussed the Bible, attended or watched different church services, and prayed before dinner.
With double fives in my age, it was this introduction, or re-introduction for me, to Christianity that became the spark for Foundation In Spirit and Truth. An idea that was the humble beginning of my journey to becoming the person I wanted to be, living the life I wanted to live. A journey that will continue until my very last day.”
A Daughter to Father Domino Effect
What Patrick Pence so eloquently communicates in his book, many have experienced or seen throughout the eight-plus decades of Young Life. Often, when a kid is impacted that impact reverberates through not just a school and a community, but the family they are a part of.
Patrick’s daughter was 15, a freshman in high school, when she was first introduced to Young Life. She was attending a sports camp in Illinois, when a friend kept asking if she would be interested in going to a Young Life camp later that summer. After watching the camp promotional video, she was “in.”
Following her trip to Windy Gap, a Young Life camp in North Carolina, in 2018, Patrick’s daughter wanted to discuss faith more with her father, the parent that had been the primary caregiver for many years. She was interested in her father’s story, and how they might explore faith together. Rather than fumble through her words, Patrick’s daughter wrote him a letter, clearly articulating why she wanted to delve deeper into her faith and how she wanted to do that with him. In Patrick’s words, “I wanted to give her the ability to dig in and explore what she believed and who she would be in that context. I loved her so much that I didn’t want to see her drifting along as I had for so many years.” According to Patrick, “We started with some simple things like praying before dinner, reading the Bible, attending a church or watching a service online.”
This initial start launched a season of tremendous discovery and growth for both father and daughter. While Patrick’s daughter grew in her new-found faith, continuing to be involved with her local club and Campaigners and even serving as a student leader in the local Wyldlife ministry (Young Life for those in middle school), Patrick became engrossed in his own personal revival. Looking back on his life, his faith and who he wanted to be moving forward. This entire process is outlined in “Foundation in Spirit and Truth.”
In Patrick’s words, “This book is a sixty year study of one subject; ME.” However, its contents will resonate with all who have drifted and struggled over the years. “Foundation in Spirit and Truth” is about a house being built up, rather than being torn down; it is a living testament to the impact of a life transformed and the influence of a daughter on a father. If you are interested in learning more about Pence’s book, you can do so here.
A Son’s Journey Impacting His Parents
Similar to Patrick Pence’s story, in 2018 the Watson family was featured in an article published in Young Life’s Relationships Magazine. The story was titled “Signing on for Young Life,” and was written by Stacy Windahl. In Windahl’s words, “It started as Young Life relationships often do. A leader serving as a volunteer coach discovers a discouraged freshman in the locker room and suggests they get together to talk. Before long, the athlete is coming to Club. This particular athlete, Joanne and Terry’s son, Chad, attended club and then camp at Breakaway Lodge. When Chad’s leader, Eric, had to leave camp to coach the state playoff game he invited Chad to come along if, and only if, the leader (Eric) could share the club talk they’d be missing. So, during their drive, Eric shared the “cross-talk,” and Chad made a faith commitment, then and there, and that changed the faith journey of the entire family.”
Windahl goes on to recount the story of how the Watson’s began to host Young Life club in their home the next fall; how club grew from 70 to 200 kids a week, and how a “few weeks” of hosting turned into “10 years” and thousands of kids entering their home. In fact, Joanne ended up becoming a volunteer leader and the region’s Student Staff coordinator! By the way, Chad is still involved with Young Life today, as he serves as the mission’s Senior Director of Global Field Development!
A Biblical Pattern Continues
Both the Pence’s and the Watson’s experienced first-hand the reality that often one family member’s encounter with Jesus will lead to multiple family members having an encounter with Jesus. Just as Andrew fetched his brother, Peter, in John 1:41, and introduced him to Jesus, God continues to be in the business of transforming not only individuals, but siblings, parents and entire families!
Living the Lord's Prayer: Why the World's Most Famous Prayer Is More Relevant Than Ever
In a world of constant noise, endless distractions, and spiritual disconnection, an ancient prayer is offering modern men and women a profound pathway to transformation. Living the Lord's Prayer by Chuck Scott and Dr. Douglas Howe isn’t just another devotional book—it's a deep dive into what might be the most overlooked spiritual resource available to believers today.
The book emerged from a simple Lenten commitment when Scott and his friends decided to break down the Lord's Prayer word by word. What started as a seemingly trivial exercise transformed their lives, leading Scott to spend over eight years exploring the prayer's depths. What he discovered was life-changing: this prayer, recited by millions, yet truly understood by few, contains the blueprint for spiritual victory, personal transformation, and authentic relationship with God.
From Recitation to Revelation
Perhaps the most striking insight this book offers is how most believers have recited this prayer their whole lives without truly praying it. Like many, we've treated it as a religious obligation or a perfunctory routine, missing the profound invitation Jesus extended when he taught these words.
The prayer's opening word, "our," immediately disrupts our individualistic approach to faith. This three-letter word fundamentally encompasses the heart of the gospel, proclaiming "You're in," "Welcome to the family," "You're adopted." In an age of spiritual isolation and religious performance anxiety, this simple word offers radical acceptance and belonging.
Addressing Our Deepest Spiritual Crisis
There’s a critical spiritual malady affecting modern believers: the perception of an angry, disappointed God. When Scott and Doug ask groups "How would God describe your relationship with Him?" they find that over 91.6% of responses contain some form of negativity. This distorted view creates a performance-based faith where believers constantly try to earn God's love rather than receive it.
The prayer's address to "Father" shatters this misconception. Jesus deliberately chose "Abba"—a term of such intimacy and childlike trust that it was considered scandalous in his time. For those carrying wounds from earthly fathers, this revelation becomes particularly healing.
Practical Spiritual Warfare
In today's culture of spiritual skepticism, they boldly address the reality of spiritual warfare. Jesus alerts us to one of the enemy's primary tactics: temptation. Rather than dismissing this as superstition, the book provides practical strategies for recognizing and defeating evil's influence.
The book introduces the concept of "taking thoughts captive," turning potential distractions into opportunities for prayer. This transforms everyday mental wandering from spiritual failure into spiritual victory. When designing football plays during prayer time, Scott learned to bring these thoughts to God, turning them into intercession for players and coaches.
The Critical Importance of Forgiveness
One of the prayer's most challenging aspects is "as we forgive those who sin against us." Scott doesn't shy away from this difficulty, sharing his own two-year struggle to forgive a workplace injustice. The breakthrough came when he realized forgiveness isn't just about the other person—it's about our own spiritual freedom.
TODAY: The Urgency of the Present
Throughout the book, they emphasize "TODAY"—a word often capitalized repeatedly to drive home the prayer's urgency. We don't pray the Lord's Prayer to get into heaven one day; we live in the Lord's Prayer to get heaven into us TODAY! This perspective shift transforms prayer from future-focused religious activity into present-tense spiritual power.
Why This Matters Now More Than Ever
In our current cultural moment, where anxiety is epidemic, trust is fractured, and spiritual hunger runs deep, this prayer offers exactly what we need: a way to experience heaven on earth, becoming conduits through which God's Kingdom flows into our broken world.
The book addresses modern temptations head-on, acknowledging the specific struggles men face with substances, pornography, and other addictions. But rather than offering simplistic spiritual solutions, it provides a framework for understanding these as battles in a larger spiritual war—battles that can be won through the truths embedded in this prayer.
In a generation marked by spiritual superficiality and religious disillusionment, Living the Lord's Prayer offers profound depth and practical wisdom. It reclaims one of Christianity's most treasured resources, revealing it not as a prayer to be recited but as a life to be lived.
The book's importance lies not just in its spiritual insights, but in its practical application of ancient truth to modern challenges. It provides a roadmap for spiritual faith, emotional healing, relational restoration, and victorious living. In an age where many feel spiritually adrift, this study of the Lord's Prayer serves as an anchor, connecting believers to the timeless truths that can transform their daily experience.
This book offers not just answers, but an adventure—an invitation to discover the life that truly is life through the prayer Jesus himself taught us to pray.
Let me begin by asking you a few questions…
What do we celebrate every year on December 25th?
Do you know when Easter is this year?
Will you do anything special to remember Easter?
When was the last time you received an Ascension Day card?
When is Ascension Day and will you do anything special to remember it this year?
For most of us, the answers to the first three questions above are a quick and easy “Christmas,” and “yes.” The vast majority of us are very familiar with the holidays that celebrate the birth and the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. However, when it comes to the final two questions, the answers will be less consistent. The reality is that some will answer “yes.” Generally, yes answers will be from those of us who have some connection to either the Catholic, Episcopal, or Lutheran churches; as these traditions likely follow a liturgical calendar in which the Ascension is remembered. Though some will answer “yes,” the majority will answer “no.” The Ascension is not an event that has made their calendar, nor has it received a significant amount of annual attention.
Along these lines, in his book, “The Beautiful Fight”, author Gary Thomas writes, “There’s a reason – a good reason – that the Bible records the ascension. It’s not a superfluous event, as if after Jesus died and rose from the dead, we can rush through the rest and say, “And, oh yeah, he went back up into heaven.” God’s inclusion of this historical fact in the written record of Scripture is both purposeful and significant. We might preach one hundred sermons on Jesus’ death and resurrection for every one preached on his ascension, but this serves only to reveal our cultural blinders. Christmas and Easter are ingrained in American culture and stand out on the calendar of the contemporary church. But we lose something when the ascension becomes a forgotten appendage to the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection.”
