Young Life is a world class organization for adolescents. Our staff and volunteers enter the world of kids, focusing on what matters to them -- fun, adventure, friendship and a sense of significance. In doing so, we earn the privilege of talking to them about something that we believe matters most of all -- the truth about God and His love for them.
External link for Young Life
420 N. Cascade
Colorado Springs, CO 80903, US
Leader relationships with Young Life students are something special. See what this special Young Life duo has to say about each other, and check out the video below to learn more about Wendell and David, two brothers in Christ who truly feel like family. “I never had that older sibling in my life. Wendell was always there to talk to me and help me to get back on the right path.” David “He’s like my little brother. I wanna be the guy that’s always there whatever he needs. If he needs someone to show up to his basketball game, I wanna be that guy.” Wendell https://lnkd.in/eezkD68A
The RELATE Project is all about practically equipping people to care for the next generation. Read below for some insight and a tip on how to address the issue of mental health with Gen Z: “Young people are telling us what they want to talk about, but older generations may feel uncomfortable or ill-equipped around the topic of mental health. Ignoring the topic only creates distance between generations. For Gen Z, mental health does not necessarily mean psychological disorders. Gen Zers typically talk about mental health in a holistic sense, incorporating emotional health, their outlook on life, relational interactions, and experiences from the day. Talking about mental health is a full and well-rounded conversation. One simple place to start is by asking, ‘How would you rate your mental health right now?’ It may feel like an uncomfortable question if you are not used to speaking in these terms, but it is the language of our next generation. Young people don’t hear, ‘Are you crazy?’ but rather, ‘How are you, really?’, which starts the conversation from a place of empathy and authenticity.”
Young Life is at work everywhere – from inner cities to remote villages, our leaders are working to care for kids and share the life changing love of Jesus with them. Check out the video below to hear about the story of Dolena, a former Young Life student who is now working to share the good news of the gospel with her community in a remote village in Alaska. Dolena says, “My chains were broken when I went to camp and the speaker told me that the Lord sees me for who I am. He says, ‘I see you and I am conversing with you in your language.’” https://lnkd.in/eQU_7kWN
Camps around the world are in full swing! At Young Life camp, kids get to have fun, engage with the outdoors, build community, and learn more about who God is and His deep care for them. Lives are being changed, even this very moment, and we’re excited about what God is going to do in the summer of 2024! You were made for this!!
A big part of Chapter Two of The RELATE Project is all about how teens navigate stress in their lives. One of our favorite things we found? Faith actually makes a difference in managing stress! The data that we looked at in this chapter showed that: Growing up with religion or faith can mitigate stress; teens and young adults with these upbringings report less stress overall. Overall, 22% of adolescents ages 13-24 turn to prayer to cope with stress, and 11% of adolescents turn to scripture. Notably, prayer as a coping strategy increases significantly more than other practices by age.
Check out a recent highlight of The RELATE Project by @Fuller Youth Institute! Fuller sat down with Young Life to ask some questions about the study’s findings, the impact of this on young people, and how this data can equip ministries to help understand and reach the next generation. Check out the link below to read the full interview and find out more: https://lnkd.in/ej68Ez4F
Since launching in Africa around two decades ago, Young Life has grown rapidly, reaching over 1,372,000 kids in a growing number of African countries. Kids around the world are facing different challenges. In Africa, our leaders are working with kids who have difficulty getting an education, finding a job, and helping their families. Many live with political instability and corruption, limited resources, drought, disease and famine, drugs and alcohol. Though their challenges may be different from other kids around the world, these kids are asking the same questions: Who am I? Do I matter? One kid at a time, our leaders tell them they’re loved and have a purpose. #YouWereMadeForThis