Young Life
is a Christian non-denominational, incarnational, ministry based in Colorado Springs, but more commonly the name refers to the outreach arm of the organization directed towards high school students.
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FRONTIER RANCH TICKETS
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Background
Young Life in the
United States of America was founded by
Jim Rayburn in Texas in 1941. Originally called the Miracle Book Club, Rayburn changed the name to Young Life to be more attractive to teenagers. It was the philosophies of this US version that inspired evangelical efforts in more than 50 other countries, reaching an estimated 1 million teenagers annually.
Young Life's leaders state that their ministry philosophy is "incarnational" or "relational"
ministry, which they define as a ministry where leaders share their lives with teenagers in order to teach them about
Christianity. As a result, campus groups attempt to recruit high school students who do not attend church regularly. Young Life's goal is to spread Christianity in order to expand the belief to areas that have limited Christian influence.
Young Life activities are coordinated by the Young Life area director and/or by volunteer Young Life leaders, who are assigned to a particular high school. These volunteer leaders are usually trained, interviewed, and screened by the area director, who is ultimately accountable for their actions and whatever activities are planned. The training process is left to the judgment of the area director, however Young Life has a hierarchy where a supervising staff member is accountable for every staff member under them all the way up to the president of the organization.
Young Life is active in all 50 states in the
United States of America and currently has a club present in roughly 2,500 high schools across the nation. It has expanded internationally to Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.
[1] More than 70,000 teenagers spend a weekend during the school year or a week during the summer at one of Young Life's camping properties in the United States and
Canada.
[1]
Young Life's Five C's
The Young Life organization has intentional ways of reaching out to youth throughout the world through what the ministry calls "The 5 C's"
[3]:
Contact work
- Any instance where Young Life leaders spend time with teenagers in an informal setting. Examples of "contact work" encouraged by Young Life staff include going to sporting events, talking after school, and hanging out with teenagers during their school hours. Contact work is the foundation for the ministry of Young Life. It was one of the founding principles and the basis to spreading the ministry.
Club
- Club typically includes one or more of the following activities: skits performed by students and/or leaders, icebreakers, singing pop music, and a short talk (usually around 10 minutes) about Jesus Christ. Many Young Life clubs have "membership" that is a loose term, as membership is not at all required to take part in Young Life sponsored activities, but is merely a status noted when students fill out a card containing demographic information about themselves. Membership is open to all students and has no requirements.
Campaigners
- An optional bible study for students. Since the study is optional, only a portion of Young Life club members attend.
Camp
- Every summer Young Life leaders arrange a trip to take teenagers to one of the camps owned by the organization. Most camps host weekend and summer trips, and are busy year-round. Young Life camps are staffed by volunteer high school students and college students in the summer, along with full-time camp property staff members throughout the year. Students involved as camp staff commit to a month of service. Food and lodging are provided for the volunteer camp staff. The high school students are referred to as "Work Crew" and the college students are referred to as "Summer Staff". Camps range from 5 to 7 days and include numerous voluntary activities. These events include: sports, field games, arts & crafts, swimming, Young Life club, a time to reflect on what they have heard about Jesus Christ, and role-playing dramas where Young Life leaders act out scenes and monologues as if they were high school students. Camps also include activities that may be specific to that particular camp... kart racing, ropes courses, and mountain bikes are examples.
Committee
- A group of adults who are committed to supporting Young Life in their local area. Support from committee members typically includes any combination of prayer, planning, and/or donations. Most Young Life committees have a volunteer chairperson who is responsible for all committee coordination efforts. Committee chairpersons often co-sponsor local fundraising efforts, as Young Life area directors are responsible for raising the vast majority of their own area's operating budget... banquets and golf tournaments are examples of common fundraising events.
Camping
There are currently 19 Young Life camps in operation across the continental United States, 2 camps in Canada, and 3 camps in Latin America. Young Life also owns 2 camps that they are not currently operating.
Locations in the United States
- Breakaway Lodge in Gearhart, Oregon
- Buttercreek Lodge in Centralia, Washington
- Castaway Club in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
- Crooked Creek Ranch in Fraser, Colorado
- Frontier Ranch in Buena Vista, Colorado
- Lake Champion in Glen Spey, New York
- Lost Canyon in Williams, Arizona
- Mountain Lodge in Soda Springs, California
- Oakbridge in Ramona, California
- Rockbridge Alum Springs in Goshen, Virginia
- Saranac Village on Upper Saranac Lake in Santa Clara, New York
- SharpTop Cove in Jasper, Georgia
- Southwind in Ocala, Florida
- Timber Wolf Lake in Lake City, Michigan
- Trail West Lodge in Buena Vista, Colorado
- Wilderness Ranch in Buena Vista, Colorado
- Wildhorse Canyon in Antelope, Oregon
- Windy Gap in Weaverville, North Carolina
- Woodleaf in Challenge-Brownsville, California
Locations in Canada
- Malibu Club on Princess Louisa Inlet, British Columbia
- Beyond Malibu on Princess Louisa Inlet, British Columbia
- RockRidge Canyon in Princeton, British Columbia (Operated by Young Life Canada)
Locations in Latin America
- Pico Escondido, The Dominican Republic
- Fazenda Salto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- La Finca, Nicaragua
Locations not currently operating
- Clearwater Cove in Lampe, Missouri, USA
- Pinnacle Point in Brevard, North Carolina, USA
Leadership
Young Life employs more than 3,000 staff and more than 27,000 volunteers. Each year, more than 150 new staff members or interns are employed by Young Life and work for a two-year period. After this period they can decide to or not to continue with the ministry. Volunteer leaders are absolutely vital to the mission of Young Life. It is their involvement that allows lives to be changed. Young Life volunteer leaders participate in a full range of activities that help them build these significant relationships with kids. Each Young Life area has a different process for becoming a Young Life leader.
References
- Facts at Your Fingertips
- Facts at Your Fingertips
- Five C's of Young Life