The Reality of the Ascension
Remembered and celebrated forty days following Jesus’ resurrection, the Ascension is the biblically recorded event during which Jesus left earth and rose to heaven. Below are a few New Testament verses that capture this incredible occurrence…
Mark 16:19 & 20
After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
Luke 24:50-53
When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
Acts 1:9
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. [1]
Hebrews 1:1-4
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.[2]
Romans 8:34
Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.[3]
As we review the above passages, it’s clear the risen Jesus was “taken up into heaven,” where “he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty of heaven,” and is “interceding for us.” In fact, it’s also clear that the day of Pentecost and the giving of the Holy Spirit were directly correlated to the Ascension of Christ.
The Significance of the Ascension
In the words of Gerrit Scott Dawson, “The ascended Jesus is the reigning Jesus. Of all the meanings of the ascension, this one is preeminent: Jesus has gone up to the right hand of God the Father, exalted above every name and power. He reigns.”
Similarly, author Gary Thomas writes, “Celebrating Christmas gives us faith; it affirms that our beliefs have roots in the historical fact of the incarnation. Celebrating Easter gives us assurance; it affirms that Christ wiped away our sins by his great sacrifice and triumphed over death. Celebrating the ascension gives us hope and points us towards transformation; it affirms that we can become more and more like Jesus is right now.”
In short, the Ascension shouts that Jesus Christ is the ruling Lord of this fallen, broken world. It’s not just that he will reign when he comes again or that he did reign over death, but that he is reigning right now!
Do you remember the book “In His Steps” by Charles Sheldon? (Sorry, but your answer to this question will surely “date” you.) From this popular religious title, first published in 1896, came the familiar abbreviation “WWJD?” (What Would Jesus Do?) Many people today only know this question via the acronym, often embossed on shirts, book-marks and a variety of other items. I’m not suggesting this is a bad question to ask, but it’s a question rooted in the incarnation and a bit disconnected from the Ascension. In “WWJD?”, we often look back and consider what we know of Jesus, as communicated through the Gospel accounts, and ask the question, if Jesus were still here, what would he do? However, as we remember and embrace the truth of the Ascension, “WWJD?” becomes “WIJD?” (What IS Jesus Doing?) The Ascension shouts that Jesus is present and active! His Spirit not only dwells within us, but Jesus reigns on high and is engaged in our world and our lives. And, this reality not only transforms a nifty acronym, it transforms our very lives and ministries!
As we remember the Ascension, we’re reminded:
· To involve him in our goal setting and planning, but to be adaptable and open to God’s leading as we move forward. As Proverbs 19:21 states, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” And, again in Proverbs 16:9, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”
· To build time into our schedule to listen and ask him, What are you doing? And, how can I join you Lord? This is similar to what we see in Jesus’ life in Mark 1:35-38, where we read “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”
· To be sensitive as we go about our lives and ministries; listening and moving in step with his leading. A great example of this can be found in Acts 8:26-39, when Philip has a God-ordained and life-changing encounter with the Ethiopian Eunuch. In this passage it says, “The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
· To trust God’s active involvement and sovereignty, even when things aren’t going the way we would like. In the words of Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
So, What Now?
As we approach yet another Ascension day in May, let’s purpose to remove any “cultural blinders” (in the words of Gary Thomas), and remember that Jesus is not only alive; he is seated at the right hand of the father; he reigns and is actively engaged in our lives and in our world! Let’s live in the power and hope of this truth. Let’s seek to allow Jesus to radically transform our lives and the lives of those around us, and to remember that he is with us. Please join with me in remembering the ascension through this “Anglican Ascension Prayer.”
Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that as we believe your only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ
to have ascended into the heavens,
so we in heart and mind may also ascend
and with him continually dwell;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen
Written by: Jonathan Schultz
Have you ever seen a guitar player use an EBow? If you pick a guitar string, the sound fades out, but an EBow will make the string vibrate forever. You don’t even touch the string. You just hold up the EBow, and the magnet inside it causes resonance.
That’s a pretty good metaphor, I think, for how movies work. Our heartstrings respond naturally to good stories the way guitar strings vibrate to an EBow. There’s music there.
But a good EBow, like a great movie, needs juice. Where an EBow gets energy from a battery, a movie needs truth. This is something I teach my creative writing students all the time: If you want your story to resonate, the secret sauce is truth.
The way people resonate with truth is one element of the “power of stories”–a phrase I heard quite a bit when I went to the Sundance Film Festival with Young Life this January. A film festival might not seem like the most natural fit for Young Life staffers, until you realize that the natural thread that runs through movie directors and career evangelists is that they’re professional storytellers.
Windrider Institute
You might know that Sundance is the biggest, most prestigious indie film fest in the world. What you might not know is that the biggest bulk ticket-buyer of the festival is a Christian organization called Windrider Institute. Windrider was first formed by professors at Christian universities as a way to inspire students, artists, and academics to “create, view, and discuss visual media that address life’s ultimate questions.” After two decades, they’ve gotten pretty good at it.
The Windrider sessions my Young Life friends and I attended featured short films and interviews with filmmakers. Some of these shorts premiered at Sundance this year. Others were previously available.
One highpoint was a documentary called The Turnaround, available right now on Netflix. Let me tell you that its 25-minute length is worth every second of your time. The Turnaround tells the story of Trea Turner’s up-and-down 2023 season with the Philadelphia Phillies. The twist is that the doc is told from the angle of the hilarious Jon “Captain Philly” McCann who is having a year even more turbulent than Turner’s. His mouth alone earns the piece its R rating.
While Turner’s stealing bases, McCann steals the show as the story cuts between Turner’s on-field performance (or lack thereof) and McCann’s growing sense of anger, isolation, and despair. But after taking a tip from his therapist, McCann decides not to vent his frustration at the highly paid, underperforming Turner, but to orchestrate a city-wide show of grace in the form of a standing ovation for a $300 million player who had been putting up no results.
“Turner needs some love,” McCann tells the camera. “Not tough love. Love love.” This is the stuff male tears are made of.
What makes the Windrider Summit so neat is that after watching this roller coaster ride of a documentary, we in the audience, got to hear from the cinematographer who worked on The Turnaround. Turns out, there’s a lot that goes on behind the camera beyond just pointing and shooting.
So what does filmmaking have to do with sharing the gospel with teenagers? Everything, everything. Like this cinematographer, everyone I know in Young Life is preoccupied with telling a story–the gospel story–as skillfully and accurately as possible. That might mean going over and over and over a club talk, or it might mean cleaning a camp toilet so pristinely you could use it as a cereal bowl. Yes, the order and cleanliness of a property bathroom speaks to campers. And what it speaks of is no less than the holiness of God. I believe it.
Another takeaway from my time at Sundance: The brilliant people talented enough to get their films into the festival don’t have some second set of concerns that the Bible never gets to. Their films ask the same questions the rest of us do. Who am I, actually? How can I find my place in the world? Where’s the hope?
We had the chance to listen to artists from America, of course, but also England, Lebanon, Ukraine, Israel, Japan, and Iran. What we saw were wildly different films from world-ranging locations that all came back to the same core questions of identity, relationship, and meaning.
I was reminded of Harper Lee’s famous line: “There’s just one kind of folks.” That’s right. There’s only one kind of person, and there is just one name given to us whereby we might be saved (Acts 4:12), one mediator between God and us (1 Timothy 2:5), one shepherd (John 10:16).
For all the great questions I heard the films asking over the course of the week, I heard a lot of wrong answers, too. Or maybe “incomplete” would be a better word. Many movies found hope in good things like mended relationships, acceptance in the face of suffering, or the virtue of humility. Other movies were pretty dark. They weren’t necessarily inaccurate to human experience; a lot of the darkest movies I’ve seen have been the most honest. But if you’re looking for the light at the end of the tunnel, you better keep looking. It can be painful to bear witness to such aching, unanswered need, especially when, in Christ, you recognize the desperation you were called out of.
And of course that’s where Young Life comes in: we who were called out to call out. Though my volunteer leader days are behind me (or perhaps ahead?) I hope to be counted in the final reckoning alongside the called callers. Where the best and brightest have questions, we who are maybe not so bright have answers. Where the world gropes about in darkness, we have been mercifully brought into light. We know that our story has an ending, and that’s where eternity begins.
So let’s keep screening the story of Christ, reflecting the light of his grand narrative in the 90 minutes we’re given in this dark theater.
Written by: Trevor Babcock
“If You Build it, he will come”
The quote was made famous by the 1989 baseball classic movie “Field of Dreams” when Ray Kinsella hears the voice of Shoeless Joe Jackson whisper this iconic phrase. I love the game of baseball and this movie because Ray did something completely irrational by plowing under his farmland to create a baseball field. It created an emotional connection that few movies do, and now, in fact, MLB plays a real game on that same field. In much the same way, Jesse Cole, the owner of the Savannah Bananas did something completely different and some may say irrational to create the “Greatest Show in Sports.”
Attending a Savannah Banana game was one of my wife’s Lori’s bucket list items. So when we had the opportunity to attend a weekend trip with Young Life staff and Young Life fans to Savannah to attend a game we did not hesitate. However, much like Ray Kinsella back in the farmland of Iowa, we received so much more than just attending a game.
The Savannah Bananas have revolutionized baseball by turning it into a non-stop party for both fans and players. Launched in 2016 the team started out as a fledgling summer collegiate league. Jesse came in and knew he had to do things differently and continually innovate to be successful.
