Misunderstood, but full of joy! Our Capernaum students are an opportunity to experience joy and love. They live without abandon, but are often misunderstood because of their disabilities. Meet Tess (video below), a Capernaum student and a bright light to all she meets. Students like her are looking for a place to belong, have friends, and learn about God’s love.
In Luke 14 it says, “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. Sir, the servant said, what you ordered has been done, but there is still room. Then go out to the roads and country lanes and bring them in that my house may be full.”
This is the heart of Young Life Capernaum, that our leaders around the globe would go out into the streets and alleys, the barrios and the penthouses, the villages, and the cities to find teenagers with disabilities. We want to know their names. We want to invite them to our tables. We want to journey with them and share with them about how the God of the Universe is madly in love with them.
Since 1986, we’ve been intentionally creating spaces for students with disabilities to learn and experience God’s love in the context of Young Life fun. That means camping too! The video above gives just a glimpse of what these special weeks look like.
Teenagers with disabilities are found in communities around the globe, making up close to 15% of the teen population. Many are experiencing great isolation and rarely see friends or engage in social activities outside of school. Close to one third of families impacted by disability leave the church because their child was not welcomed or included.
We know that as our friends get involved with Young Life Capernaum, they will experience authentic friendship, growth, and purpose. As that happens, they will experience the deep love of Jesus and have opportunities to grow in their faith. Many will go on to grow in leadership and have a powerful impact on their communities.
The passage above reminds us that Jesus was constantly bringing marginalized people together, that they may know him and that He may transform everyone’s understanding of community. The same thing is happening in Young Life, and it starts with us knowing their names.
We’ve heard countless stories of how our students have been impacted by Capernaum ministries, but we also know that the impact is mutual, changing the hearts of parents, peer buddies, volunteers, and staff.