Young Life

Young Life is a huge part of my life as I have been involved in it since I was in sixth grade, and am now a leader in Sharpsville. It is such an amazing organization that meets kids where they are at and shares the gospel with them. Middle and high school are such crucial parts of life that can determine the trajectory of the rest of your life. Hearing about a God that loves you at any age is the greatest news you can hear. I feel like this is especially true for teenagers because of the pressure and need to feel accepted by others.

The story of Young Life begins with a prayer group that prayed for teenagers at the local high school. In 1939 Clyde Kennedy realized how disengaged the local teenagers are with the traditional church. He decided something must be done so he hired Jim Rayburn to work for the church and reach these teenagers. Jim created Young Life club which is held at a kid’s house involving songs, a skit, and a short talk about Jesus. Teens who decided to come to Christ then became in Campaigners, a discipleship group with the leaders. The best way he discovered to reach kids was to meet them where they are at and become friends with them. There is much more to the story of Young Life, but just getting it up and running is a feat in itself.

What started with a prayer group has turned into seven different ministries reaching a specific group of people whether that be people with special needs or middle schoolers. They also have expanded their properties to hold Young Life Camp. Six days of fun with friends where you get to hear about Jesus. Clyde and Jim’s vision to reach teenagers was extremely entrepreneurial as they have found unique ways to reach them and share the love of Christ with them. Ministry is very entrepreneurial as you are discovering new and engaging ways to reach people. We can clearly see this with Young Life.