Starting with a name that raised eyebrows and a mission to make baseball fun again. Jesse, with his showman’s flair, ditched traditional rules and created “Banana Ball”—a fast-paced, two-hour spectacle where fans can catch foul balls for outs, batters are penalized for stepping out of the box, and no one dares to bunt. What began as a local experiment has exploded into a nationwide phenomenon, with sold-out crowds, viral videos, and a traveling team often dubbed the “Harlem Globetrotters of baseball.” The Bananas blend athletic skill with wild entertainment, proving that America’s pastime can be both full of excitement and hilariously unpredictable. If Young Life Camp was baseball - this would be it!
Lori and I have been the owners of an Everbowl franchise since October of 2023 and we have the opportunity to serve our guests and our staff in a fast-paced and fun environment. Everbowl is an Acai bowl, quick-serve restaurant that specializes in creating amazing bowls and smoothies to give people “Fuel for Movement.” In addition to serving people, we strive to build community and create an amazing experience for our guests. Our store is in Bloomington Indiana on the campus of Indiana University.
In addition to operating the store, we have the opportunity to coach and mentor our staff since they are all high school or college age. The weekend in Savannah gave us an opportunity to take a step back and understand the humble beginnings of the Bananas and how they have grown in popularity by putting “fans first” in everything they do.
Culture is the heartbeat of the Savannah Bananas organization, shaping everything from their crazy on-field antics to their behind-the-scenes operations. The core of their culture is the “Fans First” philosophy, which prioritizes creating unforgettable experiences for fans and empowering employees to innovate and take risks. This approach is embedded in every aspect of the organization, from their unique hiring practices that assess cultural fit to their regular “Idea Paloozas” where team members brainstorm creative ways to delight fans. By embracing a culture that celebrates experimentation and rapid implementation of ideas, the Savannah Bananas have transformed traditional baseball into an engaging and inclusive spectacle, resonating with audiences far beyond the sport’s typical fan base.
The agenda for the weekend was all about making connections with others on the trip, building community, learning best practices from the Banana’s “Fans First” culture, and how to apply them to our own business. We were able to connect with other business owners that are passionate about serving others and of course serving God.
One of the exciting things about this trip was how ministry staff walked away from the Bananas experience with a similar excitement for how they can infuse the “fans first” mentality into their work with kids just as we saw the applications for our business. We were each able to translate the experience and see ways to affect our own corners of the world. We met so many other adults surrounding Young Life who have unique ways God has positioned each of them to make Kingdom impact and each person got creative ideas for how to do that from this trip to Savannah.
So what did we learn? We learned a lot! Here are some specific key lessons we took away from this weekend that we could implement in our business. The idea of reducing friction in the guest experience, empowering staff to leverage their unique gifts, and using a new approach to hiring. In addition, I added a purple top hat and jacket to my wardrobe, following in Jesse’s yellow tuxedo and top hat uniform. It’s fun to stand out and bring attention to your product or service. The Instagram followers and engagement has increased and we’re having tons of fun!
As an enterprise, Everbowl just celebrated “National Acai Bowl Day.” This is our Super Bowl as a franchise. We give away free açaí bowls for two hours on this amazing day. This year our store gave away 363 free bowls!
We wanted to have a party atmosphere and give people something to do while they waited in line, so we brought in a photo booth for our guests to take crazy pictures that would add to the fun. For the first 45 minutes a few people jumped in, but most of the time there was no activity. Then, I realized two of our high school team members who are incredibly outgoing would be amazing as the “Hype Squad.” I immediately moved them from the back of the house to the front of the house and empowered them to use their skills as the Hype Squad. WOW did they deliver! They had the crowd cheering, dancing and taking lots of pictures in the Photo Booth as they waited for their açaí bowls. It resulted in an amazing and remarkable experience for guests and incredible engagement from the “Hype Squad.”
This weekend was an unforgettable experience for Lori and I. We made new friends, built a lasting community, had fun and brought home ideas that we can easily execute to bring fun with meaning into our daily work. Thank you all for including us in this amazing event!
Written by: “Mike from Everbowl” Fowler, Everbowl Bloomington Owner
Ever looked across the table at your Gen Alpha kid and felt like you were talking to a complete stranger? This eye-opening guide explores the fascinating world of Generation Alpha—those born between 2010-2024—who are growing up in a reality we could barely imagine. From their iPad-filled childhoods to navigating a post-COVID world, these digital natives are developing their own unique worldview that can sometimes leave parents scratching their heads.
The article takes you on a journey through what makes Gen Alpha tick: their impressive tech fluency, their surprising social awareness at young ages, and yes, their struggles with screen time and resilience. But it doesn't just highlight challenges—it offers practical ways to connect with and support the Gen Alpha kids in your life. Whether you're trying to understand why your 10-year-old is already passionate about social justice or looking for ways to help them build meaningful relationships beyond screens, this guide provides the insights you need to bridge that generational gap and strengthen your connection with tomorrow's leaders.
This spring, I was in Panama City Beach. The setting is the quintessential college spring break trip: UV rays, loud music, salty air, and plenty of fun happening up and down the beach. It was my very first Young Life College Spring break trip. As the freshman Young Life College Divisional Coordinator, I went to learn, observe, and help as much as I could.
I wasn’t totally sure what to expect. I have been to hundreds of weeks of Young Life camp, and was told that this would have similar elements, but catered to a more mature crowd. I was told that free time would abound, as college students appreciate a little less program and more time just “hanging out.”
As is tradition at a week of Young Life camping, students were given twenty minutes to consider a relationship with Jesus. To reflect on His sacrifice and what it might mean for them. I went out to the beach ahead of this time, to make sure we were all set, as our speaker shared about the cross. One by one, students trickled to the beach and anyone with eyes on that shoreline witnessed something truly spectacular. What I experienced though, was beyond that.
Let me preface by sharing, I had found out, earlier that day, that my flight, for later in the week, would likely be cancelled due to weather, and I would need to reschedule. It just so happened that during those same twenty minutes, American Airlines returned a phone call that I had been waiting for, and I needed to take it. The resort we were staying at was just behind us on the beach and so I quickly walked through to the other side of the resort, and stood on the sidewalk of the main drag in Panama City Beach. At this point it was 9:30 pm and the crowd on that side of the resort was picking up. It was likely what you might picture a debaucherous college Spring Break to look like. A sea of humanity, loud, laughing, and in some ways….Lost.
To be honest, I could barely pay attention to what the ticket agent was saying. Not because I was shocked by what I was seeing; I was in college many years ago, and that was the norm then. You see, I had walked no more than 50 feet, and the stark contrast of what was happening on one side of the resort, to what was happening on the other, was drastic.
I couldn’t get back to the other side fast enough. As a matter of fact, I wanted to take everyone on the street with me. I wanted them to come and see. I wanted them to know that life can be so much more full than what they were heading towards. It also made me thankful for the 350 that were sitting on the beach, and the ministry of Young Life College. Another option was given to them that week, and they jumped at it. They may have heard “Panama City Beach Spring Break Trip” and thought “oh yea, sign me up,” without even knowing what they were coming to.
We live in a world where both sides of the resort exist. One side truly offers life to the full, the other promises that, but always falls short. For those of us who know this life, we desire for those on the other side to join us. We can’t stop going to the other side and inviting students in. I have a dear friend who reminds me that the stakes are much too high.
Written by Brigit Mustaine
Taste and see! And we mean, literally go taste something amazing and see what God is doing through business partnerships and Young Life. What happens when a local entrepreneur with a heart for Young Life puts their passion to work? The possibilities are literally infinite! Around Young Life, there are literally millions of people fulfilling their callings in their daily lives, from parenting to professions, to ministry and yes, even business ownerships. There have been countless businesses that support Young Life, but the businesses we want to share about today have a really “sweet” aroma. One thing is for sure: the ideas and creativity that surround business owners working for a profit AND working for a cause are contagious!
Raley Parker, former YL staff member, now owns multiple Jersey Mikes restaurants in Pennsylvania where the restaurants have local support, but also intentional sponsorship of YL international ministry. He recently expanded the vision and brought along his longtime friend, and Young Life alumni, Josh Hicks to open a Fox's Pizza Den in Elizabeth, Colorado.
Sponsored Impact
All of these locations between Raley and Josh are actively sponsoring specific Developing Global Leaders (DGL) students with their business’ profits AND making global impact in the process. They’ve created signage sharing what Young Life is about, and more specifically, what DGL is about. They also share the photo and some general information about the student that location is sponsoring, bringing a personal touch to the impact that each purchase makes.
Local Impact
Both restaurants have amazing partnerships with global ministry through DGL sponsorship, but they also have intentional relationships with the local Young Life Areas. Students often work in the restaurants, and there are intentional programs and participation with local fundraisers. In fact, the Fox’s Pizza location not only sponsors a DGL student from Ukraine, but also helps sponsor and promote Young Life Douglas County publicly as well.
Expanded Awareness
Hicks and Parkers’ pizza restaurant in Elizabeth, Colorado is in an area primed for growth, BUT one of the interesting hitches in this location is that there is actually no Young Life club in town. Yet, this location prominently displays a Young Life logo on their signage inside where they share about the impact every pizza purchase makes. Staff wear YL gear and regularly get either questions about what Young Life is, or they get comments like “I was part of Young Life up in ___________.” It’s been a great opportunity to open the conversation up and gather information for the local Young Life Area who are building interest lists for future YL clubs.
