“My favorite memory from Young Life is definitely when my friends and I decided to do wilderness camp one summer. We traveled to Wyoming, hiked 36 miles, and spent each night sleeping under the stars. That trip truly opened my eyes to how big creation is and how much God loves us,” said Rob Jackson, a former Young Life student.
Young Life, founded in 1941, is an organization whose mission is to help kids grow in their faith by connecting college students with different high schools to act as leaders and help them grow in their faith. So far, Young Life is active in every state in the U.S. and currently 100 countries worldwide.
Crystal Wright, the Greater Holland Young Life Director said, “Young Life is an avenue for me to build relationships with kids and show them who Jesus is. It is a space of open invitation for them to build a relationship with Jesus as well. It offers space for fun, reflection, and diving deeper. We do this through meeting kids where they are at – contact work, weekly gatherings – club, going deeper and being curious about the Bible and who Jesus is – campaigners, and taking kids on adventures – camp. Despite whether or not a kid ever comes to club, campaigners, or camp, we continue to see kids and build relationships, we call this earning the right to be heard.”
Helping kids grow in their faith is all about demonstrating empathy, trustworthiness, and consistency, showing students that your words and actions align and that their perspective and opinion is also valued while not giving up on them and trying to support them the best you can.
“What makes Young Life so impactful is that its influence continues long after someone’s time as a student. “Young Life provided me with opportunities to meet and have fun with my friends while keeping God at the center. We had a ton of fun, laughed a lot, and made countless memories. It showed me that God is accessible everywhere. While the Church provided a place where God was revered, as He should be, Young Life made relationships with other Christians and with God much more relevant for me. God felt less distant with Young Life through the interactions with leaders and friends and while going through the gallon challenge praying I would not throw up! Young Life brought a lot of joy to my life,” Jackson said.
Adolescence is a significant time in life when individuals start to think independently and make their own choices. As a teenager, you begin to create your path, but the influence of others plays a huge role in shaping the decisions you make. Being surrounded with people who strive to follow God like you do, has such a big impact, as it provides a supportive community that strengthens faith and reminds you that you are not alone in this journey.
Another amazing component of Young Life is how it helps to build meaningful relationships between students and leaders that can last a lifetime. “Greg, one of my high school leaders, became a close friend of mine after college. I helped him start a non-profit called the Arc Project, it’s essentially a surf/water safety course designed for lower-income youth who have fewer opportunities to enjoy the Ocean and the Great Lakes. I was able to surf the Great Lakes with Greg, travel to Florida to set up the first camp, and intern for him when he was a Youth Pastor at a West Michigan church,” Jackson said.
Getting involved in activities always opens up more opportunities and through these opportunities people are provided with the chance to deepen relationships and explore paths that align with their faith. These experiences can teach teamwork and leadership skills, strengthen connections, and highlight how meaningful it is to walk through your journey with Christ with people who are on a similar journey to yours.
Most importantly, Young Life provides a pathway for growing faith in Jesus Christ. Instructor Seth Perisma said, “I had a hard time with the thought of God loving you so much but not understanding how to feel that. I believed it was real but felt it was hard. Young Life was one of the first places that I really felt that love, especially when the leaders would show an interest in us and they were always excited for us being there.”
Having a space where you can go and be yourself while having people around you who are excited that you are pursuing God can make the biggest difference in your journey. “Identity is something that I struggled with a lot when I first got to know Jesus. I struggled to see myself the way that God saw me, it’s a bigger part of my testimony. Realizing the way that God made me and the gifts he gave me, the fact that he made me on purpose and he loved me that way is super cool and it was great to hear that again at camp. Even though I know it, it’s always good to be reminded,” said WO leader Lucy Leggett.
No matter who you are, everyone struggles to figure out who they want to be but having a community around you that helps you to figure that out makes a huge impact. The messages from camp or even clubs and campaigners can help kids find their own identity in Christ and show God’s truly unconditional love. “The most memorable message from Young Life is: No matter where you go, what you do, or how hard life gets, God will always be there and love you,” Jackson mentioned.
Everything that Young Life brings inspires kids to build genuine relationships, embrace their identity in Christ, and live out their faith bravely in all they do while showing others the goodness of God.
