This Guest Post comes from Ben Knox, a friend of YL and an American serving as a youth pastor in Madrid, Spain. Ben’s post is the fifth in “The 7th C” series focusing on the relationship between YL and the church. I believe wholeheartedly in the work of the Church, because she opens her arms to everyone. I…
This Guest Post comes from Matt Proctor, a pastor and friend of YL. Matt is the lead pastor at Cornerstone Church, an Evangelical Free Church, in Marion, Iowa. He writes regularly onhis blogregarding spiritual health, the church, and ministry. This is the fourth post in our current series, “The 7th C,” exploring the relationship between Young Life and…
This Guest Post is is written by Drew Martin in Nashville, TN. Drew, a long time YL volunteer and staff spouse, has served as a pastor in NC for 5 years, and is currently working on a PhD in church history at Vanderbilt. This is the third post in our current series on YL & the local Church,…
This Guest Post comes from David Carter, a Young Lifer turned Youth Pastor in Houston, Texas. This is the second guest post in a new blog series, “The 7th C.” How can YL & the local Church better partner together? Where I’m Coming From I grew up in the church and have never NOT known a time when…
This Guest Post comes from Johnny May, YL Area Director inSan Luis Obispo, CA.Johnny has been on the YL Staff for 10 years and comes from a YL family where his dad,brother, sister, and brother in-law all have been on staff. Johnny attended Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington and could recite “Rendercella” from memory by the age of…
Today begins a new series on the YLLB, “The 7th C.” In this series we’ll explore the relationship between Young Life and the local church. How can YL and the Church better partner together?If you have thoughts you would like to share, please email YL1941 at gmail dot com. Guest Post submissions on this topic have already been…
Camp is much more fun if you pack the right stuff. Here’s a few things I’ve forgotten in the past, but want to make sure gets stuffed in the duffel bag this year. 15 Camp Packing List Essentials HeadlampYou know you look cool wearing it around, and on top of the cool points, its quite useful. Video Cam/CameraIt’s…
Due to the nature of this post being video heavy, it probably will take a few seconds to load. Our area banquet is coming up next week. Last year we borrowed Colt Helton’s “Friday Night Lights” video idea. I’ve watched our area’s version of it 10+ times and still boo hoo like a teething baby. Here’s the Chattanooga…
When explaining Young Life, many of us often use The Five C’s, which many staffers expand to the The Seven* C’s in banquet talks and parent meetings. 1. Christ* 2. Contact Work 3. Club 4. Camp 5. Campaigners 6. Committee 7. Church* Over the next week or so we’ll be taking a deeper look into “The 7th C”…
On This Day in Young Life History October 16, 1941 A Guest Post from Kit Sublett As befits any organization which revolves around the school calendar, October has always been a busy month for Young Life. But as busy as you may be right now, I hope you’re not as busy as Jim Rayburn was seventy years ago…
Some vintage footage of Jim Rayburn talking about Young Life.
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…
Here’s a humorous 2.5 minute video on how NOT to lead games from a youth ministry website called “The Source For Youth Ministry.” The Seven Sins Of Leading A Game:-Tell the crowd you’re going to play a game. -Forget your props. -Have leaders watch while kids play. -Take more than 30 secs to explain game. -Take more than…
Each week at YL clubs around the world, many leaders attempt to give “announcements” that are often quickly forgotten. Here’s a few ideas to help make your club announcements more memorable.WHENEnd Of ClubChoosing when you do your announcements is key. We have found the most effective time to be at the very end of club, after the talk….
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…
If you are new to The Young Life Leader Blog, WELCOME! To help you catch up on what you have missed over the past few months, below are links to some of the most read posts on the YLLB. If you have anything that you would like to see on this site, please leave a comment on the…
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…
Lots of high school kids, especially guys, love to play paintball. Something about it creates a “male bonding” experience that lends to stories being retold around cafeteria tables. Maybe its the war wounds that look like hickeys. Maybe its just an excuse to wear camo and hide in the woods. Whatever it is, paintball seems to quickly transport…
Many of us have our favorite “Young Life singers.” Mine has always been Allen Levi. His wisdom runs deep. His heart is kind. His eyes remind me I am Christ’s beloved. His voice transports me to my grandpa’s front porch. Two months ago Allen’s brother Gary was diagnosed with brain cancer. Since then Allen has been by Gary’s…