They’ve also had a flood of local sports, schools, and other community events looking to have their pizzas at events. Hicks (local to CO) and the local Young Life staff have brainstormed opportunities for ways local Young Life leaders can participate in these events alongside Fox's Pizza. When it’s sometimes a puzzle to figure out how to get into a school or school event, Foxes is getting begged to come be part of the story. These types of collaborative efforts are helping open doors for businesses and ministry to work together and increase local awareness for Young Life Club
Unexpected Mentorship
Many of the staff at both Jersey Mikes and Fox’s Pizza are teenagers and both Raley and Josh see this as a huge opportunity to not just staff their restaurants, but to mentor teenagers as well. Raley has intentional programs with the Young Life club right there in town. However, we all know there’s so much leadership and mentoring that happens on the job site during an average day's work. The hope is that with these businesses, they’re not just supporting local or DGL ministry, but they’re pouring into the same teenagers who are needing jobs too!
These business partners, and YL alumni, are just one glimpse into the potential when creative business owners connect their business ventures with local impact in Young Life. We’re honored to have amazing partners like Raley and Josh who are willing to get creative with their families’ income while also serving the Kingdom as well!
To learn more about Corporate Sponsorships for DGL, including some of these we’ve talked about here, you can learn more at https://dgl.younglife.org/corporate-sponsors/
Written by: Valerie Morris
Every year the Young Life Community Network, in partnership with the Office of the President, honors three individuals or couples with our annual alumni awards. Below, you will find three stories, highlighting our 2024 recipients.
As a young man, Bobby Reagan would have said he was a Christian; however, an introduction to Young Life through a faithful volunteer leader named Henry Harvey challenged Bobby’s faith and the ways he was chasing validation through performance. It was on a trip to Frontier Ranch in 1969, following his junior year, where he began to better understand the “ultimate validation” and came to faith.
LEADERSHIP = GROWTH
Following high school and graduating from the University of Tennessee in 1975, Bobby returned to Savannah, Georgia, and became a volunteer Young Life leader for the next decade. Bobby remembers this role being the impetus of him truly living out his faith. In his words, “Sharing the message with kids, leading Bible studies, having my friends and community being fellow Young Life leaders, pushed me to live consistently.”
In Atlanta, Bobby opened an office and became CEO of Reagan Consulting, Inc. (a consulting and investment banking firm working in the insurance distribution space). Most importantly, Bobby and Beth met in Atlanta in 1986 and married eight months later. Similar to Savannah, Bobby immediately stepped into volunteer Young Life leadership for the next six years. Bobby introduced Beth to Young Life and she began her involvement as a leader as well. If you were to look at a snapshot of the Reagans’ involvement in Young Life over the years, it would look something like this:
Bobby – Volunteer leader, committee member, and committee chair in Savannah, Gerogia
Bobby and Beth – Volunteer leaders, committee members, and committee chairs in Northwest Atlanta
Bobby – Executive campaign committee chair for SharpTop Cove (1997-1999)
Bobby and Beth – Executive campaign committee for Windy Gap (2020-2023)
Beth – Women’s Engagement and Philanthropy Council (Starting in 2017)
Beth – Five local giving circles and on the planning team for the Global Giving Circle
Bobby and Beth – Longtime financial partners and encouragers of all!
THE FAR-REACHING IMPACT OF YOUNG LIFE
When asked about how their involvement with Young Life has impacted their work, Bobby is quick to point out that several of their first employees were involved with Young Life, including his firm’s current CEO. In fact, current Young Life staffers, like Campaign Director Elizabeth McRae, were once Young Life kids and Reagan Consulting employees.
Why have they aligned themselves so closely with Young Life and continued to give so much of themselves to the mission? Beth said, “Young Life invites! I was invited in and I am so grateful for that. I also see great return on investment! Young Life is a great steward of money, with little waste and great impact.” Bobby added, “We have been so blessed by Young Life and are amazed by how fruitful Young Life has been in the lives of kids in the U.S. and the world.”
“I love the way Young Life has an emphasis on relationship, not religion.” Beth sums it up nicely, “You don’t have to have your act together; all are welcome, what a beautiful way to introduce Jesus.”
THE FAR-REACHING INFLUENCE OF THE REAGANS
Lest we think the Reagans’ benevolence is limited to Young Life, they are very involved serving together at their local church; mentoring, teaching, and leading small groups. Furthermore, Bobby is board chair for “Elevate, Atlanta,” an organization that was started in Denver and is focused on serving inner-city youth there and in other cities.
As Wendy Little looks back on her teen years, she remembers a challenging home life and a negative view of “church.” She also remembers the way God gently broke into her life. Her family had left the Mormon church, and as a sophomore at Eastmont High School in Wenatchee, Washington, she said no to her best friend’s invitation to attend Young Life club “at least 101 times!” However, when her friend invited her to an open gym where they could play volleyball and listen to a brief message from then area director, Don Myers, she gave in. The next club meeting was at her best friend’s house, a home so familiar and welcoming that she was comfortable attending. It was on this night Wendy learned about Malibu Club and, though she wasn’t aware of the “religious part,” it was a week away from home with her friends. As God is so often known to do in “thin places” like Malibu, he revealed himself to Wendy that summer of 1992 and it was there she began following Jesus.
Shawn was a co-worker of Wendy’s at Safeway grocery store and a year ahead of her in school. Through his connection with Wendy, he began attending both Young Life and church. The two began dating and had plans to be married following Shawn’s graduation from high school in 1993; plans that did not materialize in the way either of them thought they would. The young couple broke up but reconnected over time, as Shawn began following Jesus and Wendy was looking for a faithful friend at a time of life during which she had little Christian community. This Christ-centered friendship blossomed into a loving relationship and the two wed in 1996.
MARRIED AND ON A MISSION
As Shawn and Wendy settled into married life, they attended church and were asked to lead the youth, which they did for the next seven years. This opportunity within their church only grew their desire to serve others, specifically adolescents. When asked to lead Young Life kids at camp in 2000, Wendy eagerly jumped in; Shawn officially began leading in 2002. It was clear Wendy and Shawn had hearts for the “furthest-out” young people who had stories similar to their own. Wendy said, “From the very beginning, I knew that I was called by God to serve voluntarily through Young Life in our community, and God has blessed us with the means to do so. Young Life’s tagline, ‘You were made for this’ speaks to the calling Christ put on my heart!”
BUILDING A CLUB ROOM, A LIFE AND A MINISTRY TOGETHER
Living across the street from Eastmont High School, the couple gutted half their duplex and used it as a club room. Since that time, Shawn and Wendy have served as volunteer leaders and team leaders; Wendy has also served on the area committee (as prayer coordinator) and even took a Young Life camp assignment as a head leader in 2015. Meanwhile, Shawn has not only led Young Life and WyldLife, but also serves as chaplain for their local hockey team. In the midst of this the Littles are parents to two daughters (one of whom is serving as a Young Life leader now).
When asked why they have given so much of themselves to, and through, Young Life for the past 25 years, Wendy replied, “It’s a calling. I had a hard upbringing and we want kids to have somebody to walk with them through life’s challenges. For 25 years I have had the privilege of sitting with girls and praying with them. I can never give up leading kids.” Shawn adds, “This all started with an invitation; the calling became clear after I responded. I didn’t realize how much I would love working with teenagers. Also, the community, the family of Young Life is so deep and meaningful — we’ve done so much life together!” Shawn and Wendy are very careful to point out “we did not arrive here on our own. We stand on others’ shoulders. The family of Young Life here has built us and sustained us.”
Young Life first became a part of Jenni Brandon’s life when she was in fourth grade. Her Young Life leader moved into her family’s basement and club meetings were held in their home. Her family’s involvement in Young Life was deep-rooted, with her mom coming to faith through Young Life as a high schooler and her sister serving on work crew at Washington Family Ranch. Even her dad got involved as an adult guest and reconnected to the mission via an old friend, Gary Parsons (former vice president of Young Life Soviet Union). Jenni herself later joined a Young Life mission trip to Russia in seventh grade.
Jenni’s love for Jesus led her to become involved in many of the opportunities Young Life offers; WyldLife participant and leader, work crew, and summer staff. After moving to San Diego to pursue a PhD in Oceanography, she found herself seeking Christian community. She started leading Young Life College at UC San Diego, despite a stretching academic schedule. Jenni led for four years, later joined the committee, and now serves on the South Coast Regional Board and the Women’s Getaway Planning Team.
When asked about the most meaningful aspects of Young Life, Jenni shared that it’s the freedom Young Life offers. “The people in Young Life are authentically themselves,” she said. This environment of openness and love has shaped her own journey and motivated her to give so much of herself to the mission.
Jenni has carved out a unique niche for herself as a scientist and consultant. After completing her PhD in oceanography, she launched her own consulting firm focused on climate change and sustainability. She helps nonprofits, philanthropists, and investors navigate the complex world of environmental impact and philanthropy.
Jenni’s passion for the environment, particularly in the area of plastic pollution, drives much of her work. Having studied plastic pollution during her PhD, Jenni is now using her expertise to help organizations tackle some of the most pressing environmental challenges. “I think it’s such an important calling for us to steward creation,” she says.
Her career is a testament to her belief in the intersection of science and faith. As a staunch advocate for the idea that science and the Bible can coexist, Jenni says, “We need to talk more about this with kids; you can be a scientist and talk about Jesus.”
