Imagine this: walking into a house that smells like cookies right from the oven, seeing your peers around you engaged in games, conversations, and eating; followed by entering a room blasting music, in which will be the place where one will sing, play games, watch skits, win prizes, and learn about God. Imagine a week spent at a five star camp filled with: zip-lining, tubing, horseback riding, go-carting, amazing food, fellowship with your friends and leaders, all centered on God. Finally, imagine reaching out to young boys and girls who have not learned about Christianity; they struggle with it, aren’t the most popular in school,  the “rebels”,  the “cool kids”. Imagine reaching out to every group, and every type of person; this is Young Life. Founded in 1941, Young Life is a worldwide organization founded on the goal to bring young boys and girls to Christ.

When speaking with fellow Young Life leaders a common interpretation of the mission was “meeting kids, wherever they are at in life, and teaching them who God is.” Young Life was not created to shove Christian beliefs down one’s throat, it was created to help them discover their own beliefs and their own relationships with God. Young Life is broken into three main sections: club, campaigners, and contact work. Club is where others are invited in to a home, where music and games are played, and where they hear a story about God. Campaigners is a time to “go deeper” to talk about what the story meant, to speak with others on how it applies to their lives, and how they can apply it in their daily life. Contact work is going to things like sporting events, plays, music recitals, etc., it is going to where kids are, to meet them and to invite them into the Young Life community.

For many people Young Life becomes a “safe place,” a place where “they can be themselves, without worrying if they seem cool.” It is a place where they discover who God is for the first time, rekindle a relationship with Him, or have a chance to go deeper in a relationship with Him and with others. Whether a person is a leader, a highly involved member, or somebody new, Young Life is an amazing thing. An example of what Young Life can do comes from a young boy, Steven Copher. When Steven first came to Young Life club, he was skeptical, he did not believe in much, and he was not sure why he was there. Over time Steven learned, grew so much deeper in his relationship with Christ, and began to help others do the same. Before Steven graduated from high school, he led a “club talk” where he told others about God, how he personally found Him, and how Young Life changed his life.

Young Life was designed to bring others into fellowship with God, and to help them in any way that they can. It is amazing to watch the football captain become friends with the drum major, the theater star become friends with the mathlete and to watch them all grow together. Young Life teaches valuable life lessons, in a subtle and loving way. Young life is fun, a place where one feels wanted and were relationships that last a lifetime are made. If it is something that interests you, come to College Life every Thursday on campus and check it out, or talk to a leader!