Posts by Young Life Leader
So You Just Graduated College, Now What?
The Greensboro Fellows program currently has two male openings starting September 2015. If you’ve just graduated college and are heading home for the summer, odds are you’ll be answering the million-dollar question, “What are you doing now that you’ve graduated?” Would you like the opportunity to: Experience deep community and friendship after college? Gain experience…
Read MoreThe Best Camp Fundraiser Ever: How We Made $1850 In 20 Minutes
Originally posted summer 2014. We’re leaving for summer camp in 24 days and still have lots of money to raise. Our YL team told kids and parents “Do not let money keep you from going to camp. Pay what you can and we’ll commit to helping you raise the rest.” We’ve spread mulch. Cleaned a…
Read More#WorkWeekWednesday
Thanks to everyone who has been helping out at Young Life camps around the country! Here are a few pics from #YLWorkWeek!
Read MoreQuestions To Help Your YL Team Evaluate & Celebrate The Year
One of the most valuable, but often neglected, activities we can do as a Young Life team is to regularly evaluate and celebrate. It’s tempting to measure success with numbers. It’s tempting to feel good about the year if you’ve had had big clubs and an epic camp sign-up. It’s tempting to feel bad about…
Read More40 Reasons To Pursue Sexual Purity
Originally posted in May 2012. Last night at Campaigners we looked at 1 Corinthians 6:16-20. The senior guys were surprisingly mature, but reluctant to go deep. I asked them why they thought we should pursue sexual purity. Grasshoppers chirped outside. During our family’s recent spring cleaning I discovered an old journal. Inside I found a list…
Read MoreBeing Able to Chase Kids: A Pre-Camp Fitness Plan
A guest post by Andrew Cooper, Area Director in Fairbanks, AK. It’s that time year again when we all get ready for camp. Leaders everywhere are collecting deposits, designing T-shirts, and getting ready for the camp experience. This fitness guide will help you prepare your body for the ultimate survival contest: Young Life camp. The…
Read MoreWyldLife Wednesday: The Dangers of Instagram
Written by Julie Clapp. If you’re a WyldLife leader, you’re probably on Instagram. It’s the social media platform of choice for our middle school friends, so if you want to communicate with them, Instagram is the place to be. (We use Instagram to tell kids about WyldLife club, but we use Facebook to tell their…
Read MoreCamp Musician Of The Month: Jonah Werner
Our featured Camp Musician for May is Jonah Werner. Born and raised in Colorado, Jonah is an amazing singer/songwriter. He has been called a “musical and lyrical phenom” and a “modern day Kerouac.” Since 1998 he’s lived all over the country touring and promoting his music. After releasing 6 albums he is a strong force…
Read MoreHow To Have Awesome Club Music Next Fall
As clubs come to the end of the year, it’s key to begin thinking about next year. How do you give the rising upperclassmen ownership? One way is to begin encouraging kids to sign-up for the “Young Life Band.” If only one leader played guitar at club this year, consider “expanding” the band next year.…
Read MoreWho Will Finish It?
Guest post by Kristin Rivera, volunteer leader in Raleigh, NC. “Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His word by the signs that accompanied it.” | Mark 16:20 As though I had never read them before, those words shook me today. And so did these words: “When…
Read MoreWyldLife Wednesday: Getting Kids To Camp, Part 3
If your WyldLife camp trip is weeks away and you’re still trying to get kids to sign up, keep working with those parents. Remember, parents are the ones making scheduling and financial decisions for their middle school kids so you need to communicate directly with them. One way to connect with parents? Ask a parent…
Read MoreYoung Life Fried Night
Our club hasn’t tried this yet but I love the idea! HT to Ken Tankersly for sharing it after they did it in their WyldLife club. I also saw it on @Clarkology56’s instagram. Seems like a simple and fun way to make club feel like a county fair. Could be a good one to plan for…
Read MoreYL Capernaum: Club Informational Flyers
This post first appeared on YL Capernaum Everywhere. Looking for a great way to meet new kids and parents?! Check out this idea from our friends in Northern, VA. The top two ways leaders in Northern Virginia are meeting new kids are from special education teachers and parents. The team decided they want these folks…
Read MoreA Darth Vader Scavenger Hunt: May the 4th Be With You
A guest post from Jason Talley. Last year around the end of the year we decided to do a “Ninja Scavenger Hunt” where a bunch of awesome adults dressed up as ninjas around town and the kids went off to find them! This year, during our planning meeting our scavenger hunt landed on Monday, May…
Read MoreWyldLife Wednesday: The Curious Stage
Part of being a WyldLife leader is simply remembering what middle schoolers are experiencing. I entered middle school over 25 years ago but still vividly recall my fear of Wednesday nights. I enjoyed going to youth group and loved playing basketball afterwards…until the first time I got picked to be on the ‘skins’ team. I…
Read MoreHilarious Synchronized Swimming Skit
We’re doing ‘Senior Club’ next Monday night and one of the skits the senior guys are performing is this Synchronized Swimming skit. I’m not sure who originally made this video, so if you know, let us know. It was shared with us from a 5th grade talent show but we thought it would make a great…
Read MoreAt The End Of The School Year, Don’t Forget To Do This
As the school year comes to an end, let’s be Young Life leaders who thank people well. My Area Director in college repeatedly drilled three things into our skulls: Pray First. Thank People Well. Have good breath when doing contact work. Who Do You Need To Thank? Administration The principal at your school didn’t have…
Read MoreTom & Recie Raley: Leaving A Legacy
Written by Alan Smyth, Regional Director for Greater Los Angeles. Tom & Recie Raley are true icons of the faith and treasured gems of our mission. They were among the first staff people in our mission and helped shape it into what we know it to be today. The Raley’s had several stops around the…
Read MoreWhen Club Isn’t Working
Last week I received an email from a YL staff person looking for activities to do ‘when club isn’t working’ or if you have to ‘punt’ when there aren’t very many kids at club. Below are a few options. Poor Man’s Paintball Bigger, Better, Best T-Shirt Rally Similar to Bigger, Better, Best, but with t-shirts instead.…
Read MoreWhat To Do After College Graduation: The Dale House Project
If you’re about to graduate from college and are still trying to figure out what to do this coming year, I can’t think of an experience I’d more highly recommend! The Dale House Project is hiring 1 male position starting in June and another male position starting in September. When I look back over my life,…
Read MoreSummer Movies: Opening Dates and Trailers
The summer movie season begins in just 10 days. Our job as YL leaders is to lead our middle and high school friends into the adventure of following Christ. Part of that means helping them discover better ways to use their time than just settling for the big screen. But another part of our role is to…
Read MoreClub Game Of The Week: Real or Fake Song Titles
Game idea submitted by Marty Fleszar, volunteer leader in Gross Pointe, MI. Supplies PowerPoint slides Projector Screen How To Play Label 1 wall of the room as “FAKE” and another wall as “REAL.” Show the first PowerPoint song title and give the students 15 seconds to get up and move to the wall indicating if…
Read MoreMore MashUp Songs With Chords And Slides
Forever/Hold On We’re Going Home Chords PowerPoint Roar/Brave Chords Magic Chords PowerPoint Thank You Phillip Hardin, Jonathan Vanderbeck and Kyle Miller for sharing!
Read MoreYoung Life Coffee House
A guest post by Charlie Heritage, YL leader in Greensboro, NC. On Monday night, we held our 1st annual Young Life Coffee House. We invited a few kids from each school in the area to share their talents. In 15 years of being a YL leader, this is one of the most memorable nights I…
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