One of the things that excites Jenni the most about the future of Young Life is the work being done through Jamie Lisea’s work with women’s engagement and philanthropy, where Jenni helps plan The Getaway, a giving retreat for younger women in the mission. Women who have been involved in Young Life for decades are feeling more empowered to be part of the conversation around generosity and leadership. Jenni is particularly excited about the opportunities to give big gifts to Young Life and other causes, supporting the mission in new and meaningful ways.
Reflecting on her own journey, Jenni shared an important piece of wisdom with Young Life staff and leaders: “You may not know who those kids are at camp or in club, but what you are doing is meaningful.” She describes a pivotal moment during her junior high years when she struggled with her faith, and a Young Life leader, Kristy Fox, spoke into her life in a way that confirmed her beliefs. “I don’t know if I would be a believer if it weren’t for that camp talk,” she says. “Young Life leaders may not see the immediate impact they have, but they’re planting seeds that can change lives.”
As she continues to lead in both her professional and personal life, Jenni remains deeply committed to the mission of Young Life. Whether it’s serving on the regional board, mentoring college students, or empowering women to give generously, she is making a lasting impact on the lives of those she serves!
Are there people near you who might deserve a high five, fist bump, or dose of encouragement and appreciation? Even though we might only have three awards to give on an annual basis, all of us know unsung heroes of our mission and can offer our gratitude. We hope these stories have inspired us all in our ongoing Young Life efforts!
Written by: Jonathan Schultz
If you’re like me, as March 17th approaches and we begin to hear the name of St. Patrick, you probably think of shamrocks, the color green, parades, and other gatherings. You also probably remember getting pinched as a result of not wearing the correct color, or pinching others who were not properly dressed for the holiday. Furthermore, if you’re similar to me, when you hear of St. Patrick, you naturally consider a holiday rather than the man for whom the holiday is named. Well, as people who appreciate the incarnational nature of Young Life, we’re also people who will truly value the story and ministry of St. Patrick, who has been considered patron saint of barbers, barrel makers, blacksmiths, cattle, engineers, people who are excluded, miners, those against snakes and, might I carefully suggest, Young Life leaders! For, as you familiarize yourself with the story of St. Patrick, you cannot help but see the parallels between the pillars of his ministry and those of Young Life. Consider this bio:
Born, Maewyn Succat, to parents Calpurnius and Conchessa, Patrick spent his early years in (Roman) Britain, in the present-day geography of England, Scotland and Wales. Though there is not absolute agreement, many argue Patrick was born at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland in 387. Born to a wealthy family, his father was a deacon and his mother a relative of Saint Martin of Tours; they were Romans living in Britain, in charge of the colonies. As such, they were targets of Irish pirates, a possibility that became a reality when 14-year-old Patrick was taken captive by a group of Irish marauders to Ireland.
In Ireland, Patrick was pressed into servitude, tending flocks and fields. He was isolated and alone, clinging to his faith and hope of someday finding freedom. As a testament to his faith during this season, it is said that he turned to God in prayer, writing, “The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was roused, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same. I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain.” It would take six years before Patrick, at the age of 20, could escape and walk 200 miles to the coast where he would receive safe passage on a ship and, eventually, reunite with his family in Britain.
Going to Where Others Are
Upon returning home and reacclimating to life in Britain, Patrick spent 15 years in theological training, before embracing a call that is both shocking and inspiring. Patrick returned to Ireland and brought the Good News to the very people who had imprisoned and mistreated him as a boy! Legend has it that Patrick had a dream, in which the people of Ireland were calling out to him, “We beg you, holy youth, to come and walk among us once more.” So, in response, at around the age of 46, the Spirit led Patrick back to Ireland — to the very nation and people he sought to escape — as a missionary, armed with the gospel. The year was approximately 432 and paganism was still dominant as Patrick arrived on the other side of the Irish Sea. “I dwell among gentiles,” he wrote, “in the midst of pagan barbarians, worshipers of idols, and of unclean things.”
Although returning to a pagan culture that once kidnapped and enslaved you is not the average story of a Young Life leader, the idea of entering a foreign place, “Going to where kids are,” is the call and privilege of every Young Life missionary. Though most of the time it may not require crossing an ocean or language barrier, every leader knows the experience of crossing a parking lot, gym, field, or lunch room to enter the world of adolescents. This “going” is not unique to Young Life, or St. Patrick, for that matter; rather it is the call of Jesus and can be seen, among many places, in John 4:4, as the Gospel writer says, “Now he (Jesus) had to go through Samaria.” Anyone familiar with the preferred travel routes in Jesus' time knows the vast majority of Jewish people skirted Samaria, opting for a route that would not put them in contact with the Samaritans. The only reason Jesus “had to go through Samaria,” was because of his heart for others and a divine appointment with a woman at a well. Patrick simply followed in Jesus’ footsteps, and we do as well.
Building Bridges of Friendship and Earning the Right to Be Heard
In Patrick’s return to Ireland, he not only understood their language, having spent six years of his life there, but he also understood the religious sensibilities of druidism and paganism, and used relatable images. Images like the shamrock, which Patrick used to teach about the Holy Trinity; the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Or, the Celtic cross, which Patrick created in an effort to connect the significance of Christ’s death on the cross with the Irish people’s veneration for the sun. Furthermore, legend has it that upon his return, Patrick paid his former master the full ransom price of a slave as “compensation” for his escape. Patrick’s ability to deliver his message in ways the Irish could understand, and his willingness to, in the words of Colossians 4:5, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity,” had a profound impact. Within a century, the entire nation of Ireland had converted to the religious faith of one of its former slaves! Prior to his death at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, March 17, 461, Patrick, venerated as St. Patrick from the seventh century on, had led countless people to faith in Christ and had established many monasteries, churches and schools.
In the spirit of St. Patrick and his Lord and Savior, Jesus, whom he emulated, Young Life leaders also seek to build bridges of friendship and earn the right to be heard. Like Patrick embracing the native Irish language, Young Life leaders seek to speak in terms that adolescents can understand. Furthermore, the use of images, word pictures, and popular media is a hallmark of Young Life communication. Leaders want to understand the culture they’re ministering in, and will often utilize the things teenagers already know to convey a spiritual truth. Like the Apostle Paul in Athens, in Acts 17:22, when he speaks to his Greek listeners about an altar with “an inscription: to an unknown God,” Young Life leaders observe, listen, recognize and utilize those things that point to God. These images might be found in a popular movie or song, a current event or a personal experience.
Also, under the banner of Colossians 4:5, which the King James Version interprets as “Walk in wisdom,” Young Life leaders apprentice Jesus and emulate St. Patrick as they look for ways to wisely serve schools, administrators, teachers, and parents, while being positive, healthy, role models for kids. While Patrick paid a seemingly unnecessary “compensation” to a former master, Young Life leaders also encounter costs as they invest their time, talents, and treasure in countless ways. All of this serves to “win a hearing” and draw others to Christ.
In closing, as we reflect on the amazing leader St. Patrick was and the incredible ways God used him in Ireland, there is a famous prayer credited to him. On March 17 (and every other day of the year!), it’s appropriate to speak this over our Young Life leaders and the mission at large. Join me in lifting up “The Breastplate Prayer” of Saint Patrick…
“Christ be within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ inquired, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.”
Amen
Written by Jonathan Schultz
How Young Life is Actively Connecting with 100k Grads in the US:
Consider these two possible scenarios…
Scenario “A” - You show up to college with your parents to move into your dorm after 4 years of High School Young Life involvement (Some of you remember that day, right?). You open the car and you and your parents begin the long, arduous process of lugging all of your belongings to your room. Then, after some time of unpacking and looking around, you exchange tear-filled goodbyes and your parents leave. You are all alone, navigating uncharted waters; you wonder, “How can l make connections and find any upcoming campus activities?”
Scenario “B” - You show up to college with your parents to move into your dorm after four years of High School Young Life involvement (Some of you remember that day, right?). You open the car door to exit, and…three energetic Young Life College leaders greet you by “semi-surprise,” hand you some snacks, say hi to your folks, help move you into your dorm room, tell you about the picnic happening tomorrow and give you a flyer about the five other events happening that week!
Now, which one is the better start? Which one leads to possible introductions to other people and ongoing connection to Young Life? (Duh!)
Friends for Life
While Young Life’s mission is about introducing kids to Jesus (evangelism) – it is also about helping them grow in their faith, and staying with them for the long haul; being “Friends for Life.”(discipleship). Every year, tens of thousands of graduating seniors, who have been involved with Young Life in High School, if not longer, graduate and head off to college, the military or the workplace. Statistics show that approximately 70% of kids stop attending church when they go to college. Connecting the dots, Young Life has long-recognized the need to connect graduating High School seniors with Young Life College staff and leaders where they are attending.
For the past 15 years, great effort has been put into the very difficult objective of collecting information from High School seniors on where they are headed next (College, the military, work, etc.) to pass on to relevant Young Life representatives. To make a long story short, the effort has involved multiple manual and disconnected collection systems. Furthermore, it has been tedious, difficult and has involved too many people in the chain between volunteer leaders and the Service Center. For all these reasons, while much has been achieved, the process has been less effective than it can be. At our best, the effort was gathering actionable info on just 25% of graduating seniors. Which means that some 75% were just walking “out the Door” (“It’s a Sin to Door a Kid” – get it now?)
