In our YL team leader meeting yesterday our Area Director asked us to talk through the following questions with our YL teams. How many times was your team at the school this week collectively? What ‘outside of school’ contact work was done this week? How many ‘one on one’s did your team do? What have you done to…
That awkward moment when a Young Life leader forgets your name. The Truth About Contact Work: Part 2, a 2 minute video. If you missed the first one, here’s the link to ‘The Truth About Contact Work: Part 1.’
Prom season is upon us. Here are a few ways we as Young Life leaders can serve our high school friends, parents, and administration. PRE-PROM Dress/Tux Shopping Go shopping with them. Do you think your YL guy would rather go with his leader or his mom to Men’s Wearhouse? It’s a toss up, but for the female YL…
Last week we had a ‘Maundy Thursday’ service at church. The term ‘Maundy‘ comes from the Latin ‘mandatum,’ from which we get ‘mandate.’ It’s the first word in the Latin translation of John 13:34, “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another as I have loved you.” Each year during Holy Week we celebrate this…
This guest post was written by Julie Wisch in Chicagoland, IL. Julie has been a volunteer leader for five years, yet is commonly mistaken for a Junior in high school. While summer interning at Timber Wolf Lake she set a bike intern record by falling off her bike fourteen times in front of campers. You can read more…
I use Google Reader as my RSS feed to follow a few other Youth Ministry blogs. (If you would like to subscribe to The Young Life Leader Blog via Google Reader, just click this link.) Yesterday in my Reader I discovered the hilarious video below on MorethanDodgeball.com After I watched it, I sent the video link to two…
Two videos. Two stories. The first is one of desperation. The second, one of hope. Thanks to Andy Thompson, leader in Littleton, CO for sharing the first video and to Catherine Roach, YL leader in Winston-Salem, NC for allowing us to share her story on the YLLB. What videos can you share that have moved your heart? Please…
Woody Allen said that “Ninety percent of life is just showing up.” While that is very true, there is also a lot of strategy to doing smart contact work. What are your “best times” with kids? Friday Afternoons This past Friday afternoon the bell rang as I was walking into the high school. My arrival collided with their…
Contact Work by Tom HammonIf there is a NON-NEGOTIABLE in Young Life (apart, obviously, from the absolute centrality of Christ), it is CONTACT WORK. Real contact work is hard…draws us to Christ…is lonely…is uncomfortable…costs in time and reputation…can be misunderstood…takes tremendous tenacity. Real contact work is not an occasional visit to the school…not hanging with familiar friendly Christians…
It’s been ten months since I made the plunge into the iWorld. Last night I spent thirty minutes debating with a YL leader friend around the issue of her buying an iPhone versus staying old school. With the release of the iPhone 5 just around the corner, and the price of the iPhone 4 dropping to $199, others…
Over the past 6 months I’ve made somewhat of a transition from facebook to Twitter. I still use both, I just use Twitter more frequently. A month ago I read a funny tweet that said “Facebook is for connecting with people you went to high school with, Twitter is for connecting with people you wish you went to…
Simple idea. Many of you already do it. I wish I had learned to do it earlier. Take pictures at games, practices, concerts, tailgates, anywhere kids are. Not just Young Life events, but school events. Post those pictures on facebook. Tag your friends. Make funny comments. Make sure that your photo privacy settings for those photos are set…
It was 3:15pm and the first day back to school for my high school friends. I was excited, nervous, and scared. I tried to talk myself out of going to the school. I made excuses. “No other leader can go today. It’s worthless going alone. I haven’t made plans to meet up with any kids. They won’t even…
I was a freshmen in college going through Young Life leader training. We met in the lobby of Winston dorm on Tuesday nights. One evening we were handed a yellow sheet of paper. Written on that yellow sheet were words. Words that deeply impacted my life. Words that God used to call me to lead Young Life. I…
Earlier this week I asked for your wisdom in how we can beinclusive without being exclusive. Here’s one of the responses from the comment section: “Do things that are specifically aimed at being inclusive. In our area we have created an Ultimate frisbee league. Even in name its called “The Ultimate League For Non All Stars That Still…
ThankIf you’re allowed on campus, write a thank you note to the principal at your high school.Read“Dance Children Dance” by Jim Rayburn III. Few things will better kick-start your Young Life year.ChurchAsk your church to commission you as a “missionary” to the high school. You need to be sent out from your local body with prayer and support….
As a follow up to yesterday’s letter from Pastor John, here’s an idea I learned this year from Megan, a leader on my Young Life team. Megan is a kid magnet. She’s one of those artsy types that dresses funky, but pulls it off. Girls are attracted to her creativity and confidence. God wired her to be a…