Revitalizing a Meaningful Effort
A few years ago, for the too-many-eth time, Josh Martinelli (YL College leader, US Naval Academy) ran into a 2/C Midshipman (Junior) who said “I didn’t even know there was Young Life College here! I was on work crew at Windy Gap. If I had known I would have plugged in two years ago!”
…simultaneously, Ken Tankersley and Jonathan Schultz of the office of the Young Life Community Network had recognized the same issue and hypothesized that maybe using the relatively new technology of a web-based form and QR Code might help leaders collect relevant information more effectively? This initial technological solution was launched in the spring of 2023; however, the results proved to be less than overwhelming, with less than 3,000 graduates filling out the form.
In the spring of 2024, those two paths collided and resulted in a pilot project to determine if there was a better way forward. What if High School Young Life Clubs held a senior night each spring, as a regular club event and creatively invited, honored and involved every senior who had ever been connected (in fact, some clubs already do this)? What if, at the end of Senior Night Club, a pizza party was held for seniors only, during which someone explained to them how cool and great YL College is (best practice idea: Have a prior-year senior, currently in YLC as a freshman, share.) What if the “Let’s Stay Connected” form QR Code was then put up on a screen up front and, in less than two minutes, seniors simply entered their name, cell, email and destination into this YLConnect-integrated form?
A Successful Pilot, An Opportunity for Impact
This in fact was the pilot we ran with four Areas in Seattle, Phoenix, Memphis and Virginia Beach in May and June 2024. The results? Those four areas which got 14 names entered into the database in 2023 got 154 names entered in 2024. The best part? The kids did all the work! (i.e. Leaders and AD’s had to do next-to-nothing.) On average the entry took less than 60 seconds and 95%+ of kids present gladly shared their info.
There is momentum to make this approach an annual Young Life Club event. Would you consider making this a best practice in your high school ministries? If we all stack hands on this, at least 50% (or more?) of our graduating High School seniors heading to college – not 25% - can have three excited Young Life College leaders greet them as they arrive at their dorm! It is not difficult to envision the impact this could have on these graduates, Young Life College and the Kingdom of God.
By Dave Wilkins
Each year, as the period of Lent approaches, I turn to John’s poignant account of Jesus’ last supper with his disciples. The pace slows as the apostle devotes almost a quarter of his Gospel to this one intimate gathering of Jesus’ closest friends.
The contrast in moods between Jesus and his disciples could hardly be greater. Earlier that week the disciples had been joined by a throng of people shouting “Hosanna!” and waving palm branches, eager to crown Jesus king of Israel. Little wonder they felt confused by Jesus’ somber tone a few days later. After a puzzling display of foot-washing, Jesus spoke of an imminent betrayal and announced that soon he would be leaving them.
Often Jesus had scolded them for missing his message. This time he answered their questions with limitless patience. He called them “my children,” and said, “Where I am going, you cannot come.” Mystified, they heard him declare, “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away.” How could it possibly be good for their leader, the one they accepted as Messiah, to abandon them? “We don’t understand what he is saying,” they murmured among themselves.
“In this world you will have trouble,” Jesus acknowledged, in one of history’s great understatements. Then came a ringing declaration, his final announcement to his bewildered followers: “But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
As a writer, I stop and reflect on Jesus’ choice of tense. Wouldn’t “I will overcome the world” be more appropriate? After all, a detachment of soldiers may have been buckling on armor and polishing weapons at that very moment, for the betrayer Judas had left the meal with dark plans in store for Jesus.
This sends me on a search for other striking references to time in the Bible:
A psalmist writes, “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (Psalm 90:2)
Revelation mentions “the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8)
Peter explains that Christ “was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.” (1 Peter 1:20)
Peter again: “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” (2 Peter 3:8)
Paul introduces himself as “a servant of God… in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time. (Titus 1:2)
Paul assures the Ephesians that “he chose us in him before the creation of the world.” (Ephesians 1:4)
Jesus himself, in the prayer that ends John’s account of the last supper, reminisced, “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”
Next, I came across a vigorous online debate on whether God is truly timeless. The debate predates the internet, stretching back at least as far as St. Augustine, who devoted Book 11 of The Confessions to a discussion of time. Someone asked Augustine, “What was God doing before creation?” Augustine responded that since God invented time along with the created world, such a question is nonsense, and merely betrays the time-bound perspective of the questioner. Before time there is only eternity, and eternity for God is a never-ending present.
From there, I stumbled across esoteric explanations of Einstein’s special theory of relativity, which connects time and space. Let me try to illustrate how the two are related.
Time, we are now told, depends on movement and the observer’s relative position. Consider a simple example. When I glance in the sky outside my window at 3:12 in the afternoon, I see a bright star, the sun, that hangs in space some 93 million miles away. Light actually left that star 500 seconds ago and traveled at the rate of 186,000 miles per second to reach me. As an observer on earth, I look into the sky at 3:12 p.m., although I dimly realize that I am viewing the astral results of what took place at 3:04 p.m. earth time. If the sun suddenly vanished in a sneak attack by a voracious black hole, I would not know it for eight minutes. Then the sky would darken and I would cry “The sun is gone!” and prepare for extinction.
As a thought experiment, now imagine a large Person—I mean very large, one with a legspan of at least 93 million miles. This Person stands in our solar system with his left foot planted firmly on earth and his right foot (asbestos-wrapped) resting on the sun. When this Person stamps his right foot, immediately solar flares shoot out in all directions and the sun belches gases. Eight minutes later, we on earth will notice the dramatic change in the sun.
Yet we are trapped on earth. The very large Person exists partially on earth and partially on the sun; his consciousness spans both. Although he is partly standing on earth, the Person has knowledge of the stomping right foot eight minutes in advance of anyone else on earth. A question: “What time is it for the large Person?” Time depends on the location in space.
Take a further mental leap and imagine a Being as large as the universe. The omnipresent Being exists simultaneously on earth and on a star in the Andromeda galaxy billions of miles away. If a star explodes in that galaxy, this Being takes note of it immediately, yet will also “see” it from the viewpoint of an observer on earth millions of years later as if it has just happened. Right now, as I write, space telescopes such as the Hubble and the James Webb are receiving real-time reports from events in the universe that occurred billions of years ago.
The analogy is inexact, for it traps such a Being in space even as it frees it from time. But it may illustrate how our “first A happens, then B happens” conception of time demonstrates the limited perspective of our planet. God, the creator of both time and space, can view what happens---and has happened---on Earth in a way we can only guess at, and never fully comprehend.
At a single glance God knows what the world is about, and how it ends. But we time-bound creatures have only the most primitive manner of understanding: we can let time pass. Not until history has run its course will we grasp how, in Paul’s phrase, “all things work together for good.” In Romans 8 the apostle encompasses both time and space in a soaring declaration: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Perhaps Jesus had thoughts along the same line when he made the startling claim, “I have overcome the world” mere hours before his arrest.
Written by: Philip Yancey
Philip Yancey grew up in a strict, fundamentalist church in the southern USA, where he experienced a toxic religious environment that led him to temporarily abandon his faith after his father's death from polio. Through reading widely and encountering different perspectives, he cautiously returned to Christianity, discovering a more expansive understanding of faith than what he had been taught in his youth. As a journalist and author, Yancey has written numerous bestselling books exploring challenging questions about Christianity, including Where is God When it Hurts?, What's So Amazing About Grace?, and The Jesus I Never Knew, which have sold over 17 million copies worldwide and been translated into more than 50 languages. After working for twenty years in Chicago as a journalist and editor of Campus Life magazine, he moved to Colorado with his wife Janet, where his writing took a more personal turn as he continued to explore questions of faith and meaning. In his recent memoir Where the Light Fell, Yancey recounts his journey from fundamentalism to a life dedicated to helping others who struggle with faith, particularly those who have been hurt by religious institutions.
The years after college can feel disconnected from Young Life for many young professionals. When you're in your mid-twenties to late-thirties, you're no longer a teen who receives Young Life's ministry directly. This time of life can feel isolating and challenging, and is often referred to as the “lost years.” But staying connected with Young Life during these years can be incredibly rewarding - it's a chance to grow personally while giving back to a mission that may have deeply impacted your own life. It's a win-win: young professionals and Young Life both benefit when they stay connected.
In his February 2022, Forbes Magazine article, “Why It’s Getting Harder for Young Professionals to Stay Mentally Healthy,” Mark C. Perna writes, “Younger professionals today are finding it harder to cope with life and work than their older counterparts, according to several recent studies. An October LifeWorks survey reported that 34% of individuals under 40 indicate that they feel in crisis or have concerns about their mental health and their ability to cope, while only 8% of individuals 50 and older report the same. An international study by Bain & Company also found that increasing numbers of Millennial and Gen-Z workers (61%) are stressed, overwhelmed, and in danger of burnout at work, compared to 40% of those 35 and above.” Perna goes on to cite three reasons that Young Professionals are struggling; they are:
Deteriorating Relationships at Work.
Loss of Identity “Cushions.” (markers by which individuals find their place, purpose, and sense of normalcy and well-being.)
Financial Challenges.
While Young Life may not be in a position to address all of these dynamics, the Young Life Community Network is poised to make a difference in this significant stage of life. We are convinced that we have an opportunity, if not a responsibility, to continue to care for this population of friends. As Young Life leaders are often known to quote, 1 Thessalonians 2:8 says, “Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” Put another way, we desire to be “friends for life” and efforts to maintain connection and engagement are tangible evidence of this intent.
We are confident that as we care for and steward this population well, they will find meaningful ways to continue to contribute to the ongoing growth of Young Life, locally and beyond, for many decades to come.
To this end, the Young Life Community Network office is facilitating conversations with area and regional leaders to spark the growth of local young professional gatherings and “boards.” These gatherings of Young Professionals may look different from city to city when it comes to frequency, duration of meetings, or extracurricular activities; however, they are consistent in the following intentions…
Community: Giving Young Professionals with past ties to Young Life (and those that don’t) an opportunity to gather will provide much-needed relational connections. As is cited in Perna’s article (above), if work relationships are struggling, relationships beyond the boundaries of work can be incredibly important and refreshing! Not only will these opportunities serve to help people grow in relationships with others, but they will also grow their relationship with their city as they join together in various local venues and activities. These connections, facilitated by Young Life, can often lead to finding a local church, a small group, friendships, ongoing career opportunities, and other forms of community.
Professional and Personal Growth: A Young Life Young Professional effort can provide opportunities for ongoing professional growth via capable presenters and mentoring opportunities. Furthermore, growth in faith and ways to continue to improve one’s self personally are natural to this context. Topics that can be addressed in the context of a Young Professional gathering range from the value of a faith community and finding a local church, to financial management, to ways to serve at this unique stage of life. These gatherings can also serve the local ministry by leveraging the time and expertise of older professionals in the community. Inviting pastors, business leaders, and experts in certain fields to offer their wisdom by speaking to a group can deepen connections and further engage people. Mentoring opportunities often engage even more local adults.
Ongoing Connection to Young Life through Information and Opportunities to Engage and Serve: Many Young Professionals who are at the beginning of their careers don’t feel like they have the time or energy to serve in classic Young Life volunteer roles, like being a leader or serving on committee. Neither do they have the expendable income to feel like they can make a sizable financial dent. At the same time, a group of Young Professionals can make a very significant difference in a local area or region. In the past, Young Professionals have leveraged their social influence and connections by raising money to support regional initiatives and opportunities for Young Life to grow in select international locations by providing for both camp and operating needs. By combining their funds, or leveraging their connections, Young Professionals can make a significant financial impact. Additionally, opportunities to serve local areas via “one-off” opportunities abound! What ministry wouldn’t need a group to help set up for an event, host a table at a banquet, or provide a larger adult presence at a gathering of kids? Finally, these short-term opportunities to serve often lead to longer-term roles for many, as they are given time to determine what the next best step for them might be.
Though there are few active examples in Young Life currently to show the value and impact of Young Professional gatherings and boards, examples abound in the business community. Furthermore, before the Covid pandemic, Young Life groups were functioning in cities like Chicago, New York, and Washington DC. These Young Life efforts have provided much evidence of the potential, value, and impact, while also helping us better understand how to sustain these efforts long-term in the future.
The office of the Young Life Community Network is gathering interested area and regional leaders to explore this concept, take part in several Spring 2025 conversations, and pilot several of these gatherings in the Fall of 2025 and beyond. If you would like to learn more about young professional gatherings and “boards” by joining our Spring 2025 conversations we invite you to reach out to Brigit Mustaine at bamustaine@gmail.com.
Written by Brigit Mustaine & Jonathan Schultz
Remember—you are built to fly, and God designed you to soar!
Ever wonder what happens when you mix faith, wild adventures, and a bunch of life-changing moments? That's exactly what Eric Scofield serves up in "Built to Fly," a collection of stories that'll make you laugh, maybe cry a bit, and definitely think about life differently.
Scofield, who spent years working with Young Life, shares some pretty incredible stories that started out as ordinary moments but turned into something way bigger. Think of it like those before-and-after home renovation shows, except instead of houses, we're talking about lives being transformed.
The book kicks off with Scofield bunking with a guy who introduced him to something called "covenant groups" - basically a group of friends who meet regularly to keep each other honest and growing. It's like having a personal board of directors for your life, and it completely changed how Scofield approached everything.
He's got some funny stories about learning to let go (like when he had to trust other people to run a summer camp without him), and he introduces this cool concept called being "FAT" - Faithful, Available, and Teachable. No, it's not about your waistline - it's about being the kind of person others can count on.
Scofield doesn't just share the highlight reel - he gets real about the stuff that can sink you if you're not careful. He uses metaphors like hidden rocks and shaky foundations to talk about how seemingly small problems can turn into major disasters if you ignore them. There's this great story about a fancy yacht that got wrecked because someone was too stubborn to wait for high tide. (Spoiler alert: don't be that guy.)
The book's got some wild stories that'll make you wonder about divine intervention. These aren't just cool stories though - they're about what Scofield calls "crazy prayers," those seemingly impossible requests that show what faith is all about.
A big chunk of the book focuses on working with young people, drawing from Scofield's years with Young Life. He's got this knack for seeing potential in kids that others have written off, and his stories about troubled teens turning their lives around are pretty inspiring.
The whole book circles around this idea of being "built to fly" - that God's designed each of us with amazing potential. There's this great story about Scofield's dad building a biplane in their garage that becomes a metaphor for how dreams take time and patience to build.
What's cool is that each chapter ends with "Flight Plans" - practical questions and steps to help you apply what you've just read to your own life. It's like having a personal coach helping you figure out how to use these lessons.
Download a sample chapter HERE.
Buy the book on Amazon HERE.
The men and women who make up Young Life’s Board of Trustees are an immense gift to this mission. God has generously provided us with people who love our work with kids, pray for it, financially support it, and direct its course.
What gift could we possibly give these busy, caring, sacrificial, invested, and faithful servants who – with wisdom and a deep reliance upon the Lord – lead us into the future?
How about a glimpse into Young Life’s past?
On the evening of November 21, 2024, we did just that. A team comprised of folks from the Young Life Community Network, the Marketing and Communications department, the Archives program, and Building Services put together a historical event. Joined by 10 hosts who themselves have played a tremendous part in Young Life’s history, the evening showcased our early days, specifically the 1940s through the 1960s.
During their fall meeting in Colorado Springs, CO, the members of the board, their spouses, Young Life leadership, and special guests gathered to celebrate these momentous first three decades of our mission. On that night we recognized the various movements, startling discoveries, and faithful men and women the Lord graciously used to establish the work. It was a special evening, filled with laughter, gratitude, and tears of joy.
Big Dreams and Bold Prayers
The overarching theme for the three decades in the exhibit was to “Stop and remember ‘The Big Dream,’” a reference to founder Jim Rayburn’s last public speech to the staff in 1970. These excerpts from the speech were included in the exhibit:
The Big Dream –
“That everyone has a right to know Jesus Christ, to know the facts concerning Him, which are a glorious array of facts concerning the greatest life that was ever lived…”
“They have a right to know who He is; they have a right to know what He’s done for them. They have a right to know how they relate to that. They have a right to know Him personally. Furthermore, they have a right to make their own choice of Him.”
“It’s a group of people bound together in the single-minded purpose that there’s no price too high to pay to see to it that young people have a chance to know the Savior.”
Along with these powerful sentiments were some of the prayers that have marked Young Life from the very beginning. From Clara Frasher’s intercession for kids at Gainesville (TX) High School that started it all (“I don’t know what I can do, but I pray someone will rescue these kids…”), to Rayburn’s iconic plea to “Give us the teenagers,” our prayerful reliance upon the Lord’s direction and moving was another major theme.
Show and Tell
The exhibit, however, was far more than a show of words. We spotlighted dynamic movements, engaging personalities, and beautiful camp vistas throughout. Sprinkled alongside these were historical artifacts that many found…
Moving:
We featured the “I Am a Man” cover of 1968’s Focus on Youth magazine which declared Young Life’s commitment to reaching all kids, no matter their race or color.
Honoring:
We highlighted unsung heroes like Add Sewell, the pioneer of Young Life’s contact work; Herb and Gloria Taylor, the buyers of Young Life’s first camp; and Rod and Fran Johnston, Young Life’s first overseas missionaries.
Fun:
We offered folks the opportunity to emboss their own 1943 Campaigners Songbook with the original Young Life seal! Another station offered Viewfinders, where they could see great historic shots from the 1960s.
From stunning photography to a soundtrack of the decades to powerful videos of kids in the ‘40s to decade-specific hors d'oeuvres, the exhibit reflected so much of the Young Life DNA we know and love.
“Like Royalty”
The night was a success by all measures, the most important one being that Jesus Christ was lifted up. Here are just a few of the responses:
“We’ve been raving about the Night at the Museum that was put on last night. We loved the history, the detail, how engaging everything was, and how it was all tied together.”
“Well done, and thank you for your intentionality in the design, and gathering all the history you did. The board members felt so loved and it truly honored the Lord in displaying the ways he has provided to others through this mission. So, thank you! Well done!”
“I’m amazed by how wonderfully I was treated. I felt like royalty! I was also amazed by the museum display and I teared up over the letter from Frog Sullivan to Jim Rayburn. It was in the 1940s era and when I saw it I was transported back to a moment at Star Ranch when I was with both Jim and Frog.”
Our Firm Foundation
From the birth of Young Life in 1941, through its booming growth during the 1950s, to the tumultuous challenges (both inside and outside the organization) of the 1960s, we celebrate the Lord’s faithfulness through it all. We’re quick to acknowledge it’s God who owns the work, and we are the privileged servants who he’s invited to play a part.
It’s under the Lord’s guidance in those early years that we learned how to reach kids through contact work, engage kids in club, demonstrate the gospel at camp, and help kids grow in their faith during Campaigners.
Similarly, it was during these seminal moments when we developed critical adult support through the creation of the national board, as well as local committees. This helped provide for the work, and caused it to grow around the U.S. and throughout the world.
These first three decades were foundational to the mission we have today, and they serve as an important reminder of how God in his kindness used normal men and women to reach adolescents. From the board of trustees to staff, volunteers, committee and kids, he still delights in working in us and through us, to further his kingdom.
Here’s to a future that draws strength, wisdom, and guidance from our glorious past!
View more about the event and Young Life history HERE.
Written by: Jeff Chesemore
I can honestly say I’ve never walked into a meeting of international missionaries to cheering and dancing, but that is how the i100 started and the energy did not dissipate over the course of the weekend.
Growing up in the 1990’s meant experiencing the world of missions through slideshow presentations at church to the musical stylings of Steve Green’s “People Need the Lord.” I always enjoyed these stories of God’s work throughout his kingdom, but had only ever met a few missionaries in person.
When my friend, Christy Sneed, asked me at the last minute to be her plus one at the i100 event in the Dominican Republic, I said “yes,” not knowing what to expect. In fact, I wasn’t even completely clear on how the i100 was a part of the ministry. After an immersive weekend, I came away with a clear understanding of what Young Life leaders are doing around the world, and a better understanding of how I can partner with them.
My weekend with i100 changed so much…
What is i100?
i100 is a group of Young Life International staff coming together and committing to learning together for a five year timeframe. It's an intentional program with a global focus to build up leadership locally. i100 is also a rich opportunity to learn from other leaders similar to you, but from other culturally contexts. For example, Tanzanian staff are talking and learning together with European staff, Asian staff, and Latin American staff. We're learning from each other and casting vision as Young Life becomes a much more diverse ministry.
Watch this video to hear even more about this program:
In fall of 2024, i100 met together in Dominican Republic with international staff from all over the world. This was more than a standard missions retreat or conference, it was a learning experience for 100 (actually closer to 125) Young Life leaders from around the world.
No Bystanders at i100
As a partner in ministry, I wasn’t a bystander to this event for ministry leaders, I was included in the conversation. This year’s meeting was focused on fundraising. As a small business owner, I actually had something to contribute. I did not expect to put some of my skills to use. I was able to demystify some of the international leader’s questions surrounding fundraising with US donors. There were questions about emails, expected response times, rejection, and how best to follow-up with donors.
They weren’t the only ones who were educated; I learned so much from them. I came away with a better understanding of how ministry works around the world. What works in Kenya, doesn’t necessarily translate to Albania and vice versa. Hearing how they build community and connection within their culture was fascinating—and a good reminder that while the core of Young Life’s ministry is the same everywhere, yet the path to those connections varies.
God’s kingdom is the one that matters.
Inclusive Ministry on a Global Scale
I was once again exposed to one of Young Life’s biggest strengths: they make everyone feel included in the ministry. I have never attended a Young Life event where I did not leave feeling welcomed and loved.
Sitting from the comfort of my desk is a far cry from the work the i100 leaders and international staff are doing in their communities, but now I know better how I can be a part of their ministry. I’m left considering how I can partner with those I met in specific ways to assist in their needs. What my American mind thinks is the best help isn’t necessarily what is best for someone a world away.
There is so much we learn by engaging together, breaking bread together, and listening to each other. While I’m sure there is extensive programming and strategy that goes into i100 and how it’s fueling international ministry growth, the best part was truly simple: being together with others who we can learn from.
Written by Keri Lumm, Friend of YL, Writer, Speaker, Mom, & more
Coming Home: A Guide for Christians Seeking a Church
Young Life has historically been part of the Church with a big “C” but not affiliated with any specific denomination. While we have more church partnerships than we could ever count, we operate separate from specific denominations.
In fact, at Young Life, we talk about reaching the furthest out kid - the ones who may have never stepped foot in a church building ever before. So, as adolescents experience God (many times for the first time) in our Young Life Clubs, our Campaigner groups, or at summer camp, we know an important step for our students is to find a church home to grow in as well. As much as we disciple our students, and pour into their faith, we know we can’t support our students alone.
We actually partner well with churches because so many Young Life students meet Christ through our Clubs or at Camp where the gospel is shared, but we need local partners who can help them grow more fully in their faith. We can’t do it alone, which makes relationships with our local pastors and churches so important. We want church to be a natural part of our Young Life friends’ lives, especially after they start a relationship with Christ.
So, when we’re looking for a church, what should we be considering?
Let’s bring up a big white elephant in the room to start: there’s simply no perfect church. When you’re looking for a church, an important thing to realize is that each church is full of very broken people, even some who may seem like they have it all figured out. And with all of those broken people comes a lot of baggage and complexities. So, try as we might, we’ll never find a perfect church.
BUT, what we can do is seek out a church that will support us in our faith in a healthy way. That’s what our Young Life staff and leaders will do with a club kid who has become a christian, or expresses interest. That’s what our staff and leaders do for themselves too.
As we seek out what to look for in a healthy church, here are a few key considerations we should all be considering:
Biblical Foundation and Teaching
The cornerstone of a healthy church should be its commitment to Scripture's authority. Look for:
- Clear affirmation of the Bible as God's inspired, inerrant Word
- Regular, systematic Bible teaching that goes beyond surface-level interpretation
- Sermons that balance theological depth with practical application
- Teaching that addresses both Old and New Testament texts
- Evidence that church leadership studies and respects biblical context
- Regular opportunities for Bible study beyond Sunday services
Sound Doctrine and Theology
Evaluate the church's theological positions on:
- The gospel message of salvation through faith in Christ alone
- The Trinity and the deity of Christ
- The necessity of spiritual regeneration and personal conversion
- The authority and sufficiency of Scripture
- The importance of evangelism and discipleship
- The role of baptism and communion
- The second coming of Christ and eschatology
Worship and Music
While worship styles will vary from church to church, so while many of these considerations may start with personal preference, there are also a few things to consider that are important for any style:
- Lyrics that are theologically sound and Scripture-based
- Congregation's active participation in worship
- Whether the music facilitates genuine worship rather than entertainment
Leadership Structure and Accountability
Leadership makes a big difference and sets the tone for how the church operates. That’s why it really matters what and how the leadership in a church is set up, and we’re not just talking about the main pastor. Take a look at any one in leadership within the church and how they treat others as well as how they are treated.
- Clear biblical qualifications for leaders
- Transparent decision-making processes
- Multiple eldership model with shared responsibility
- Clear financial accountability and stewardship
- Regular communication between leadership and congregation
- Evidence of servant leadership rather than authoritarian control
Discipleship and Spiritual Growth
Look for opportunities for spiritual development where you can grow in your own faith.
- Structured discipleship programs
- Small group ministries
- Mentoring relationships
- Bible study classes for different age groups and spiritual maturity levels
- Emphasis on personal spiritual disciplines
Community and Fellowship
Evaluate the church's approach to community:
- Genuine welcome and integration of new members
- Active small group ministry
- Regular fellowship opportunities
- Support systems for members in need and neighbors in need
- Multigenerational interaction
- Involvement in the broader local community
Outreach & Service
Consider the church's commitment to loving others the way Christ loves His people. This includes looking at how a church is involved in:
- Local outreach programs
- Support for missions
- Training in personal evangelism
- Balance between social action and gospel proclamation
- Partnership with other evangelical organizations
Prayer Culture
Prayer is central and should be at the heart of a healthy church. Look for a church that incorporates:
- Regular corporate prayer meetings
- Integration of prayer in church activities
- Prayer ministry teams
- Teaching on personal prayer life
- Emergency prayer chains or networks
- Leadership that prioritizes prayer
Practical Considerations
We often start here with some of these practical considerations, but many of these things can be subjective.
- Location and accessibility (At Young Life, we’re always looking for church partners right in our own towns. We know we need many partners because one church is probably not the perfect fit for every student we know.)
- Service times that work for you
- Clear communication channels
- Appropriate facilities for various ministries (For example, many of our Capernaum staff and volunteers pay close attention to accessibility of the buildings for wheelchairs. Many churches also have ministries specifically for families with developmental needs.)
- Financial stability and transparency
- Size that allows for meaningful participation
Red Flags to Watch For
You may have your own additional red flags to consider, but here are a few general ones we’ve seen that cause us to take a double-take:
- Excessive focus on money or prosperity gospel teaching
- Authoritarian leadership that discourages questions and conversation
- Lack of accountability in leadership
- Emphasis on extra-biblical revelation over Scripture
- Neglect of essential Christian doctrines
- Divisive or judgmental attitudes toward other believers
How do you decide on a church?
Remember when we said how there’s no perfect church out there? At some point you’ll need to go out and visit a church to see if it’s right for you. Here’s what we recommend:
- Attend multiple services
- Participate in different activities
- Meet with church leadership
- Review the church's statement of faith
- Pray, pray, pray!
- Evaluate the church's vision and direction
We know in Young Life that we need the local Church, and the Church needs us too. We see this regularly in the work we are doing to partner with churches. Below are a few resources from Young Life, and some external that focus on how Young Life and the Church work beneficially together:
Young Life and the Church: Building a Positive Working Relationship [Resource for Young Life Staff]